A prominent scuba diving destination and cruise ship port-of-call, Roatan is the largest of the Bay Islands, which are located in the Caribbean Sea off the east coast of Honduras. Favored for its beautiful white beaches, turquoise waters and lush jungles teeming in exotic flowers and wildlife, Roatan is a tropical paradise abounding in both relaxation and adventure.
Tourists will find Roatan to be a mix of stylish resorts, vibrant towns and quiet villages, with popular communities like Coxen Hole, West End, French Harbour and West Bay featuring souvenir shops, restaurants and bars. Often called the “Venice of the Caribbean,” Oak Ridge is a picturesque fishing village of waterways, multicolored stilt houses and traditional customs.
Surrounded by the second-largest barrier reef in the world, Roatan is a prime spot for diving and snorkeling. What’s more, the island’s beaches provide an array of activities from swimming to kayaking, paddle-boarding, fishing, dolphin-watching and glass-bottom boat tours. With Roatan’s botanical gardens, coffee plantations and animal sanctuaries, tourists can encounter the island’s exotic flora, butterflies, agriculture and iguanas. Additionally, the lush jungle offers adventures like ziplining, canopy tours, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, cave-exploring and nature walks to view waterfalls and wildlife such as macaws, toucans and monkeys.
Roatan’s more populated towns are well supplied with restaurants and bars that feature a variety of choices from local Caribbean dishes to international cuisines. West End is the island’s main entertainment strip with the largest concentration of bars and clubs. Roatan can be reached by plane and cruise ship as well as by ferry boats from La Ceiba on Honduras’s mainland, while buses and water taxis are available to get people around the island.