HQ9X Team will be active from Roatan Island, IOTA NA - 057, Honduras in CQ WW DX CW Contest, 25 - 26 November 2023.
They will operate in MO Category.
Recent DX Spots HQ9X
QSL for HQ9X via KQ1F, LOTW.
Ads for direct QSL:
CHARLOTTE L RICHARDSON, 11 MICHIGAN DR, HUDSON, MA, 01749, USA.
The all-encompassing beauty of Roatán Island
Roatan Island is located in the waters of the Caribbean Sea and belongs to the state of Honduras. It is an elongated more than 60 km stretch of land in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The island itself is part of the barrier reef of Belize, part of which "popped out" from under the Atlantic waters and formed a unique reef system of the island. The capital of Roatan is Coxen Hole (or Roatan City).
Roatan Island, Honduras. Author - Jeremy-Christine.
A small excursion into history
Ancient Indian tribes led a quiet and measured life until the first Europeans appeared on the island - they were the Spaniards. The expedition of the famous traveler Christopher Columbus landed on the island in 1500. From that moment the life of the indigenous inhabitants of the island changed dramatically - soon after Columbus discovered Roatan (at that time this land was called Guanaja), the Spanish conquerors arrived on the island. The lion's share of the indigenous population was enslaved - the newfound slaves were sent to the Mexican mines and land holdings of Cuba. By the middle of the 16th century, the territory of modern Roatán was completely devastated and plundered.
Gradually the local lands began to be settled by new inhabitants. At first there were tribes of Garifuna Indians brought here by English troops from the rebellious island of St. Vincent. Then the population of the island began to "replenish" pirates from England, Denmark and France - the reason for this was the relative desolation of local territories at that time and the convenient location of the island (pirates could quickly and unexpectedly attack passing in the immediate vicinity of merchant ships). Subsequently, merchant ships came to Roatan's shores to trade with the newly formed population, and many traders also became part of the island's peoples.
For most of Roatan's history, the main colonizers and conquerors were the Spanish, but in the late 18th century the island's territory was taken over by the British, but a dozen years later Britain gave up the colony. Since then, Roatán has become part of Honduras.
Roatan Island, Honduras. Author - TomInAlaska.
What is there to delight the eye in Roatan?
The town of Oak Ridge, like Venice, is built on water... The pride of this place is the mangrove tunnel created by nature itself - the branches of a mighty tree closed over one of the water channels of the town and formed a real green tunnel. A boat ride here is accompanied by the singing of hundreds of birds hidden in the foliage of trees. By the way, every resident of this town has his own boat, otherwise it would be impossible to move around Oak Ridge.
Gukamaya Reserve "concentrated" in itself more than 180 species of birds, many of which are listed in the Red Book. Surprisingly, the bird park is located inside a canyon of mountain debris.
One of Roatan's main attractions is the iguana farm. Here you can find over 2,500 of the reptiles walking freely around the farm's grounds.
Carambola Gardens, Butterfly Park, the ancient Roatan village of Punta Gorda, the beaches and resorts of Paya Beach and Camp Bay Beach, the small nature reserve of Port Royal Park, and the amazing green hills and yellow beaches of French Harbor - all these are the unique attractions of Roatan Island, mesmerizing the eye and winning the heart....
Roatan Island, Honduras. Author - Ricky Floyd.
To summarize...
Roatan is an amazing island with an interesting history and unique geographical origin. Thousands of tourists from all corners of the planet Earth visit this island every year, again and again convinced of the beauty and elegance of Roatan.
