Travel Insurance for Honduras: Lessons Learned in Roatán

The snap echoed across the beach. One moment I was playing beach volleyball with locals on West Bay Beach in Roatán.

The next I was sprawled on the sand, my leg bent at an angle that made everyone around me wince.

“Hospital,” someone said, pointing inland.

That single moment changed everything about my dream Caribbean vacation. Instead of diving with whale sharks, I spent three days in a small island medical facility where only one nurse spoke broken English.

My bill? $3,200. My insurance coverage? Complete, thankfully. But it almost wasn’t.

Just two days before my trip, I nearly skipped buying travel insurance for Honduras. “It’s only a week,” I told myself. “What could possibly happen?”

Well, now I know. And I’m sharing everything I learned so you don’t have to break your leg to get smart about Honduras travel insurance.

What Travelers Really Need to Know About Honduras Insurance

When researching “travel insurance for Honduras,” people typically want answers to:

• Is Honduras dangerous enough to need special coverage?
• Will my regular travel insurance work there?
• What about coverage on the Bay Islands versus mainland?
• Do I need evacuation insurance?
• Will my policy cover adventure activities?
• How much medical coverage is enough?

Let me walk you through all of these based on my personal experience and extensive post accident research.

The Reality of Medical Care in Honduras

Honduras has two very different healthcare systems depending on where you are:

Mainland Honduras

Medical facilities in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula are adequate for routine issues but limited for complex care. Smaller towns have very basic facilities.

Bay Islands (Roatán, Utila, Guanaja)

These popular tourist destinations have better medical facilities than mainland towns but still limited compared to US standards.

When I broke my leg in Roatán, I was surprised to find their small hospital quite clean and professional. But they lacked an orthopedic specialist. For complex injuries or illnesses, evacuation to the mainland or even the US might be necessary.

💡 Tip: For any serious injury on the Bay Islands, you might need transportation to the mainland or even to the United States. Make sure your insurance covers medical evacuation costs.

The Real Costs: What I Actually Paid

Here’s what my medical care in Honduras actually cost:

Total: $3,215

Without insurance, I would have paid all of this out of pocket. The hospital required payment before treatment, and only accepted cash or credit card on the spot.

What Coverage You Actually Need for Honduras

Based on my experience and research, here’s what your Honduras travel insurance should include:

Essential Coverage:

1. Medical expenses of at least $50,000 Most travel policies offer $50,000 to $100,000, which is sufficient for most situations in Honduras.
2. Emergency evacuation of at least $250,000 This is non negotiable. Medical evacuation from Honduras to the US can easily cost $15,000 to $50,000 depending on your condition.
3. 24/7 assistance services with Spanish speakers Outside tourist areas, English is limited. My insurer connected me with a Spanish speaker who helped translate crucial medical information.
4. Coverage for adventure activities If you plan on diving, zip lining, hiking, or other activities, make sure they’re not excluded from your policy.

Additional Recommended Coverage:

5. Trip cancellation/interruption Honduras is prone to weather disruptions during hurricane season (June to November).
6. Baggage coverage Theft can be an issue, particularly on the mainland.

💡 Tip: If you’re diving in Roatán or Utila, verify your policy covers scuba diving. Many basic policies exclude it or limit the depth they cover. I had to upgrade my policy specifically for diving coverage.

The Bay Islands vs. Mainland Coverage Differences

Many travelers visit only Honduras’ Bay Islands (Roatán, Utila, Guanaja), which have different risks and considerations than the mainland:

Bay Islands Insurance Needs:

• Higher coverage for diving and water sports accidents
• Coverage for boat transfers and water transportation
• Tropical storm coverage during hurricane season

Mainland Honduras Insurance Needs:

• Better coverage for theft and personal belongings
• Higher medical evacuation coverage due to limited rural facilities
• Security evacuation benefits for civil unrest (rare but possible)

I split my trip between Roatán and Copán Ruinas on the mainland, so I needed a policy that covered both scenarios adequately.

What Insurance Companies Don’t Tell You About Honduras Coverage

After filing my claim, I discovered several things insurance companies rarely mention:

• Direct billing is uncommon. Most Honduran medical facilities require upfront payment. You pay first, then file for reimbursement.
• Documentation is critical. My claim was initially delayed because my medical report was in Spanish without an official translation.
• Coverage zones matter. Some policies classify Honduras under “Mexico & Caribbean” while others put it under “Central America.” Make sure Honduras is specifically covered in your policy territory.
• Crime exclusions. Many policies won’t cover theft if it happens in certain circumstances (left in a vehicle, unattended on a beach, etc.).

The most frustrating moment in my insurance experience came when I discovered my initial claim was delayed because the hospital hadn’t included an itemized receipt. I had to call the hospital in Roatán multiple times to get the proper documentation.

Honduras Specific Health Risks and Coverage

Honduras presents some specific health risks that affect your insurance needs:

• Dengue fever is endemic in Honduras
• Malaria exists in some regions, particularly coastal areas
• Intestinal issues are common among travelers
• Diving related injuries in Bay Islands

Most travel insurance policies cover treatment for these conditions, but they often exclude them if you haven’t taken proper precautions. For example, if you get malaria and didn’t take prescribed preventive medication, some policies may deny coverage.

💡 Tip: Keep all prescription information and records of vaccines with your travel documents. When I needed to prove I’d taken malaria prophylaxis, having my pharmacy receipt saved me a coverage dispute.

Adventure Activity Coverage for Honduras

Honduras is an adventure destination, particularly for:

• Scuba diving in Roatán and Utila
• Whitewater rafting near La Ceiba
• Zip lining in Pico Bonito
• Jungle trekking

Standard travel insurance often excludes these activities or limits coverage. Before my trip, I had to specifically upgrade my policy to cover “adventure sports.”

The diving insurance coverage was particularly important because Honduras has world class diving, but limited hyperbaric chambers for dive emergencies. Evacuation for decompression sickness can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Comparing Insurance Options for Honduras

After my experience, I’ve researched various insurance options for subsequent Honduras trips. Here’s my assessment:

For my second trip to Honduras, I chose a mid tier policy with specific adventure coverage add ons. It cost about $65 for a 10 day trip, but the peace of mind was absolutely worth it.

For reliable travel insurance that properly covers Honduras and adventure activities, check out VisitCover’s options here.

Crime and Theft Protection in Honduras

Let’s address the elephant in the room: Honduras has crime issues, particularly on the mainland.

How this affects insurance:

• Theft coverage is important, especially in urban areas
• Many policies exclude “high risk” items like expensive cameras and jewelry
• Claims require police reports, which can be challenging to obtain

During my mainland visit to Copán Ruinas, my hotel strongly recommended leaving valuables in their safe. I did, but still carried a “dummy wallet” with just a day’s spending money.

💡 Tip: Most policies limit coverage for high value items to $500 or less per item. If you’re traveling with expensive electronics or gear, consider additional valuable item coverage.

When to Buy Honduras Insurance

Timing matters for Honduras travel insurance:

• Buy immediately after booking your trip to get maximum pre departure coverage for cancellations
• Make sure coverage starts 1 day before your actual travel to protect against initial flight delays
• Coverage should extend 1 day after your scheduled return in case of travel disruptions

When I bought my policy two days before traveling, I missed out on coverage for pre departure cancellations. If a hurricane had formed and threatened my destination, I wouldn’t have been covered for cancellation since I didn’t buy the policy when I booked my flights.

How to Make a Claim for Honduras Incidents

Based on my broken leg experience, here’s how to successfully navigate a Honduras insurance claim:

1. Contact your insurance immediately I called my insurance hotline from the hospital, which helped tremendously with documentation requirements.
2. Get detailed documentation in English if possible Request English documentation, or if not available, get official Spanish documents and translate them later.
3. Take photos of everything I photographed my injury, the treatment area, all medications, and every single receipt.
4. Keep original receipts Make copies but send originals with your claim as required.
5. Follow up persistently My claim took 27 days to process. Regular follow up emails kept it moving.

💡 Tip: Save your insurance contact information in multiple places: your phone, a printed copy, and with a travel companion. When I dropped my phone during the accident, having the printed policy information saved me significant stress.

Common Questions About Honduras Travel Insurance

Do I need a special policy for Honduras or will any travel insurance work?

Most standard travel insurance covers Honduras, but verify that it’s not excluded and that coverage limits are adequate for the activities you plan.

Is Honduras considered part of North America, Central America, or the Caribbean for insurance purposes?

This varies by insurer. Always specifically verify Honduras is covered, regardless of how they categorize regions.

Do I need insurance that covers tropical diseases?

Yes. Dengue fever and other tropical diseases occur in Honduras, and treatment should be covered under good medical coverage.

Will my policy cover me if I visit Cuba or Nicaragua from Honduras?

Probably not automatically. Multi country trips typically need to have each destination declared and covered.

Should I get additional kidnap and ransom insurance for Honduras?

For typical tourists staying in standard areas, this is unnecessary. Business travelers to certain regions might consider it.

Does insurance cover hurricane evacuation from the Bay Islands?

Policies with “natural disaster” evacuation may cover this, but standard medical evacuation often does not. Read the fine print.

My Three Biggest Honduras Insurance Mistakes

Looking back at my experience, here are my biggest mistakes:

1. Waiting until the last minute to buy insurance I missed pre departure cancellation coverage and almost talked myself out of buying it altogether.
2. Not downloading my policy documents offline When I needed to check coverage details in the hospital, I couldn’t access the internet to retrieve them.
3. Assuming my diving would be covered under standard coverage I had to upgrade specifically for adventure sports coverage at the last minute.

Final Thoughts: Is Honduras Insurance Worth It?

After my $3,200 emergency and subsequent research, my answer is a resounding yes.

Honduras offers incredible experiences from pristine coral reefs to ancient Mayan ruins. But its remote locations, adventure activities, and limited medical facilities create real risks that insurance directly addresses.

A good policy for Honduras typically costs $4 to $10 per day of travel. Compare that to potential out of pocket costs ranging from thousands for minor injuries to tens of thousands for serious medical evacuation.

For Honduras specifically, I recommend:

• A policy with at least $50,000 in medical coverage
• At least $250,000 in emergency evacuation coverage
• Coverage that specifically includes your planned activities
• A policy that begins when you book your trip to cover pre departure issues

For reliable travel insurance that meets these requirements for Honduras, check out VisitCover’s options here.

Safe travels to Honduras! It’s truly a magical destination when you’re properly prepared.

Remember: Insurance offerings change regularly. This information is accurate as of April 2025, but always verify current details before purchasing.