Taxi or minivan: Coxen Hole <-> West End

[Jon&Cheryl]

I understand that taxi rates Coxen Hole <-> West End are inflated 200-400% when cruise ships are in port in Roatan. A source:

http://www.roatanisland.net/tourist_tips.htm

talks about getting a minivan for the trip at much lower (regulated) fare.

 

Does anybody KNOW if these minivans are actually available on cruise ship port days?

 

And where does one getting off the ship exchange dollars for Limperas (which supposedly are required).

 

And what about the return trip from West End to Coxen Hole? Where do these minivans depart from in West End?

 

What other viewpoints are out there for taxis and minivans?

 

Jon

[Van's Dream]

Public transportation all but vanishes on cruiseship days. I know. I live here.

 

There a few ways to get transportation away from the dock, and to the nearby villages and beaches.

 

One way is to book an Island Tour. You can do this by booking either prior to arriving, from the ship's excursion desk, OR from an independent tour operator.

 

If you don't book a tour, then you can find a driver and vehicle right outside the fence at the end of the dock, and hope you get lucky.

Prices vary.

[scot_g]

If you know Spanish it would be better to rent a car. Roads are small, rough, and sometimes congested, but it is wayyy cheaper. If you do NOT know Spanish, pay the taxi/excursion fees. I repeat, if you do NOT know Spanish, pay the taxi/excursion fees. It will save you time and frustration. If you rent a car/van you can use Visa, you will need to sign 3 blank credit receipts at the car rental place. One to rent the car/van, one for a deposit (in case you wreck the car, about 900 US dollars, yes, 900 US dollars), and one for gas (about 30 US dollars). Remember, ALL of these contracts you will sign are completely in Spanish, and the people renting the vehicles may/may not know English. Cars and Vans are available on cruise days and they WILL bring the car/van to the cruise port if you give them the time and ship name of when you will be there.