Areas of Roatan
Coxen Hole
The capital of the Bay Islands and the island's working town, with the cruise port in its center and the airport next door.
Coxen Hole is where Roatan does its business. It is the capital of the Bay Islands and the island's largest town, home to government offices, the immigration office, the main bus and taxi stops and the Port of Roatan, where Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, MSC and other lines dock right in town. The airport is just to the east.
It is also one of the island's oldest settlements. By local convention, Caymanian families settled here in 1835, and by tradition the town is named after John Coxon, a buccaneer of the 1670s and 1680s. Today it is a busy Honduran town rather than a resort, where you will hear both island English and Spanish, and for many visitors it is their first stop on Roatan.
Come here if
You are arriving by ship or plane, you need the immigration office, or you want to see the island's working town as well as its beaches.
Read before you go
Things to do in Roatan: the island from West End to the East EndWhat fits into a cruise day from the Port of Roatan, and how long it takes to reach West Bay.
The Caymanians who made Roatan EnglishHow Caymanian families settled Coxen Hole in the 1830s, and why the island speaks English.
Roatan entry requirements: visas, passports and the customs formVisitors extend their stay at the immigration office here, without leaving the island.
Is Roatan safe?Practical advice for the port, the town and getting around by taxi.
On the ground
- Cruise days
- The Port of Roatan is right in town, and the streets around it are busiest when ships are in. Check the ship schedule if you would like a quieter visit.
- Getting around
- Coxen Hole is the island's main hub for buses and taxis. Taxis have no meters, so agree the fare before you get in.
- The airport
- Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport (RTB) is just east of town, a few minutes by taxi.
- Immigration
- Visitors extend their stay at the immigration office here. Go early, with your passport and copies of it.
- Best time
- The town is at its liveliest in the daytime, when the shops and street stalls are open.
- Beaches
- There is no beach in town. West End is about 20 minutes away by road and West Bay 20 to 30.
Checked November 2026. If something here has changed, tell us and we will update it.