THE GEN X WANDERER / 7 Days Aboard the MSC World America Western Caribbean / What to do in Roatan Honduras

Day 1: Embarkation
Day 2: At Sea
Day 3: Roatan | Honduras
Day 4: Costa Maya | Mexico
Day 5: Cozumel | Mexico
Day 6: At Sea
Day 7: Ocean Cay Marine Reserve

And in case you missed it, see what we did on the MSC World America Eastern Caribbean

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Roatan Cruise Ports: Coxen Hole Versus Mahogany Bay

If you’re new to cruising and one of your stops is Roatan, Honduras, here’s a complete guide and what we did.

There are actually 2 ports in Roatan:

1. Coxen Hole – or known as the Port of Roatan, which the older, more local port closer to the town centre, used by cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian, and MSC and this is where we were docked.
2. Mahogany Bay – a few miles away in Dixon Cove is a private, purpose built destination owned and operated by Carnival Corporation. Carnival invested tens of millions of dollars to build it back in 2009, and it is currently in the middle of a rebrand into something called Isla Tropicale, with a new pool, a swim up bar, and all the resort style trimmings. If your ship books through Carnival, Princess, Holland America, or Costa, chances are, you will land here. You will get a more resort style, contained experience right at the port.

Same island, two completely different arrival experiences.

• Distance between ports: 3 miles / 5 km apart
• Drive time: approx 10 to 15 min by taxi or car

Note: if you are docked in Coxen Hole, you cannot simply go to Mahogany Bay, it’s only for those cruise guests that are docked there for the day.

Either way, both ports give you easy access to the west side of the island, where the Mirador Roatan, Mayak Chocolate Factory, and the Roatan Rum Company + a whole lot of other local excursions are all clustered within a reasonably short drive.

New to Cruising? Don’t miss my informational articles below so you can get sailing!

• Ultimate Cruise Packing Guide + Itinerary! Free Download
• Fear of Cruising? You’re Fears are Probably all Wrong
• First Time Cruising? Let’s Put Your Mind at Ease
• Prone to Seasickness? Choosing the Right Cabin Matters!

Day 3: MSC World America
Roatan, Honduras VLOG

The Coxen Hole port area features a large pool, swim up bar, beachfront lounging, cabanas, hammocks, a handcrafted chocolate shop, a coffee shop, and an ice cream bakery. You can find duty-free jewelry, liquor shops, local crafts, cigars, souvenirs, and local food or bars like The Boat Bar.

The Taxi Gauntlet

If you haven’t yet, check out my YouTube VLOG above.

We got off the ship around 11:00 am (group of 8 of us) and we did the little tourist trap right outside the port. The area in front of the ship had a bit of things to do, there were little duty free shops, a swim up bar and a restaurant and bar. We didn’t have a plan today, so we let the universe decide for us.

The ship does of course sell tons and tons of their own excursions, but it’s generally less expensive when going local. Just be aware of your time.

We left the tourist area and was met with a hallway of taxi services, all wanting our service and trying to give us the best price. If you have ever cruised before, you know what I’m referring to. But this haggling was tame compared to our stop in Cozumel. More on that later!

My husband loves the challenge and he treats haggling like a competitive sport. He worked out a deal with a private driver for an eight seater van that would take all of us around the island for about three hours for $200 USD. No packaged tour, no set script, just us and a driver who lived there. If we got something like this off the ship, it would be easily double that price.

If you are the type that likes to plan early, then I suggest you check out Viator. Still much better and cheaper than direct from the cruise ship. Just be sure to know your all aboard time!

Our driver was Hector and he does about 1 tour a day. By the time he’s all done with a group, it leaves little to no time to host another group for 3-4 hours since they have to go back on the ship.

He knew every back road shortcut, every spot where the light hit the water just right for a photo, and he had opinions on all of it. He knew how to navigate the narrow roads with precision (I’m talking 2 inches off the edge of a cliff on a turn 😳). He was fantastic!

Definitely splurge on this since you set your own pace.

Stop 1: Mirador Roatan

First stop on Hector’s route was the Mirador, which is about a 10 min ride from the cruise port. It is a lookout point perched up high on the island. From up there you get a full panorama of the jungle rolling down toward the coastline, the Caribbean Sea stretching out in that impossible turquoise colour, and you can actually see your cruise ship, sitting in port down below.

This area also has little trinkets and handmade wooden arts and crafts for sale.

Click Map to Enlarge

Stop 2: Mayak Chocolate Factory

From the Mirador we headed toward the west side of the island to Mayak Chocolate Factory, a small scale, artisanal chocolate operation that sources its cacao from Honduran growers, including beans from the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve region.

This isn’t a mass production tour, it is a truly hands on stop where you learn how cacao goes from a jungle pod to an actual chocolate bar, watching the fermenting, drying, and grinding process explained by people who clearly love what they do. Then comes the best part, the tasting. We sampled everything they put in front of us, bought way more than we planned to. If chocolate is your love language, put this stop near the top of your what to do in Roatan Honduras list too.

The store sells tons of souvenirs as well. If you are buying chocolate though, and are traveling in the scorching August heat… well you know what’s going to happen by the time you get back to that ship.

Stop 3: Roatan Rum Company

Last stop, and the one that got the loudest cheer from our group, was the Roatan Rum Company, tucked between West End and West Bay near the island’s lighthouse. This place sits up on a hilltop with a view over both sides of the island, and the back patio looks straight out at the Caribbean.

The staff walked us through their small batch rums and let us sample a lineup of flavours, along with slices of their rum cake, which is made with real butter, eggs, and their signature rum glaze rather than anything from a box mix. You can even build your own custom flavoured rum infusion here if you want a souvenir that nobody else on your cruise will have.

A Few Practical Tips Before You Go

A handful of things I wish someone had told me before we docked, since planning what to do in Roatan Honduras is a lot easier with a bit of a heads up.

• Bring cash. Small bills in US dollars work everywhere on the island, including with private drivers and tips, the little shopping area at Mirador, at the Mayak Chocolate Factory, and at the Roatan Rum Company, and it makes negotiating so much smoother than trying to figure out an exchange rate on the fly.
• Agree on the price and the plan before anyone gets in the van. Hector was fantastic, but we still confirmed the route, the stops, the amount of time and the total cost with him before pulling away from the curb, and I would recommend doing the same with any private driver.
• Give yourself a buffer before your ship’s all aboard time. Three hours felt generous until we started chatting with Hector about island life and lost track of time at the rum company, so build in extra room rather than cutting it close.
• Wear shoes you do not mind getting a little dusty. The roads leading to some of these stops are not exactly paved highways, and flip flops will only get you so far.
• If chocolate and rum are not your thing, the same west side stretch of the island also has beach clubs, snorkelling spots, and animal parks with sloths and capuchin monkeys, so there is plenty of room to customize the day with your driver.
• We went in August, so just a reminder, water is a must and so is a portable fan.

Final Thoughts

If you are trying to nail down what to do in Roatan Honduras during a cruise stop, my advice is this. Do not let the taxi gauntlet at Coxen Hole rattle you. They are your friends! Take a breath, let your most stubborn travel companion negotiate a private van, and go find yourself a Hector. Hit the Mirador for the view, Mayak Chocolate Factory for the chocolate tasting, and the Roatan Rum Company for the rum cake you will be dreaming about for weeks afterward. It was, without exaggeration, a phenomenal day, and one of the highlights of our entire cruise.

Things to do in Roatan, Honduras

Disclaimer*: Booking through Viator is a great way to explore beyond the cruise line’s offerings, often with more flexibility, unique experiences and generally much cheaper. However, it’s important review: pickup location, proximity from the cruise port, excursion timing, travel time and return time to ensure everything aligns with your ship’s “all aboard time”. Cruise ships will not wait for passengers delayed on independent excursions. All third-party excursions are your responsibility.

Read Next in the Series
MSC World America ~ Western Caribbean

Click here to see my Eastern Caribbean Itinerary!