Transportation is a grey area for most visitors to the island. There are plenty of options to get around that can fit any lifestyle. In this article we will go over some of the most commonly used means of transportation.

Bus

The public buses are divided by two different routes. On the east end you have the Oak Ridge-Coxen Hole route. On the west end, you have the Coxen Hole-West End route. On both routes, the buses pass about every 20 minutes.

Oak Ridge-Coxen Hole Route only runs between Oak Ridge and Coxen Hole. The bus fare has two different rates. From Oak Ridge to French Harbour is L.35 one way and from French Harbour to Coxen Hole is L.40 one way. The travel travel time on this route is about 1 hour 40 minutes.

Coxen Hole-West End Route f you are travelling from Sandy Bay, West End or West Bay, you will have to take the bus route that travels between West End and Coxen Hole and then transfer to the Tica Bus that is going towards Oak Ridge. The bus fare from West End to Coxen hole is L.25 (one way) and the travel time is about 40 minutes.

Please note:

On Sundays there are no buses available.

There are no official bus stops, if you want to catch the bus you have to flag it down.

The bus stops anywhere you want as long as it is along the route. In order to let the bus driver know that you would like to get off, you have to yell “baja!”Which means getting off.

The last bus in either direction is around 5:00pm, but you shouldn’t depend on the last bus because it is rush hour. Most of the time, it is filled to capacity with people who are getting off of work.

Taxi

Taxi prices vary depending on the driver and which part of the island you are travelling from.  The cheapest option is always “colectivo” or collective in English. This means that you will share your taxi with anyone who flags it down. The driver will make any stops along the way to pickup or drop off passengers. The most expensive option is “un viaje” or a trip in English. This means that the driver will take you anywhere you would like to go, express, without picking up or dropping off passengers.  You should only travel in taxis that are trusted and have taxi numbers painted on the doors.

Each taxi cab driver has a list of rates that have been assigned by the taxi organization. These rates apply during the day, however during the night; pricing is left up to the discretion of the taxi driver. Most of the time if you will be travelling at night the rate will increase.

Private Transportation

There are a number of rental car agencies on the island or tour operators who you can contact for a private trip. Again the price of private transportation varies between providers, vehicle and your location on the island.

Water Taxi

On both ends of the island there are motor dory boats that can take you around. On the east end the motor dory boats can be found in Oak Ridge at the intersection of the main road and the dirt road that goes towards Pandy Town. You can also find the water taxis at the last stop of the public buses. It’s in front of the road that goes towards the municipal building. These water taxis can take you to the neighboring areas such as Jonesville, Pandy Town and Calabash Bight.

On the West End there are water taxis that take you from West End to West Bay. They can stop anywhere in between those two locations. It’s an excellent option for those who would like to enjoy the beautiful seaside view instead of taking the main road. It will also get you to West Bay faster than if you were to go by car.