Wender·Vista
Roatán
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileHonduras
on the largest of Honduras's Bay Islands, off the Caribbean coast

Roatán

— — the reef that runs all the way to Belize.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“Roatán is a long, narrow island lying about 65 kilometres off the northern coast of Honduras. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef runs the length of its windward side — the second-longest coral system in the world. West Bay turns the water a pale silica green at noon. The east end keeps the older Garifuna villages and the mangroves the cruise ports have not reached.

from the studio
Roatán
— bring it home

Roatán, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Roatán

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Roatán is the largest of the Bay Islands of Honduras, about 77 kilometres long and rarely more than 5 kilometres wide, lying around 65 kilometres off the Caribbean coast near La Ceiba. Its highest point reaches 235 metres. The island's population is near 110,000, concentrated around Coxen Hole and French Harbour on the south shore, with West End and West Bay drawing most of the visitors. Spanish and the local English Creole are both spoken across the island.

— the water

The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef runs the length of the island's north and west sides — a 1,000-kilometre coral system that continues past Belize and Mexico to the tip of the Yucatán. Visibility on the outer wall often holds at 30 metres. Shallow gardens at Tabyana and West Bay sit at three to ten metres of warm Caribbean water. Whale sharks pass through the Cayos Cochinos south of Roatán through spring, and the Roatán Marine Park has protected core reef since 2005.

— the visit

Most visitors arrive by air at Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport on the south shore or by ship at the Mahogany Bay and Town pier cruise terminals near Coxen Hole. West Bay and West End hold the main hotels and dive shops; the East End keeps the Garifuna village of Punta Gorda, settled in 1797 by exiles from St. Vincent. The dry season runs February through April. Hurricane risk runs September through November along the Caribbean coast.

— where
Honduras · Roatán, Islas de la Bahía
— within
Roatán Marine Park
— position
16.3000° N · 86.5333° W
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
10 km W
West Bay
beach village
40 km W
Utila
Bay Island
30 km E
Punta Gorda
Garifuna village
N
Roatán
West Bay
Utila
Punta Gorda
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Roatán — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

Roatán is the largest of the Bay Islands of Honduras, lying about 65 kilometres off the Caribbean coast near La Ceiba. The island runs roughly 77 kilometres east to west and 5 kilometres at its widest.

The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef — the second-longest coral system in the world after the Great Barrier Reef. It runs about 1,000 kilometres from Honduras through Belize and Mexico to the tip of the Yucatán.

Spanish is the official language of Honduras and the language of business. A local English Creole, a legacy of British and Cayman Islander settlement in the 1830s, is widely spoken by older island families.

The dry season runs February through April, with warm calm seas and reliable visibility on the reef. Hurricane risk runs September through November. May and June bring warm rains and the slowest tourism months.

A people of West African and Indigenous Caribbean descent, exiled to Roatán from St. Vincent by the British in 1797. The community at Punta Gorda on the East End is the oldest continuously settled town on the island.

Most visitors fly into Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport near Coxen Hole, with connections through San Pedro Sula, Miami, and Houston. A daily ferry runs from La Ceiba on the mainland to French Harbour.

— about the piece in your home

It has been a meaningful gift for divers, sailors, and couples who carry the West Bay water with them. The reef green and Caribbean blue read true to people who know the island. A Small or Medium carries well.

The pale green, cobalt, and warm sand palette settles into Coastal-modern, Tropical Minimalist, and bright Maximalist rooms. It also pairs well with rattan, bleached wood, and the whitewashed walls common to island interiors.

A single Large reads at conversational scale above a sofa or console. A 4-tile Mural carries a larger wall with quiet weight, and a 9-tile Mural anchors a stairwell or open living room.

Yes. The Dura Satin or Matte finish suits humid rooms — both are scratch-resistant and read softer under overhead light. The colour is sealed in the ceramic and will not fade with steam.

A soft microfibre cloth and warm water are enough. The thin glossy finish wipes clean without polish or special cleaners. Avoid abrasive pads on the Matte and Dura Satin surfaces.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is created in-house by Reid Wender, the curator and eye of the studio. No licensing, no third-party art. Each tile is hand-finished in Knoxville, Tennessee.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.