A dusty, unremarkable town of weather-beaten wooden houses and shops, Coxen Hole is visited most frequently to change money, buy groceries, or take care of other business. All buses across the island are based out of Coxen Hole, and the airport is three kilometers east of town, on the road to French Harbour.

Named for pirate captain John Coxen, who lived on Roatán from 1687 to 1697, the town was founded in 1835, when several families arrived from the Cayman Islands and settled on the harbor.

Getting to Coxen Hole

Office Mart (tel. 504/445-1843), at Welcome’s Plaza (at the juncture of Main Street and Thickett Road), can book airline tickets with Sosa airlines.

For most visitors, collective taxis or minibuses are the best way to move between Coxen Hole and other parts of the island. Collective taxis gather in front of H.B. Warren’s to pick up passengers to West End (US$1.50), Sandy Bay (US$1), Brick Bay (US$1.50), French Harbour (US$1.50), and Oak Ridge (US$2.25).

Minibuses cost less than half what taxis charge. Private taxi rides are negotiable (always negotiate before getting in) and usually expensive, especially for foreign tourists.