Roatán and Belize
Central America’s cruise ports on the Mesoamerican Reef.
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Roatán, in Honduras’s Bay Islands, and Belize lie along the Mesoamerican Reef, the barrier reef system that stretches from Mexico to Honduras. Together they give a Western Caribbean week its jungle-and-reef heart.
Roatán is a long, hilly island with a laid-back feel, English widely spoken, and some of the easiest shore snorkeling in the region. Belize City is a working mainland port; most visitors pass through quickly on the way to Mayan sites, caves, rivers and offshore cayes.
Roatán
West Bay is the beach most cruise visitors head for, with calm, clear water and reef just offshore. Other popular days include zip-line and canopy tours in the hills, the Gumbalimba nature park with its monkeys and parrots, glass-bottom boat trips, and dive or snorkel boats. Ships dock at either Mahogany Bay, which has its own shopping village and beach area, or the Port of Roatán at Coxen Hole.
See Roatán shore excursions for tours with live prices.
Belize City: A Tender Port
Belize City has no deep-water cruise pier. Ships anchor offshore and tender guests to the Fort Street Tourism Village, a gated area of shops, restaurants and tour desks. Sea conditions occasionally stop tendering altogether, in which case the ship skips the call.
The excursions are the point of the stop: cave tubing on a river through limestone caverns, the Mayan site of Altun Ha, zip lines, the Belize Zoo, and boat trips to the offshore cayes and the Belize Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many of these are an hour or more from the city, so ship tours, which guarantee your return, are popular here.
For live prices, see Belize City shore excursions.
Tips for These Ports
- In Belize, keep the tender schedule in mind: the last tenders back fill up, so aim for an earlier boat.
- U.S. dollars are accepted in both places; Belize’s dollar is pegged to the U.S. dollar at two to one.
- Pack insect repellent for jungle and cave tours, and water shoes for river and reef days.
Roatán and Belize Questions
How long is the tender ride in Belize City?
Ships anchor roughly two miles offshore because the water near the city is shallow, and tenders take about 15 to 20 minutes each way to the Fort Street Tourism Village. Allow extra time for lines, especially in the afternoon.
Does Roatán have more than one cruise port?
Yes. Ships use Mahogany Bay or the cruise center at Coxen Hole, depending on the line. Both are on the south side of the island; West Bay beach is a drive away from either.
What is Harvest Caye?
A resort island in southern Belize developed by Norwegian Cruise Line, which some of its ships visit instead of Belize City.
Cruise to Roatán and Belize
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