Port of Entry Coxen Hole
Port of Entry at Mahagony Bay

If you are on the Roatan Port cruise ship and want to see the real island, you must venture away from the immediate area of the Coxen Hole dock pictured above.  As you walk into town, you can get a different view from the trinket shops.  You will only see a tiny bit of Roatan in town and, beyond the old shops, there is not much you will want to see or do in Coxen Hole.  The picture below is what you will see as you enter Coxen Hole.  Just were taxi #211 is pictured below is a dirt road that leads to the local "Mercado".  Just beyond the taxi is H B Warrens grocery, the Captain of the Port office, and the post office.  Beyond those locations there only a few shops and some small local restaurants.  The restaurants here will be less crowded than the ones near the port terminal. You only have to venture a few hundred yards to see everything you might want to see.  If you purchase items in Coxen Hole, just check around at a few of the shops before you make your purchase to insure you are not getting an inflated price.  Most trinket shops offer a 15% if you ask for it.

 If you want to see island's beauty,  catch a mini bus as described below or negotiate a taxi or van tour.  Go to West End or West Bay or have the tour operator take you to other areas of the island to see the island's true beauty!  Going the West End or West Bay is a bit "touristy".

Mini Buses and Taxis Update January 2010

There is a mini bus system (routes 1, 2, and 3) that operates daily from Coxen Hole to various locations throughout the island.  Look for the small dark blue, red, or white mini vans.  The mini buses stop by waving at them.  You can get the mini bus from the center of Coxen Hole at a staging area next the post office (just past Warrens grocery store). This is a short walk from the Roatan cruise ship dock.  West End or Ruta 2 is about 30 lempiras.  You have to pay in lempiras!  The Ruta 2 bus will take you via the side streets in Coxen Hole to the main road and the short trip to West End.

This is Thickett Road....walk past here into Coxen Hole a short distance to get the mini bus.

 
A typical mini bus...wow, this one looks new!

The mini buses stop along the main road by waving at them if you are walking.  If you are on the bus, just as the driver to stop whenever you want to get off.   On the return from West End, the Ruta 2 bus comes in Thickett Road and just ask the driver to stop at the Coxen Hole intersecting road for the short walk to the ship terminal. 

If you decide to get a taxi, then negotiate before you get in.  Paying too much will only lead to another major upward spiral in tour and taxi rates again this year!  Rates have doubled every year since 2004.  Mini buses however are a published fare and easily boarded.  The 2 line bus goes to West End from 5:30 AM till 5 PM every 10 minutes for around 30 Lempiras/person!.  The 2 line bus will make many stops but West End is about 15 to 20 minutes depending upon the number of stops it makes.   Assuming you got on the 2 bus to West End, get off the mini bus as soon as it enters West End where the paved road ends and the bus turns left on the sand road along the water.  Walk the sand road to find shops, dive operators, restaurants, etc.  If you walk to the left from the paved road, you will get to Crystal Beach Cabins and Foster's Bar.  Just across from Crystal Beach, you will see the water taxi docks that have water taxi service to West Bay.  The fare for the water taxis (small open boat) is about 100 Lempiras but they will take US dollars also.  The water taxis run every 5 or 10 minutes.

If you decide to take a taxi from the ship terminal area or any location, YOU MUST confirm the price of the ride PER person or for the entire taxi before you go.  Also, check to see if the price is for a roundtrip!  Be sure to determine if the rate is in Lempiras or Dollars.....yes, if you don't confirm the rate, you will probably have a unpleasant surprise on your fare.  If you find yourself being extorted by the taxi driver, find the nearest tourist police (green uniform) and ask for help. 

The tourist police are readily visible in the West End and Coxen Hole during cruise ship days.   The taxi fare should be about $10 to get to West End (one way per person) and $15/person to West Bay.  Remember, the mini bus is less than a $2 per person to West End! 

If you want to look for additional independent information, here is a link www.roatancabtours.com for a taxi tour company.  Their rates are:

Cruiseship Dock to West End and return – starting at $15 per person with a
group of 4 passengers.

Cruiseship Dock to West Bay Beach and return - starting at $20 per person
with a group of 4 passengers.

Islander Tours or Carlos Rodriguez might be another choice for a taxi tour (small white taxi style car).  He provides island, mangrove, jungle (hmmm, the eastern part of Roatan ----try the mainland if you really want jungle), shopping, snorkel trips, and beach tours.  His prices seem to be in line with reasonable rates.  Check his web site at islandertours.com for reservations. Tours start $15 pp for 4 people. 

If you are looking for a good tour operator with larger vehicles, also check out Victor Bodden at www.boddentours.com

"Tour rates" not taxi fare rates (Jan 2009)

 Check our locator maps for island locations.