Tourist Information Centers

West End

There is a tourist information center in West End at the yellow house on the beach. It is right in front of the kiosk for Gumbalimba Park that also provides some information about tours. They are located close to the entrance to West End, on the right hand side of the T shaped road, going towards Half Moon Bay.

West Bay

A tourist information center is located on West Bay beach next to Foster’s. They also offer a wide range of excursions that you can book on site.

Diving

Diving and the treasures to be found below the surface of the clear blue Caribbean Sea have been Roatan’s main attraction for a long time. Caves and crevices, thousand-foot walls, wrecks, abundant sea life, dolphins, rays, sharks, whale sharks and the largest number of sponges in the Caribbean, make Roatan and the Bay Islands a very desirable diving destination. Add to this the most reasonably priced dive courses available as well as inexpensive dive packages, professional dive shops with highly qualified staff that are dedicated to providing a fun experience and you have everything needed to make your vacation perfect.

Snorkeling

Because of the proximity of the reef in many places, snorkeling is among the best in the world. For instance, you could go snorkeling in Half Moon Bay and see different sea creatures every day. The Half Moon Bay reef offers a wide variety of fisk and see creatures and you can occasionally see a turtle hovering in the channel. Some ox jelly fish are also present at regular intervalls in that bay, so watch carefully when snorkeling.

In West Bay Beach, you have access to a huge reef with a depth of thirty five (35) feet and more, relatively close to the shore. Three (3) feet long Napoleon Fish have been sighted in that area, as well as turtles and rays. There are many, many beautiful things to see!

Exploring

When it comes to exploring, Roatan offers the best of the best. You could, for example, follow the trail of the many pirates and buccaneers who lived in Port Royal in the early 1600s, or visit the local communities to see how they live and sample their delicious food. If you like to take pictures, there are many viewpoints on the island. Experiencing the mountains, pastures, lush forest and stretches of white sandy beaches is easy. On clear days, you can see the spectacular mountains on the mainland from the Flowers Bay road. Main roads, as well as several small roads, run through the island and will take you wherever you wish to go. If you wish to drive around you can rent a scooter or a car. We offer you several driving tips on page 27. You can also hire a driver for the day. We offer you a list of reliable and safe drivers in the Taxi Drivers category.

Beaches

Roatan has beautiful beaches. West Bay Beach can easily be compared to the best becahes of Cuba. The beaches from Sandy Bay to West Bay are excellent, with numerous places to stop and relax, go snorkeling or kayaking or have a refreshing island cocktail. Our longest and most deserted beach, Camp Bay, is located on the east end of the island. You might want to organize a picnic and bring food and drink with you to Camp Bay. Palmetto Bay Plantation, on the northern side of the island, offers a gorgeous semi-deserted beach. Port Royal, on the south side of the island, also has an excellent beach.

Glass Bottom Boat

There are two air-conditioned, glass-bottom boats that will take you on a tour where you can peer out at the coral reef from seven feet under the water. The Underwater Paradise leaves from West End. The Coral Reef Explorer operates from West Bay Beach.

Canopy Adventures

Take a ride high above the trees for breathtaking views of the island jungles, ocean and white sandy beaches. Guests are provided with all the necessary equipment (including heavy gloves) for a glide through treetops and a landing on different platforms on your way down to the coast. There are three canopy tours on Roatan: one in West Bay, one on the road to Palmetto Bay and one in French Harbour. See the tour operators category for their phone numbers.

Carambola Gardens

The gardens provide a relaxing stroll through a diverse collection of flowering plants, ferns, spices, fruit trees, hardwood trees and orchids. Apart from the small, well-tended garden, trails lead up the pretty valley through the tropical forest, past the iguana wall, where iguanas and parrots breed, and up to the top of Carambola Mountain, where you can soak up the gorgeous colors of the coral reefs below and see all the way out to the island of Utila.

Iguana Farm

The owner of this quirky attraction has spent years protecting and raising the over-hunted green iguanas that laze about in the trees around his house in French Key, east of French Harbor. This out of the way site may not seem like much until the owners throw out a pile of vegetable leftovers on their driveway. Then suddenly dozens of iguanas descend from the trees to fight over the scraps. The farm has a number of the big, red males that are so hard to find.

Horseback Riding

There are a number of places that offer great horseback riding. You have the option of riding up into the hills, or riding along the sand and into the azure water on some of the island's best beaches.

Sailing

There are a number of really good sailing charters which operate from Roatan island. These charter companies offer island-hopping tours, overnight trips, sunset and dinner trips as well as sailing instruction. See the Sailing Charters Category for more details.

Sea Kayaking

Kayaking offers a different way to experience the beautiful Roatan coastline. From hourly rentals to one, two or 6-day tours, sea kayaks offer the most adventurous way to get around the island and to the best snorkeling spots. See the Water Sports Category for more details.

Swimming with Dolphins

For years, Anthony's Key Resort has been developing a dolphin program through their Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences, located on the property. Trained dolphins perform free daily shows of acrobatic leaps and spins. In another beachside enclosure, on a nearby key, the Dolphin Encounter offers you a chance to wade into the water and play with the dolphins. It is a truly complete encounter with the gentle animals where you can swim, snorkel or dive with the dolphins.

Experience the Garifuna Culture

A "must-see" on your visit to Roatan is the Yubu Garifuna Experience in Pollytily. The specially conceived Garifuna Cultural Village features native music, dance, building, crafts, and history and is a wonderful way to learn about the Garifuna people. Punta Gorda is a Garifuna community on the east end of Roatan, and was the first Garifuna settlement in Central America. The Black Caribs, or Garifunas, were marooned in Roatan by the British in 1796 and first settled in Punta Gorda. To commemorate their arrival to Roatan, the Garifunas have a Carnival every year on the 12th of April. If you happen to be on the Island for this date, it is well worth your while to visit and enjoy the Carnival.

Fishing

There are a number of options for fishermen on Roatan. Many of the dive resorts offer deepsea trolling or bottom fishing tours, where you can go after barracuda, tuna, wahoo, dorado and other species. Also popular on the Bay Islands is fly-fishing for bonefish. This activity has been little exploited on the island, so the bone fishing is great. These fish can be caught from shore or out on the flats just inside of the reef.

Roatan hosts every year a fishing tournament in Spetember. This is a major event in West End.

Submarine Adventures

If you like to dive, going down to 2,000 feet is quite an experience! The world’s deepest tourist submarine, one out of only two (2) submarines in the world that take tourists down, is right here on Roatan!

Roatan is an exeptional place to be diving in a submarine because the great trench wall is very close to the island. This Trench goes down to over 4,000 feet in places. The descent with the submarine takes around 45 minutes and then you slowly creep back up along the wall, looking at things rarely seen otherwise.

You will find the yellow submarine at its dock at the blue house in Half Moon Bay, West End.

Airplane Charters

You can see the islands from the air and go from one island to the other in your own private plane. The view of the islands from the air is breathtaking! See the Airplane Charters section for their phone numbers.