Anytime you travel, of course you want to bring back local souvenirs for yourself as well as for friends and family. There are plenty of places in Roatan where you can buy locally made products that everyone will love. While you’ll see plenty of gift shops and souvenir vendors, these are the best places to go for distinctly unique locally made products in Roatan.
Art:
You’ll find stunning work created by local artists in a few select locations on the island. In West End, head to Waves of Art Gallery to peruse the incredible variety of work on display. The works of many local painters, sculptors, woodcarvers, and jewelry-makers can be admired and purchased here.
In West Bay, head to LaLa Art Gallery and Garden Café to see a wider variety of Central American artwork. LaLa highlights not only Honduran, but also Mexican and Guatemalan art that are all hand-selected for display by the owner. There is an additional location for this shop across the street on the road headed to the beach, just around the corner from West Bay Mall. There, you’ll find a wide variety of items for purchase.
At several locations throughout the island, you’ll also find Rusty Fish stores selling work made entirely on Roatan with recycled material found on the island. You’ll notice many hotels and restaurants displaying this locally made art – especially the marine creatures made of old oil drums and painted in vibrant colors. Both cruise ship ports have Rusty Fish locations, there is a store at Alba Plaza in Sandy Bay, another store in West End, and one located at Bananarama in West Bay.
Food/Drinks:
There are several locations in Roatan where you can purchase locally made food or drinks to enjoy during your visit or to take home as gifts. Check out the Roatan Rum Factory on West Bay Road across from the lighthouse. Their locally made rum and rum cakes are incredibly popular items for both locals and tourists alike. Enjoy a tasting during your visit so you can make the perfect purchase.
The Roatan Chocolate Factory is located at Alba Plaza in Sandy Bay, with additional stores located at both cruise ship ports, plus one more in West End. At the factory itself, you can watch the making, designing, and wrapping of the various chocolate products for sale – all made from fresh Honduran cacao.
Head to Blue Harbor Tropical Arboretum in Mud Hole to learn about hydroponic farming and to sample many of the freshly grown fruits and vegetables straight from the gardens. The Porch Restaurant offers light meals made with local, fresh ingredients, or you can purchase some of their hydroponically grown lettuce to make your own salads while here on vacation.
Heading farther east, Marble Hill Farms offers a delicious array of jams, jellies, and more for you to sample and enjoy – and of course to take home with you to remember your visit to Roatan! Marble Hill Farms is located past Punta Gorda and Punta Blanca on the north shore of the island. Take advantage of their on-site restaurant, The Crows Nest, where you can sample some of their freshly made sauces and salsas as well.
Other Gifts:
For other gifts and souvenirs, check out Frank’s Cigar Bar in West End or the cigar rollers at both cruise ship ports for local Honduran cigars. Purses and handbags made of recycled material on St. Helene are sold at various hotels and shops around the island. Check them out at Grand Roatan Resort in West Bay. You can also swing into the store at the Roatan Marine Park office in West End to purchase locally made honey or to purchase a t-shirt to support the conservation and education efforts of the park.
ARTICLE UPDATE:
Shop with Wild Roatan and support local conservation projects!
Wild Roatan has developed a range of products to fund local conservation and education projects. The Wild Roatan products range from clothing, t-shirts, hats, bags to natural products like batana oil, soap, beauty and skin care products made right here in Roatan. Buy Roatan Souvenirs & Batana Oil with Wild Roatan.
