RoatánCruise Port Guide
Two terminals, one island, one day. Find your dock, pick a plan that fits your hours, and see what's close enough to walk.
Welcome to Roatán
Pro Picks
Zip line · 4–5 hrsZip Line, Monkey Sanctuary and Beach
The most-reviewed tour on GetYourGuide's Roatán list: a zip line through the jungle canopy, a visit with monkeys and sloths at a wildlife sanctuary, and a beach stop. The listing runs 4 to 5 hours, so match it against your all-aboard time before you book.
From $69/ person
Book Now →
Snorkeling · 4.5 hrsThree-Stop Snorkeling Trip with a Beach Break
Three snorkeling stops over Roatán's reef, then a beach break, with pickup included. At 4.5 hours it fits a half day if you're back at the terminal well before all-aboard.
From $75/ person
Book Now →
Island tour · 3 hrsMonkeys, Sloths, Birds and a Chocolate-and-Rum Tasting
GetYourGuide's top pick for Roatán, and the shortest tour here at about 3 hours: a guided drive that stops for monkeys, sloths and birds, with chocolate and rum samples. Pickup is included, and you can book it as a private group.
From $58/ person
Book Now →Your time ashore
Count from leaving the ship to being back aboard.
Roatán in 3 hours
Island Tour
Monkeys, Sloths and Chocolate Island Tour
A guided island drive that stops for monkeys, sloths and birds, with chocolate and rum samples to finish. It's the one short option on Roatán, so check the pickup time against your all-aboard time.
From$58
Time required3 hours
Roatán in 5 hours
Snorkeling
One-Stop Snorkeling and Beach Break
The lowest-priced snorkel tour in this plan: one snorkeling stop, then a beach break, with pickup included. Starting times show only after you pick a date, so confirm before you book.
From$45
Time required4 hours
Island Tour
Sloth and Monkey Hangout with Island Tour
A wildlife stop at a sloth and monkey hangout combined with a drive around the island. Pickup is included and the listing says it's wheelchair accessible; confirm the start time for your date.
From$51
Time required4 hours
Snorkeling
Three-Stop Snorkeling and Beach Break
Three snorkeling stops, then a beach break, with pickup included. At 4.5 hours it's the longest trip in this tier, so leave yourself a cushion before all-aboard.
From$75
Time required4.5 hours
Zip Line & Snorkel
Zip Line, Monkeys and Snorkel
A zip line over the jungle, a monkey and sloth visit and a snorkel stop packed into 4 hours, with pickup included. It's a lot of stops, so the timing is tight if your ship leaves early.
From$82
Time required4 hours
Beach Day Pass
West Bay Resort Beach Pass with Port Transfer
A resort beach day at West Bay with the ride from your terminal included, at a choice of three resorts. The listing says transport is timed to your ship's arrival and departure; the price shows after you choose a resort.
Time required4 hours 30 minutes
Roatán in 7 hours
Zip Line & Wildlife
Zip Line, Monkey Sanctuary and Beach
Roatán's most-reviewed tour: a jungle zip line, a monkey and sloth sanctuary and a beach stop in 4 to 5 hours. The guide meets you by the white-taxi terminal at Isla Tropicale, so ask where it meets if you dock at Coxen Hole.
From$69
Time required4 - 5 hours
ATV & Zip Line
ATV, Zip Line and Monkey Sanctuary
An ATV ride, a zip line, a monkey and sloth sanctuary and a beach club stop in 5 hours, with pickup included. It's one of the pricier days here, so confirm the return time for your date.
From$125
Time required5 hours
Mangrove Boat & Snorkel
East Side Mangrove Boat Tour with Snorkeling
A small boat through the island's east-side mangrove channels, with a snorkel stop. It's rated 5.0 from 29 reviews and includes pickup, so confirm the return time for your date.
From$75
Time required5 hours
Horseback & Adventure
Horseback, Zip Line, Monkeys and Snorkeling
A horseback ride, a zip line, a monkey and sloth visit and a snorkel stop in one 5-hour day, with pickup included. It has only 9 reviews so far, so treat the 4.9 rating as a first impression.
From$145
Time required5 hours
Island Beach Day
Little French Key Beach Day
A small-group beach day at Little French Key, with pickup from the terminals. The listing has only 3 reviews so far, so read the details before you rely on the timing.
From$91
Time required5.5 hours
Within a stroll of the boat
Six stops on foot from Port of Roatán, nearest first. Coxen Hole starts outside the port fences and is a working town rather than a tourist strip, so allow for the heat. Ships at Isla Tropicale are about 2.7 miles away, too far to walk.
Drinks · 0.1 mi · ~4 min
Seafood
A bar on Calle Bahía Las Flores, the waterfront road just outside the port. The closest stop on this map.
Coffee · 0.3 mi · ~9 min
Sánchez
A café on the same waterfront road, a little farther along from the port.
Plaza · 0.5 mi · ~12 min
Parque Central de Roatán
Coxen Hole's central park, the town's main open space and a sensible turnaround point for a short walk.
Coffee · 0.8 mi · ~18 min
West Pickers
A coffee shop in Coxen Hole with indoor seating only and Wi-Fi for customers.
Church · 0.8 mi · ~18 min
Iglesia Episcopal Emmanuel
An Episcopal church building on the main island road through Coxen Hole.
Eat · 0.9 mi · ~20 min
Elotes locos
A local chicken grill and bar on the main island road, and the farthest stop here, so it suits a 5-hour day more than a short one.
Handy Helpers
Small things that make a port day easier.
Private Driver, Waiting at the Dock
A pre-booked driver meets you at the dock for a fixed price. No haggling, no waiting for a taxi to fill.
Bike rental
Cover more ground than on foot. Book ahead and return it well before all-aboard.
Travel eSIM
Install it on ship WiFi and your maps and ride apps work the moment you land in Roatán.
Sailing from
Homeports with cruises that call at Roatán.
Quick answers
Facts last checked .
How we checked these answers
Every answer is built from facts we checked against the sources below and cross-checked with recent port guides. Where sources disagreed, the answer says so instead of guessing a number.
Getting ashore
Where do cruise ships dock in Roatán, and is it a tender port?
Roatán has two cruise terminals a few miles apart: Port of Roatán at Coxen Hole, and Isla Tropicale (formerly Mahogany Bay) to the east. Ships normally tie up alongside at both, so it isn't a tender port. At Port of Roatán, though, some ships are tendered ashore when several are in port, usually Norwegian. Isla Tropicale has two berths and no tendering. Check your ship's daily program or app for which terminal you'll use.
Which port does Royal Caribbean or Carnival use in Roatán?
Carnival ships usually dock at Isla Tropicale (formerly Mahogany Bay), the Carnival Corporation terminal, and so do Princess and Holland America. Royal Caribbean usually uses Port of Roatán at Coxen Hole, along with Celebrity, Norwegian, MSC and Virgin Voyages. Assignments can change, and no source says which berth a line gets within a terminal, so confirm your terminal in your ship's daily program or cruise app.
Is there anything to do at the Roatán cruise port, or is it worth getting off the ship?
It depends on the terminal. Isla Tropicale has a free beach for cruisers, a nature trail, about 52 shops, restaurants and bars, and a new pool area, so Carnival-line passengers can stay close. Port of Roatán has a cruise village of shops, restaurants and stalls, but no beach within walking distance, so getting off there mostly means a taxi or tour. Browsing the shops and the walk into Coxen Hole cost nothing; for a plan that fits your day, see the time-ashore options.
Can I walk from the Roatán cruise port to town?
From Port of Roatán, yes: Coxen Hole's central park is about half a mile from the pier, roughly a 12-minute walk, and the town centre is about 0.8 miles away. The town sits outside the port gates, though, and few cruise passengers make the walk. From Isla Tropicale, no: Coxen Hole is about 2.7 miles away, a drive of around 16 minutes. See the stroll map for what's near Port of Roatán.
How much is a taxi in Roatán?
Roatán taxis charge posted zone fares rather than running a meter. Guides report about $15 per person, with a two-person minimum, to West Bay or West End, and about $20 per cab to Coxen Hole, but they disagree on exact amounts. Use the official taxis at the terminal, and agree the price, and whether the driver will wait and bring you back to the ship, before you set off.
Beaches & water
Can you walk to a beach from the Roatán cruise port?
At Isla Tropicale, yes: Mahogany Beach is inside the complex, about 800 feet of sand and a 10-minute walk from the shops on a paved path or nature trail, or a ride on the chairlift. Cruisers get in free with their cruise card. At Port of Roatán, no: there's no public beach within walking distance, and the beaches at West Bay and West End are a 25- to 45-minute taxi ride away.
How far is West Bay Beach from the Roatán cruise port, and how do I get there?
West Bay Beach is roughly 25 to 45 minutes by taxi from either terminal, depending on the terminal, traffic and which guide you read. Guides report about $15 per person each way with a two-person minimum, but confirm the price and whether the driver will bring you back. Royal Caribbean says the ship will not wait for a guest on their own plans, so leave West Bay with plenty of time to spare.
Excursions
What are the best shore excursions in Roatán?
The most-reviewed Roatán tours on GetYourGuide are wildlife-and-island combinations: a monkey and sloth sanctuary paired with a zip line and a beach stop, island tours that include a sloth and monkey park, and a three-stop snorkeling trip with a beach break. Our Scout Favorites pick one of each, and the time-ashore plans below sort the rest by how long you have.
Where do shore excursions meet you in Roatán?
Independent tours meet you at the terminal. At Port of Roatán, the listings send you out through gate 1 to a guide holding a sign with your name. At Isla Tropicale, they direct you through the shopping area to the white-taxi terminal. Royal Caribbean says the ship will not wait for guests on their own plans, so check your tour's return time against your all-aboard time.
Money, safety & practical
Do I need cash in Roatán, and are US dollars accepted?
US dollars are widely accepted in Roatán, especially near the terminals, although the official currency is the Honduran lempira and change can come back in lempiras. Both terminals have ATMs, and cards work at larger restaurants, resorts and duty-free shops, but smaller vendors and taxis are cash, so carry some cash.
Do you need a passport to cruise to Roatán?
On a closed-loop cruise that starts and ends in the US, US citizens can re-enter with a birth certificate and a government photo ID, according to US Customs and Border Protection, which warns that the countries you visit may still require a passport. If you ever have to fly home from Honduras, for example after missing the ship, you need a passport book.
Is Roatán safe for cruise passengers?
The US State Department rates Honduras overall Level 3, "Reconsider travel," citing crime and terrorism, updated in August 2026. Its advisory text doesn't mention Roatán, the Bay Islands or cruise ships, so it can't be read as a rating for the island alone. Guides advise using the official taxis at the terminal and agreeing fares in advance rather than accepting rides from drivers who approach you.
What time is it in Roatán, and how early should I be back at the ship?
Honduras is on UTC−6 all year and doesn't change its clocks for daylight saving. Go by the all-aboard time your ship posts rather than local time. Royal Caribbean says the ship will not wait for any guest faring on their own, so give yourself a buffer, especially on a drive back from West Bay or West End.
What can I do in Roatán in 3, 5 or 7 hours?
Three hours fits one island tour with a sloth and monkey stop, five hours fits a zip line, a snorkel boat or a beach-day pass, and seven hours adds an ATV ride, a mangrove boat trip or an island beach day. West Bay and West End are 25 to 45 minutes by taxi, so most plans eat travel time. See the 5-hour plans for the most options.