Roatan Pocket Port Guide

Roatán is a long, narrow island off the north coast of Honduras, and the reason most people come here sits just offshore. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef — the second largest reef system in the world — runs along the island's edge, often close enough to reach by swimming out from the beach.

That shapes what a good day here looks like. Roatán isn't a town you wander through; the cruise terminals are self-contained, and the places worth your time are a taxi ride away. There's also a detail that catches people out before they've even booked an excursion: two different terminals serve this island, five miles apart, and which one your ship uses changes your day.

What's inside — 17 pages:

• Port at a Glance — both terminals, walkability, currency, language, and what a Roatán day costs you in time
• Getting Around — which lines dock where, taxi fares charged per person rather than per car, the water taxi between West End and West Bay, and an honest word on the buses
• Things to Do — snorkelling the reef, West End, Gumbalimba Park, Carambola Botanical Gardens, Turquoise Bay, and glass-bottom boats for anyone who'd rather stay dry
• Beaches — West Bay, Half Moon Bay and the terminal beach, with straight notes on crowds, chairs and which end of the sand to settle on
• Food & Drink — baleadas, tapado, pan de coco, and why ordering lionfish is a small favour to the reef
• Shopping — Honduran cigars, mahogany, Garifuna crafts, and what not to buy
• A One-Day Port Plan — morning in the water, lunch over it, and an unhurried return
• Practical Information — money, safety, water, language, entry requirements, and the time difference that catches people out
• What to Take Ashore — short and specific, not a generic packing list
• FAQs and a closing note
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Who it's for: Anyone with a Roatán call who'd rather arrive knowing which terminal they're on and what to do about it. It assumes you can find your own way around — it just saves you the research.

Format: PDF, 17 pages, sized 5.5 × 8.5in. Reads comfortably on a phone and prints as a neat half-page booklet. Yours to keep, no subscription.