About Roatan
Where is Roatan?
Roatan is a Caribbean island about 35 to 40 miles off the north coast of Honduras in Central America.
How can I call businesses on Roatan?
To make an international call, first dial the plus sign (+) on a cell phone or 011 on a landline. The Honduras country code is 504 and individual phone numbers are eight digits, so a typical phone number will be written as follows +504 1234-5678. Most, but not all, businesses on Roatan employ English speakers for North American clients. The texting app WhatsApp is much more commonly used here than SMS texting. WhatsApp is the primary means of communication for most locals and businesses.
Where can I stay?
There are many fine resorts, hotels and cabanas on the Island. These range from full-service, all-inclusive resorts to a wide variety of home rentals.
Can I use US currency?
Yes, most establishments will accept US currency as payment while you are on Roatan or in Honduras. Make sure that your bills are not torn. The reason for this is that banks in the U.S. have an agreement with the Federal Reserve for replacement, but Honduran banks do not enjoy this privilege. Inspect your U.S. bills carefully to ensure they don’t have even a small tear. Most businesses accept credit cards, including Mastercard, Visa and American Express.
The Honduran currency is the lempira. You can receive a better exchange rate if you convert your dollars into Lempiras and pay for your purchases in Lempiras. The exchange rate as of 2024 is approximately 24.7 lempiras per dollar. There is also a 15% sales tax and 18% alcohol tax. Tipping is 10-15% is customary.
What is the weather like?
The climate is warm. Temperatures are usually around 80 degrees for lows (27 degrees Celsius) and 88 degrees for highs (31 Celsius). It is quite humid, but there is usually a sea breeze that has a cooling effect. The dominant winds are trade winds that blow from the east. For this reason, the west end of the island is very popular since it less windy and wavy on days when the easterly trade winds blow. The dress for the entire island is very casual. Comfortable cool clothing, shorts, and lightweight pants are recommended. Even in the evening at upscale restaurants, the dress remains casual. There are mosquitoes and sand flies. Use repellant and stick to beaches that are well-groomed. Hurricanes are rare because the mainland shields the island from most direct hits from tropical storms. When there are tropical storms, they are usually in August, September or October. For the daily local forecast, check out roatanweather.org.
Are there medical facilities?
There are several clinics that have bilingual doctors on the island. Larger medical centers with specialties like cardiology are available in San Pedro Sula (on the mainland) and La Ceiba. Emergencies can be handled by air ambulance, and a number of resort owners and individuals have their private planes berthed at the Roatan airport.
Anthony’s Key Resort Clinic employs three doctors, an EMT, and two laboratory technicians. The clinic is equipped with an emergency room, a hyperbaric chamber, an x-ray room, a lab and a pharmacy.
Dr. Noe Ramos offers a full suite of medical services at Centro Medico Ramos in the mid-island community of Las Fuertes. Dr. Ramos is bilingual and has onsite X-ray, ultrasound, surgery and hospital facilities.
Hospital Cemesa is a private hospital in French Harbor that also has a surgical facility, hospital rooms, X-ray and lab facilities and some specialties like dermatology and orthopedics.
In what time zone is Roatan? Roatan observes Central Standard Time year round. It does not observe Daylight Saving Time, which means that from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November Roatan is in the same time zone as U.S. Mountain Time and from the first Sunday in November to the second Sunday in March Roatan is in the same time zone as U.S. Central Time.
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