roatán

A taste of Mesoamerica

Roatán was part of a 7-day solo cruise I took in January 2023.

Prior to visiting, I never heard of Roatán. It’s an island north of its mainland Honduras, boasting white sandy beaches, tropical hilltops, and clear blue water.

I started the day at Mahogany Bay, a man-made beach popular to tourists. While beautiful, I didn’t want the day to slip away without taking in the actual area, so I decided to book a tour guide.

Around 10 a.m, I met with the tour guide, which consisted of me walking up a steep set of hills where I noticed the landscape also boasted lush trees. It felt like I was in a tropical rainforest without harsh conditions. 

I didn’t have anywhere in particular I wanted to go, not having familiarized myself with the island. I suggested driving around and maybe stopping somewhere with chocolate or coffee.

Once mentioning chocolate, the tour guide (I can’t recall his name), suggested stopping by the Roatán Chocolate Factory. Agreeing, we began the tour.

We drove up from the coast, encountering narrow roads and steeper hills than what I walked earlier. Sometimes it felt like we were veering off the side of the hills into the trees, but the tour guide was an expert and navigated the terrain like a pro.

Along the roads, I saw what seemed to be the utilities company conducting maintenance on lines. As someone working in utilities, I was interested in knowing more about how energy was distributed on the island. I noted that I should do research once back home.

We suddenly hit something, causing us to abruptly stop. I could hear someone and prompted the tour guide to not move as I thought a child was near the car. I opened my door and sure enough, there was a little girl. She rose up from the ground with something in her hand.

“There was something under the tire,” she stated, with a bright smile.

In relief, I exchanged a smile, said thank you, and watched her retreat to what seemed to be her home on the opposite side of the road.

I realized we were in a neighborhood. The homes were charmingly colorful and varied in sizes.

I noted how articulate the little girl spoke. The tour guide explained to me that while Spanish is the main language, most people also speak English and a form of creole.

While driving through the neighborhood, I began to spot larger homes, some of which didn’t fit the rest of them due to the size and design. The tour guide explained that there’s a large number of Europeans and Americans that purchase land and build on the island.

We made a stop at a place known for its view of the island. From there, I got a better look at the landscape as a whole, with rolling hills, the colorful homes and rich greenery.

It was simply beautiful.

The Roatán Chocolate Factory was truly a treat. As someone who loves chocolate, the experience was delightful. Not only was I able to taste different types of chocolate sourced locally, but I also had a chance to watch them make chocolate in the factory.

My time on land was coming to a close. We wrapped up at the chocolate factory and made our way down to the coast. This time the tour guide took me to a different side of the island that fed back into the port. 

Upon arrival at the port, I thanked my tour guide for his help and began boarding. 

Having never heard of Roatán before, my first visit made it unforgettable.