Must Have Items in Roatan

[I_heart_vaca]

This will be my, and my best friends, first visit to Roatan. We are not much for knick knacks but we do like to purchase items in each port/city that you can’t get everywhere else (we bought an authentic cuckoo clock in Switzerland and great Italian leather handbags in Rome). Can anyone tell me what items are “must buy” items for Roatan? Can be specific food items, liquor, jewelry, etc. Also, if you know a specific store we should get it from that would be great as well.

Thanks!:D

[m steve]

was a t shirt from The Thirsty Turtle.

[crewsweeper]

You can buy Honduran coffee at either port shopping area (CP usually docks in Mahogany Bay), but better prices in towns, Coxen Hole or French Harbor, or West Bay/West End. Also look for Honduran cigars. Some people like the cashew wine...not my thing. There's a store in Coxen Hole that sells hand tooled wooden chests and such made in Roatan.

 

In Mahogany Bay the Rotary Club operates a volunteer info booth in the shopping area, manned sometimes by ex-pats living on the island. These folks can point you to all sorts of places and things to look for.

[BigRed93]

Lenca Pottery. You can google or bing it and see if it is to your taste. Items range from large pieces to just little pendants and it is made by a women's co-op there. (so the story goes...) It's not expensive and I rather like the pieces I brought home.:)

[maydaybaby]

We saw many beautiful hand carved mahogany items that stood out from all the usual island offerings.

[seeyakids]

This will be my, and my best friends, first visit to Roatan. We are not much for knick knacks but we do like to purchase items in each port/city that you can’t get everywhere else (we bought an authentic cuckoo clock in Switzerland and great Italian leather handbags in Rome). Can anyone tell me what items are “must buy” items for Roatan? Can be specific food items, liquor, jewelry, etc. Also, if you know a specific store we should get it from that would be great as well.

Thanks!:D

 

A tee shirt or coffee mug with "Where the Hell is Roatan?" on it. You'll find the humor when you get home and people ask where did you go on vacation :)

[I_heart_vaca]

A tee shirt or coffee mug with "Where the Hell is Roatan?" on it. You'll find the humor when you get home and people ask where did you go on vacation :)

 

Thats fantastic!!! We are already getting questions of "where are you going?" and other then Grand Caymen all the other ports are getting THAT look - :confused:!!

[webprinter]

I bought a hand carved mahogany bowl and DH bought a painting done by a local man that he was watching. We found the best prices at the "flea market" in Coxen Hole.

[98Charlie]

Have been to Roatan many, many times since we first started cruising in 2002 and some of our favorite items from Roatan have been the handmade wooden items we've purchased. We have 2 small marimbas we brought back from our grandkids. They have actually learned to play them.

 

Have brought back small purses made from mahogany for myself and as gifts and they're great.

 

Love the Honduran coffee but only purchase it in local grocery stores like in Coxen Hole --- 1/4 or more less than in the touristy areas.

 

However, the very best souvenir we've ever purchased there is the one we drink on site -- Salvida Beer. Love it, love it, love it.:D Goes down cold and smooth on a hot day and doesn't have to fit in the suitcase for the trip home.;)

 

Dianne

[ladeeesquire]

I can't believe no one's mentioned the cameo jewelry. Its not cheap --not overly expensive for what it is either -- but I love my cameos!

[capncarp]

When we were there in 2005, we picked up some jadeite carvings. Three older gentlemen were selling apparent artifacts and some modern commercial jewelry yard-sale fashion in front of their house on the main street. We stopped there because they saw my wife was having trouble walking after our walking tour of the town on our way back to the ship . They offered my DW a seat in the shade and we had a pleasant talk. They had been former cruise ship crew who settled on Roatan for their retirement. They told us that the bulldozers that were clearing the hills for the new tourist areas/ports were uncovering tons of this stuff, and a friend of theirs scavenged behind the developers. I picked up two jadeite bird pendants (of considerable size) and a terracotta potsherd which looks like the handle of a bowl, plus a few odds and ends all for $40 USD.

The bird pendants were a great purchase, but my "must have" from Roatan was meeting the wonderful people we met. I hope the development of the island doesn't spoil that.