Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Roatán
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
Roatán Map of Central America and the Caribbean showing the location of Roatan, an island off the northern coast of Honduras in the Caribbean Sea. Surrounding countries including Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia are labeled for geographic context. An inset globe highlights the region within the Americas. Dense mangrove trees border a calm waterway under a partly cloudy sky in Roatan, Honduras. Colorful wooden houses on stilts line the waterfront at Oak Ridge, Roatan Island, Honduras, with a green, tree-covered hill rising behind them.
Quizzes
Tower Bridge over the Thames River in London, England. Opened in 1894. Remains an Important Traffic Route with 40,000 Crossings Every Day.
Guess the City by Its River Quiz
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Roatán
Roatán The coast of Roatán, Honduras.

Roatán

Honduras
Also known as: Coxen’s Hole
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

Roatán, town, northern Honduras, on the southwestern coast of Roatán, largest of the Bay Islands; it is known locally as Coxen’s Hole.

Map of Central America and the Caribbean showing the location of Roatan, an island off the northern coast of Honduras in the Caribbean Sea. Surrounding countries including Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia are labeled for geographic context. An inset globe highlights the region within the Americas.
Roatán, Honduras

Remains of 17th-century pirates’ fortifications can still be seen; it was from Roatán that the filibuster William Walker set sail on his third and last voyage from the United States to Central America in 1860. Roatán is now the island’s principal commercial centre; there are shipyards and fish, fruit, and meat canneries. Coconuts are a main export. In the 1970s tourism was added to the local industries. Ferry and air services link Roatán to the mainland and to neighbouring Guanaja Island. Pop. (2001) 6,502; (2013) 12,358.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Michael Ray.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.