Roatan, Costa Maya and Cozumel 2026

MSC Seascape from GALVESTON, TEXAS


She asked our tour guide to sing the Mexican National Anthem. We were in Honduras.


My original plan was a catamaran/snorkeling trip, but my excursion was cancelled, so I changed to the "Far and Away" tour, which was a smaller bus on the bumpy main island road that is under constant construction. Lots of fishing village culture and insight from a local. Max photo ops right?


On this tour was “Donna from Dallas” (not kidding on this name), an 80-year-old smoker who asked the tour guide to sing the Mexican National Anthem. When she could not, Donna did! I will remind you that we are, in fact, in the country of Honduras. For four hours, we got to listen to our tour guide Vanessa answer the same 3 questions from Donna - "What is the main language of Honduras?", "There is a restaurant on the cay, is it free?," and "We're going on a boat to get to the cay?" (No Donna, they make you swim the channel...)


I definitely want to return, stay in a little hut, and photograph the mangroves and the fishing villages from the water at foggy sunrise. Today's travel conclusion is that if an excursion involves a large group transport bus, I am likely a hard pass.


I did walk away from the tour learning about the island's infrastructure, and Vanessa shared a lot about the home-building process. Islanders are often given sections of land from their parents and by their early 20s they are building their homes out of whatever materials they can source. They are built rooms at a time over years and year of piecemail work. 


Independence and self-sufficiency are core Island values. Culture is interwoven into education, and singing the Honduran National Anthem (Not the Mexican Donna) solo is a graduation requirement.

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That was just a small taste of my MSC Seascape sail #2 with the itinerary out of Galveston and sailing to Roatan, Honduras Costa Maya and Cozumel. All new ports for me and Honduras is definitely get a "return to" checkmark on my list of places visited.

Black book with turquoise heart charm centered on a bold red radial striped background.
Scenic aerial view of a tropical Caribbean coastal village with colorful stilt houses along a calm blue waterway.
Scenic view of crystal clear turquoise Caribbean waters from a rustic thatched roof beach hut.
A red scooter passes a small white Catholic church on a quiet street in a tropical village.
Three vibrant pink flamingos standing among lush green tropical foliage in an outdoor habitat.
Child sleeping on a wooden bench while tourists sit in an open-air thatched pavilion by the beach.
Turquoise Caribbean waters with thatched-roof resort buildings along a tropical coastline under partly cloudy skies.
Close-up of a flamingo's neck and beak with a blurred zoo enclosure and elephant in the background.
Close-up of textured coral rock formation among gray stones on a sunny tropical beach.
Colorful Costa Maya sign against a bright blue sky at a tropical port.
Tropical beach scene framed by palm trees with thatched huts visible over calm turquoise water.
Family of six posing at Costa Maya cruise port sign with large ship and turquoise water in background.
Colorful performer in traditional costume swinging upside down on ropes at a Mexican resort during a cultural show.
Colorful Caribbean dancer in bright pink skirt performs while drummer plays bongo drums outdoors.
Colorful Yurumi Bar & Restaurant mural painting depicting traditional African coastal fishing village scene with boats and palm trees.
A photographer takes selfies with a camera against a scenic mountain lake backdrop in Alaska.

Keli in Juneau Alaska