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Travel Tips

To make your Roatan dive vacation go smoothly, take a moment to read the essential 'Traveling to Roatan' checklist and the tips below to ensure that your vacation in Roatan is exactly what you’ve been wishing for.

Visa and Passport Requirements
Groceries
Water

Climate Help Roatan What to Bring

Currency Restaurants Safety

Flights Language Voltage

Roatan Travel Tips from Barefoot Cay resort

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The Essential 'Traveling to Roatan' Checklist

Check your passport expiration date. On the day you travel to Honduras, you passport must be valid for more than six months. You won’t be allowed on your flight if your passport will expire in six months or less.
Purchase travel insurance. Should circumstances beyond your control (weather conditions; unexpected illness) prevent your trip from happening as scheduled, travel insurance will give you peace of mind that you won’t lose your vacation investment.
Pack your dive certification card and any required medical forms. PADI standards require that we check your certification card before you go diving. If you aren't certified but plan to try diving while in Roatan, ask us ahead of time for the required medical form. Some medical conditions require a physician’s clearance, which is best to bring with you to prevent any delays with getting in the water.
Pack a swimsuit in your carryon bag. Luggage isn't frequently lost, but if it is, it’s always nice to have a swimsuit handy so you don’t miss a minute of Roatan’s beautiful Caribbean Sea and our pool.
Check your airline's baggage policy. These are constantly changing, and you don’t want to find yourself with a hefty luggage surcharge or have restricted items taken from your carryon bag.

Things You Don't Need to Pack (Unless You Want To)

If you'd like to minimize the size or number of bags you carry, rest assured that Barefoot Divers and the Barefoot Cay resort provide the following amenities:

Scuba gear
Bug spray
Towels
(for beach and pool)
Toiletries (shampoo, conditioner,
and soap)
Hair dryer

We have high-quality, well maintained rental gear in all sizes. We rent masks, snorkels, fins, belts, BCDs, and dive computers. Clothing and scuba gear can also be purchased in our dive shop.

Currency

The currency of Honduras is the Lempira. The exchange rate to U.S. dollars is approximately 20 Lempiras to one U.S. dollar. U.S. dollars are accepted at nearly all locations on Roatan. There are ATM machines in French Harbour and Coxen Hole. Credit cards are accepted at many places, however there is usually a fee for using a credit card. Travelers’ checks are not accepted most places, it's better to plan for cash, ATM usage and credit cards.

Restaurants

There are numerous restaurants on Roatan offering a variety of menu selections, in several price ranges. Barefoot Cay has the menus from many of our guests' favorite places to eat. There are three restaurants close by in French Harbour, one of which can be reached by small boat. Meal and beverage services are available to guests of Barefoot Cay. You can select from yummy preparations of local or imported foods and beverages. See dining details and menus

Water

All tap water at Barefoot Cay and Barefoot Divers is filtered, sterilized, and safe for drinking. It is best at other places in Honduras to request bottled water.

Safety

The Bay Islands are generally safe for visitors, however normal precaution should be taken, such as when walking at night or walking in remote areas. Our resort has full security.

Groceries

Eldon's in French Harbour stocks a wide variety of groceries, produce, and liquor. In addition, nearby towns have numerous pulperias that offer grocery items and produce.

How to Help Roatan

Some guests like to fill extra suitcases with supplies to be used by the schools or medical facilities on Roatan, or with extra clothing or toys for the people here. We will be pleased to distribute any such donations you bring to the Bay Islands.

Visa, Vaccination, and Passport Requirements

All travelers need a valid passport with cannot expire for at least 6 months after the date of entry. For US and Canadian citizens, as well as many other nationalities, upon entering the country, you will be issued a one-month "tourist" visa. Citizens of certain countries must apply in advance for a visa- please check with your local Honduran consulate to see if one is required for your country of citizenship. A certificate for yellow fever vaccination is required if arriving within 6 days of being in a country at risk for yellow fever. For a listing of countries with this requirement, please check with the Honduran consulate. There is a $39 airport tax which must be paid in cash or with travelers checks at the airport when departuring Honduras.

Flights

United, Delta, and TACA Airlines fly directly from the U.S. to Roatan. United flies from/to Houston on Saturdays and Sundays, and from/to Newark on Saturdays. Delta flies from/to Atlanta on Saturdays. TACA flies from/to El Salvador daily. All three airlines, fly to San Pedro Sula on the mainland of Honduras daily from various U.S. cities, with commuter flights available to Roatan.

Language

The national language of Honduras is Spanish, but because the Bay Islands were once British colonies, most people on Roatan speak or understand English.

What to Bring

The dress is casual on Roatan. Typical attire includes bathing suits, shorts, t-shirts, tank tops, and sunglasses of course. Bring more than one bathing suit, and bring a lightweight long-sleeved shirt and pants as protection from the intense sun. For footwear, we recommend rugged, open shoes you can wear in the water: rubber thongs, TEVA sandals, or CROCS. You can purchase items such as t-shirts, hats, and CROCS in the dive shop.

Voltage

Roatan uses the same electric voltage as the U.S.: AC (60Hz), 120/240 volts. The local electric provider, RECO, has outages from time to time, but they typically do not last long. Barefoot Cay has a back-up generator that serves all buildings at the resort during power outages.

Climate

Roatan offers a favorable tropical climate all year round, where the temperature generally ranges between 77°F and 84°F (25°C and 29°C). On the south shore of Roatan, Barefoot Cay benefits from the prevailing easterly trade winds.

All during the year, the weather patterns change frequently on Roatan. Mid-October to December or mid-January are the rainiest times on Roatan, but rainfall is often periodic and a typical day or week in the rainy season can include days that have full or partial sunshine, along with some occasional or continual rain.

The summer months are warmer and there typically is less breeze. However on Barefoot Cay, there is usually at least a light breeze, especially on the palapa, which extends 260’ from the cay itself. It’s easy to cool off on even the warmest days with a short swim in the pool or the Caribbean Sea. The heat on the mainland of Honduras in the mid- to late summer months sometimes causes nighttime electrical storms on Roatan.

Honduras lies to the south of the main hurricane track, which typically passes through the eastern Caribbean, then north through Cuba and to the United States.

Got room in your luggage (and your heart) to help Roatan?

There are several wonderful non-profit organizations on the island that rely on donations of school supplies, infant formula, and more. If you’d like to bring some down some supplies, just ask us what there’s a need for, or read about it in our FAQs.