ROATAN LOCATION INFO

Roatan is an island off the northern coast of Honduras and formed by the Bonacca Ridge, an underwater mountain range. The island is approximately 40 miles long, 3 miles wide and has annual temperatures with highs of 89°F and lows of 77°F. The Bonacca Ridge is responsible for the formation of several small islands and Keys in the surrounding areas, including the Island of Utila and Guanaja.  Roatan is also home to the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere: the Roatan Barrier Reef.  Part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and known as the “Jewel Of The Caribbean”, it is the second largest barrier reef in the world after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

All of the wedding festivities will take place in West Bay Beach.  West Bay Beach is located on Roatan’s western and southern-most tip, and can be considered the ultimate Caribbean beach vacation destination: white sand beaches, palm trees and warm, glass-like tropical waters. With winds originating in the south, West Bay Beach and its coral reef are protected-- the water around the bay is calm and the barrier reef wall provides shelter from tides, currents (and predators!). This makes West Bay Beach prime area for swimming and snorkeling. Best of all: West Bay Beach's location on the western side of the island means that it is protected from the sargassum (seaweed) that is notorious for ruining Caribbean beach vacations!  

DISCLAIMER: Roatan is a low-key, no-frills, no-shirts-no-shoes-no-problem destination with an authentic Caribbean vibe -- minus the hefty price tag. This is not a location where you will find extremely busy beaches (not a Spring Break spot!), fancy restaurants with dress codes, commercialized evening entertainment, and luxury built-up glitz and glam. After all, it is an island off the coast of a third world country. While this may not appeal to some, this is one of the reasons we fell in love with Roatan and the laid-back, island-life vibe. That being said, please don't expect 5-star chain resorts (as of October 2023, the Kimpton will be the first & only on the island!), large high-rise hotels, designer shopping, and pristinely maintained surroundings. What you can expect are plentiful beach shack eateries, a handful of “fancy” restaurants ($25-$30/person), local shops with handmade souvenirs and trinkets, and friendly, welcoming local Hondurans who are highly dependent on Roatan’s tourism.

FLIGHTS

THERE ARE A COUPLE OF WAYS TO GET TO THE ISLAND:

1. Fly directly into Roatan (RTB). This is the most convenient route, however it is usually the most expensive. The airlines below have direct flights into RTB, although the flight schedules can change each season:

-American Airlines via Miami (usually daily)

-American Airlines via Dallas Ft. Worth (usually on Wednesdays & Saturdays)

-United Airlines via Houston (usually every day except Tuesdays)

-Delta Airlines via Atlanta (usually only on Saturdays)

2. Fly to San Pedro Sula (SAP), then to RTB. SAP is on the mainland, and is Honduras’ largest airport. This is usually the most budget friendly option, however it does require that you buy a roundtrip ticket from your starting point to SAP, and a roundtrip ticket from SAP to RTB. These flight schedules seem to stay relatively consistent, and are much less prone to seasonal fluctuations. The other nice thing about this route is that there are a lot more options.

-The airlines above as well as Spirit Airlines usually have multiple direct flights into SAP daily from multiple US airports

-From SAP to RTB, CM Airlines & Aerolíneas Sosa usually operate 5-6 flights per day. Flight time is 30 minutes, and a round trip ticket is usually around $200/person.

3. For those traveling from the West Coast, you can consider connecting through Central American hubs:

-Avianca Airlines/Volaris directly to Roatan via El Salvador (LAX—>SAL—>RTB)

-Copa Airlines/CM Airlines via Panama & San Pedro Sula (LAX—>PTY—>SAP—>RTB)

**FLIGHT PRICES: In full transparency, this will almost certainly be the most expensive part of your trip. We wish we could have found a destination that checked all the boxes that Roatan did, but had cheaper airfare :( We promise that we tried! The good news though, is that for a breathtakingly beautiful beach destination, you will be pleasantly surprised how little everything else will cost throughout the trip :)

**WHERE TO SEARCH: Google flights is great because you can get an idea of all the possible route options and cost. Even better is that instead of constantly checking flight prices, you can use the “Track Prices” feature, which allows you to set up notifications to a Gmail account whenever airfare drops in price. Once you find a ticket at a price you’re comfortable paying, I recommend you book through the airline directly. Even though booking through OTA’s like Expedia might be slightly cheaper, it can be a headache if anything comes up, or you need to make any changes.

Transportation

**AIRPORT TRANSPORTATION: We have secured a company who is willing to offer roundtrip transfers for our guests between the airport and West Bay for $15 per person (children 5 and under would be free).  If you are interested, please let us know your flight details and we will make sure they have everyone's arrival info.  With so few flights into RTB from the US, many of our guests will actually be arriving/departing on the same flight :).  

There is no need to rent a car, and in fact we would recommend that you don’t (the hassle isn’t worth it). Most of the events that we have planned will be in West Bay Beach, so within walking distance from any accommodation in the area. If you plan to venture out on your own, taxis are plentiful and cheap, and some excursions will even offer transportation to/from your hotel through the company.

ACCOMMODATIONS

We recommend looking for accommodations in West Bay, which is where most of the wedding festivities will take place.  This is also the best beach in Roatan.  West Bay Beach is relatively small, about a 1 mile stretch, so anything in the area that you see and like will be convenient and within close proximity to everything.  West End is another popular destination, although you need to take a water taxi in order to get over to West Bay Beach.  The properties listed below are just a few popular places to get you started.

WEST BAY HOTELS:

Arca- One of Roatan's newest boutique beach hotels in a prime location. Only a 2 minute walk on the beach to the wedding venue as well as the welcome party venue.

Infinity Bay - 1 BR, 2 BR & 3 BR units. Most of the units here are privately owned and can be found on sites like VRBO and AirBnB.  There is also a large swimming pool.

Mayan Princess - 1BR & 2 BR units; Swimming pool; Honestly, booking here is kind of a pain as you can't book directly online; you have to contact the hotel directly.

Bananarama - 1BR & 2BR units; In a central location in West Bay with a popular beach bar/restaurant (Thirsty Turtle).  Accommodations here are VERY basic, but the property is quintessential "beach bungalow". We stayed here on our first trip to Roatan and loved it!

Kimpton Grand Roatan - 1BR, 2 BR & 3BR units; Previously called the Grand Roatan, and recently purchased by IHG Hotels.  This will be the first and only 5-star resort on Roatan. 

AIRBNB & VRBO:  In our experience, there are just as many, if not more, accommodation options to be found here. 

CURRENCY & CREDIT CARDS

CURRENCY: The Lempira is the official currency of Honduras, but US dollars are widely accepted throughout the island. If bringing US dollars, plan to bring clean, crisp bills (not ripped nor torn) in smaller denominations. There will be no need to worry about locating a currency exchange.

CREDIT CARDS: Accepted, but not everywhere. Visa & Mastercard are fine, whereas AmEx is hit-or-miss. Make sure you check with your card issuer about whether a travel alert needs to be notated on your account (to prevent your card being declined/flagged for fraud), and make sure you are aware of any foreign transaction fees.

CASH: Bring whatever you’re comfortable carrying. You will not have a problem finding ATMs at the airport, some of the hotels, as well as larger shops and gas stations. There may be withdrawal limits, but there are plenty throughout the island. Money will be distributed in lempiras, so make sure you are familiar with the exchange rate. And similar to above, confirm with your bank regarding travel alerts and fees.

TRAVEL & ENTRY

PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS: U.S. citizens are required to have a passport with at least six months of validity beyond your return travel date, as well as at least one blank page for an entry stamp. It’s also a good idea to make a copy of your passport ID page, just in case.

VISAS: US citizens are NOT required to have visas to enter Honduras. 

IMMIGRATION FORMS: At the moment, there are two forms that you must complete electronically prior to arriving in Honduras: 1) An Immigration Precheck (Prechequeo) for each person, and 2) A Customs Declaration form for each family (or person if traveling alone)

VACCINATIONS: A certificate for yellow fever vaccination is required if arriving within 6 days of being in a country at risk for yellow fever. For a listing of countries with risk of yellow fever transmission, please refer to this list from the World Health Organization (WHO).  

COVID ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: As of March 2023, Honduras has lifted all requirements for either proof of vaccine or a negative COVID test. There are also no entry requirements for getting back into the US.

FAQs

ARE KIDS ALLOWED? Absolutely! We intend to ensure all of the events planned throughout the week are kid friendly. We don’t want anyone to not make the trip because they don’t have babysitters, and we don’t want anyone to “stay behind to watch the kids” while we are there. On the wedding day, we will have “kids goodie bags” and a "kids buffet" available. We are also working with our Roatan-based wedding planner to have a few trusted babysitters on-site to help keep the kids entertained, as well as security guards monitoring the perimeter to redirect anyone who tries to wander (kids, or adults!).

CAN I BRING A GUEST? Yes! Please just indicate this on your RSVPs so we can have an accurate head count.

DO WE NEED TO RSVP TO ALL THE EVENTS? Yes, you really do! We won’t just assume that because you RSVP to the wedding event, that means you will be coming to all the events. We do understand, though, that some may not book their flights until much closer to the time. If that’s the case, it would be helpful if you can at least RSVP to the wedding event, and RSVP to the others once you know your exact arrival/departure details. We kindly ask that you RSVP to the wedding event NO LATER THAN FEBRUARY 1ST.

WAIT—IS HONDURAS EVEN SAFE?! While crime and violence can be prevalent throughout the north coast and central areas of mainland Honduras, Roatan and the Bay Islands have notably lower rates of violence and crime. Because these areas are frequently visited by tourists, Roatan has an increased presence of law enforcement, and most of the hotels and establishments in West Bay have security guards on the beach. 

CAN I DRINK THE TAP WATER? Generally, no. Depending on where you are staying, the water system may be purified. But for the most part, expect that it’s not. We recommend you bring a Yeti/Hydroflask that you can keep filled with filtered water.

WHAT IF I FORGET MY TOOTHBRUSH?! Prepare for first-world problems in that there is no Amazon same-day delivery, and no Instacart. But, there are small shops and storefronts that sell basic items.