Honduras Currency

Honduras currency is called Lempiras. Honduran money is very colorful and are very interesting bills to collect. It is a good idea to buy your Honduran money at your home bank. When you arrive in Roatan Honduras the airport has a currency exchange cage. There are Honduran Banks that are safe for you to use but they are slow and take a lot of time. ATM’s are not always reliable and working so don’t always count on them as a means for getting your money. On occasion, there is no cash available.

It is a good idea to take US dollars to Roatan Honduras. Many of the shops and restaurants on Roatan will accept dollars as Honduras currency in addition to Lempiras. You may have trouble breaking a one hundred dollar bill or a fifty dollar bill, 20s are readily accepted by almost every merchant on Roatan. Honduras money and exchange rates fluctuate daily between the Lempira and the dollar. However, since more cruise ships are now making Roatan a port of call, credit cards are being readily accepted by more Roatan merchants every day. Personal checks are not accepted anywhere on Roatan, so keep that in mind.

Roatan Currency Exchange

Some Roatan businesses give better exchange rates than others, so ask what exchange rate they give before you spend dollars there. Honduras has a 12% sales tax applied to merchandise and services. There is a 15% tax on alcohol and smokes, and a 4% tax on lodging in Roatan Honduras.

When using US currency for the small things you purchase you will get your change back in Lempiras. There are boxes for local charities at the Roatan airport departure lounge where you can dump your leftover Lempira change.

Lempiras come in denominations of 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, and 1. The Honduras currency is further split into centavos. 100 centavos equal one lempira. Centavo coins come in 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, and 1. Hondurans sometimes refer to a "real," which is equivalent to 12.5 centavos, but no longer has a coin denomination.

The 5 Lempira bill is very ornate. The back of the 5 Lempira bill depicts the Battle of Trinidad, November 11th, 1827. The picture is quite graphic, showing dead bodies, and Calvary charging an enemy position. Nothing at all like US currency, Honduras Lempiras are very bright and colorful.

Credit Card VS Debit Card While Traveling

Whenever traveling outside the United States it is best to use a credit card over a debit card for any type of transaction. Why? You have more rights in disputing a fraudulent charge on a credit card transaction than you do on a debit card transaction. For example, if a thief steals your credit card number, you can dispute the charges and probably win. If, however, a thief gets a hold of your debit card number, they can empty your bank account, causing checks and other payments to bounce. Your bank will eventually put the money back in your account, but you are responsible for any NSF check charges you incurred as a result of the thief taking your money. As far as credit cards go, American Express seems to offer the most protection to their consumers.

Roatan does not have any history of credit card fraud, it is always best to be cautious whenever traveling outside the US.