Official Taxis
On Roatan, official taxis are going to be white four door cars with a yellow box and taxi registration number (usually in black) on the side of the vehicle. There seems to be some discretion as to the exact format of the box and numbers as there seems to be considerable variation as to the “style” of the box and number.
Where / How to Find a Taxi
Finding a taxi on Roatan is generally fairly easy. Here are some suggestions for where to look in specific places.
Airport – taxis will be available both inside and outside the airport; Taxi rates inside the terminal area are set by the airport manager; if you exit the terminal and walk across the street (not very far) taxis will also be available there, or driving by, that will be operating on the non-airport rates.
West Bay – most of the major hotels will either have an on-site taxi or can call you one; expect a surcharge from the hotel to be part of the fare ($5 or so); I have also seen taxis waiting near West Bay Mall which will be cheaper than the hotels.
West End – taxis tend to always be hanging out at the end of the street near the “traffic circle” close to Coconut Tree Restaurant / Coconut Tree Divers. I have also had good luck just flagging one down on the street in front of the shops/restaurants.
Elsewhere/Returns – my experience is every time you get in a taxi the driver is going to give you a card and usually offer to pick you up for a return trip. If you have access to a phone, it might be good to save the phone numbers from a few drivers – especially the ones that speak the best English. I find it easier to snap a picture of their card than to keep up with them. You also might want to note, or take a picture of, the taxi number on the side of their car if they are picking your up.
Taxis Fares
Taxis on Roatan and are officially regulated in what they should charge. Taxis can be hired on two different pricing / service schemes. You want to make sure you negotiate the price and service before getting in the taxi. Fairs can generally be paid in either Lempira or USD. You want to make sure when the driver quotes you a price you verify which one it is.
Note: Tips are not expected by the drivers. I tip them if I get good service.
Private – the taxi will take you directly from the departure point to your destination without potential stops to pick up other passengers. The taxi is exclusive for your party’s use until you reach the destination. Private taxi pricing should be by the ride vs by the person but you need to verify this along with the price.
Collectivo – is a shared ride scheme where the taxi will stop to pick up other passengers and may drop them off along the way to the destination. The price for this will be cheaper, but not all taxis are going to offer this type of fare – especially if it is a busy time. Also note that the Collectivo price is per person and that pricing also seems to be variable based on time of day. Particularly after 6PM, prices can double per person.
Most of the time as a tourist, you are going to get the tourist rate/service which is going to be Private. Locals are going to get and likely expect Collectivo pricing. In most cases, I expect Private fair is what most tourists would want. But if the Private fairs are too expensive for your budget, then try to negotiate the Collectivo rate – just understand what that means for the service.
If you want some kind of special service from a Private taxi, like a grocery store stop on the way from the airport to your hotel/condo you can also negotiate that. My experience is this generally costs very little (e.g. $5 – $10) on top of the base fares.
In terms fares, rates are fairly standardized on Roatan through their taxi union / regulation. Fare prices will often be a bit higher if the drivers are having to provide some kind of kick-back for picking you up. You can expect to pay a bit more for taxi pickup at one of the big resorts or inside the airport proper. Often time you can walk just outside these areas and save yourself $5 – $10 on the ride. Sometime you can get the surcharge dropped with the taxi through negotiation but it often depends how busy the taxis are. Inside the airport this is harder as the airport rates are set by the airport manager. In most cases if you are coming to/from the airport then the higher prices may be justified for the luggage you have with you. Airport fares are also typically door-to-door vs “main road” like Collectivo.
According to the official rate sheet, standard fares are for daytime service; fares after 6PM are negotiable. My experience is at least the Private fare is usually the same but it is prudent to check/negotiate. Fares inside the airport are fixed by the airport and have fees that increase after 6PM.
Here are some examples of the typical taxi Private fares:
Airport / West Bay – $25
Airport / West End – $25
West Bay / West End – $15 (Water Taxi may be cheaper)
Collectivo fares are set via the current official rate sheets and is going to be per person with higher prices after 6PM. These prices are also for pick-up / drop-off at the “main road”. Door service is going to be slightly higher (e.g. $1 – $2).
Also worth noting you can hire cabs by the hour for “tours”. The official rate per hour is L230 which is ~$10. My experience is that drivers will generally ask for $80 – $100 for a 6-7 hour day tour. We have hired a driver for the day a few times now and highly recommend this for getting a good feel for Roatan. You can also have your driver take you to some of the off-the-beaten-path hidden gems of Roatan.