The East End is a protected oasis
A shelter from the storm
WITH ITS LOCATION IN THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN, it makes sense that visitors to Roatan might worry about the next big named storm to sweep over the island and wreak havoc. But, in truth, the East End of Roatan, where Ocean Breeze Villa is situated, rarely endures devastating hurricanes.
Thanks largely to its sheltered location on the south side of the island, the East End almost never takes a “direct hit” from a hurricane. And, because of the depth of the Cayman Trench that lies just off the island’s coast, the Caribbeans waters aren’t as easy for hurricanes to stir up and push massive storm surges ashore.
Off the ‘main drag’
The main hurricane belt in the Caribbean generally tracks north of Roatan. That doesn’t mean the island doesn’t ever get hit or that it doesn’t incur damage from hurricanes. But it’s very rare for a serious storm to directly hit the island.
Now and then, the island will get a good dose of rain or a good bit of wind from the outer bands of a hurricane or tropical storm. But direct hits, because of where the island is situated, are extremely rare. In fact, the last major “direct hit” was when
Hurricane Mitch made landfall in October 1998.
Even then, the most marked damage was in southern Honduras, thanks largely to flooding. The storm moved over Roatan and dropped torrential rain. Anything not contained blew away, including clapboard houses and tin roofs. But
Ocean Breeze Villa
was largely undamaged thanks to its durable construction.
The Mesoamerican Reef
The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef is the second-largest barrier reef in the world. Only the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia is larger. This giant protective reef offers some serious protection against storm surges that might otherwise swamp Roatan during a big storm.
And, outside the reef lies the
Cayman Trench that reaches depths of more than
25,000 feet. These deep, blue waters are much more difficult to agitate, meaning storm surges are generally modest.
Close eye to the south
The hurricanes that hit Honduras usually originate in the south. Most hurricanes that travel across the Caribbean originate in the west and track east to west over the sea. But, those rare storms that start off the coast of South America are the ones we keep an eye on here in Roatan.
And, even then, these storms tend to impact the mainland of Honduras more than they do Roatan. Our island lies in a sheltered nook in Central America, so we usually only see significant hurricanes once every 25 years or so.
Don’t let storms impact your vacation
Living in the Caribbean comes with no small amount of anxiety when it comes to hurricanes. But we’re very lucky here in Roatan, in that big hurricanes having a direct impact on our island are very rare.
That said, they do happen. And, if you’ve booked a vacation between June and December, there’s always a chance that a hurricane can impact your visit. For that reason, we strongly recommend travel insurance. A good travel insurance policy will protect your trip, reimburse you for canceled flights and missed hotel or resort stays.
But, if you book a stay with us at
Ocean Breeze Villa, and a storm prompts you to change your trip, never fear. We’ll honor your reservation at a later date, and you’ll still be able to come and enjoy your
chill retreat on Roatan’s East End.
