Roatán's airport is small, warm, and refreshingly human. You can be toes-in-sand within an hour of wheels-down — if you know what's coming.
Your first 30 minutes, step by step
Getting from RTB to your stay
Pre-arranged transfer
A driver with your name on a sign, a cold bottle of water, no negotiation. Ours runs $40 one-way / $75 round trip to West Bay, price locked in advance, with a grocery stop on the way included free. (Airport taxis will stop too — but watch the fare climb when they do.)
Curbside taxi
Plentiful and safe. Expect roughly $25–30 to West Bay for a private ride — agree on the price before you get in, and have small US bills.
Rental car
Counters at the airport. You don't need one for a West Bay beach trip, but it's the move if you plan to explore the east end. Book ahead in high season.
There is no Uber on Roatán. Anyone offering an unmarked "app ride" at the curb is improvising — stick to licensed taxis or a pre-booked driver.
Money, SIM cards, and the essentials
- Cash: ATMs at the airport work, but US dollars are accepted everywhere on the island. Land with some small bills and skip the line.
- Data: install an eSIM (Airalo, Holafly, Saily) before you fly — you'll have signal at the gate. Physical SIMs are surprisingly hard to find.
- Timing: Roatán is on Central Time year-round, no daylight saving.
Departure day, without the stress
- Arrive 2 hours before international flights — RTB is small, but lines bunch when flights cluster.
- Grab breakfast before you go; airside options are limited.
- Leaving West Bay: allow 30 minutes for the drive, plus buffer on cruise-ship days.
Staying in West Bay? Here's the full airport-to-West-Bay route, and what to do once you're here.