In addition to spectacular snorkeling and diving, Roatan has enough fun-filled activities to entertain even the most jaded of people. Prefer an action filled vacation swimming with dolphins, parasailing, swinging through the trees, and diving all day every day, prefer to get pampered in a spa, or do you just want to climb into a hammock or lounge under a palm tree on Roatan’s Caribbean white sand beaches? It is all possible on Roatan.
I’ve been coming to Roatan for over 30 years. I brought my daughter, Caroline, for the first time when she was a little girl. We have been on all the tours, done all the activities, dived all over the island, had a few cocktails at the bars, and enjoyed just about everything there is to do here. We’ve had a lot of fun and we’ve had some bad experiences as well. Let our experiences and knowledge make your vacation the best one possible. We want you to spend your time enjoying your vacation, not planning it. So let us know what activities interest you and we will do the rest.
Scuba Diving
The Bay Islands of Honduras are located on the Mesoamerican Reef, the second largest barrier reef in the world. Roatan has long been known as a world class diving destination because of its warm waters, abundance of marine life, and beautiful reef located just feet from the shore. Our reefs and surrounding waters are home to 95 % of all marine species found in the Caribbean, from tiny nudibranchs to the enormous whale sharks. It is possible to dive anywhere on Roatan as the entire island is ringed by over 90 miles coral reef. Roatan has dive sites for all skill levels including shallow dives, walls, wrecks, and areas with drop-offs, caverns and swim-throughs for the more adventurous. You can even dive with Sharks and Dolphins. Roatan is also great place to learn to dive or to continue your PADI education. Whatever your diving desires, let us help you pick the best dive shop for your needs.
Snorkeling
Snorkeling is a favorite activity of tourists and locals alike and can be done just about everywhere in the Bay Islands. On Roatan, West Bay is a snorkel spot as the reef is located less than 20 yards from the beautiful white sand beach. Half Moon Bay in West End is also a popular snorkel spot and is accessible from shore. Other great snorkel locations on Roatan include Sandy Bay, Camp Bay, and Palmetto Bay. Commonly spotted creatures include Sea Turtles, Eagle Rays, Eels, and more. You can even snorkel with Dolphins! Most dive shops and several charter boats also offer snorkeling tours for the more adventurous. If you don’t have your own snorkeling gear, we recommend renting it from the Roatan Marine Park office in West End. It costs $5/ day and the money goes towards reef conservation. Utila rewards its visitors with some of the most pristine snorkeling spots in the Bay Islands.
Spas and Wellness Centers
There are several spas on Roatan that are dedicated to pampering their clients. Each spa has their own specialties. Treatments include massages, aromatherapy soaking tub, mud wraps, salt scrubs, facials, and more. Roatan is also home to a Med Spa and Wellness center run by a fully licensed medical doctor. Services include acupuncture and cosmetic procedures including chemical peels, Botox, Restylane, Vampire Facelifts, and more. There are also several masseuses that offer in home service. Island Massage School is located just outside of West End and offers very reasonably priced massages.
Fishing
If you love to fish, look not further. Roatan and Utila lie at the edge of the Cayman Trench, making deep sea fishing possible less than a half mile from shore. Our rich waters teem with Wahoo, Tuna, Mahi Mahi, Marlin, Barracuda, Amberjack, and more. Boats can be chartered for a few hours or the entire day. The shallow waters closer to shore are a fly fisherman’s dream as they are home to huge schools of bonefish and permit. Fly fishing can even be done from the beach in a few places. Just be sure not to catch a sunbather. Though plentiful, the marine life on Roatan is also very fragile. Catch and release is enforced for all billfish and strongly recommended for any species that is considered to be overfished including all species of grouper and snappers and some species of tuna. Do your part to ensure there are fish left for future generations.
Boat Trips
Roatan is home to a variety of boats, from tiny dug out canoes called Cayucos to one man Laser sailboats to Pleasure Cruisers. Most boats can be chartered for half day and full day adventures though some do overnight excursions to neighboring islands. The most common day trip is to near by Cayos Cochinos, an archipelago of small cays and islands. Most of the cays are uninhabited save for a few small hotels, private homes, and a native Garifuna Village. The waters surrounding Cayos Cochinos are a Marine Protected Area and National Marine Park and have excellent diving and snorkeling. Another very popular charter is to spend the day boating around Roatan. It’s a great way to see the island, catch some fish, and snorkel in the best spots. Other excursions include sailing trips to explore the waters around the East End of Roatan (one of my personal favorites), and overnight trips to neighboring islands of Utila and Guanaja. Whether you prefer to get pushed by the wind or propelled by an engine, we will find the boat trip for you. Depending on the size of your group and what you want to do, I recommend Ruthless Charters , Roatan Island Charters, Roatan Reef Tours, and Sundowner’s Charters.
Submarine
Take the rare opportunity to travel in a one of kind machine to another world and come face to face with life forms beyond imagination including the huge, prehistoric six gill sharks, chimeras, and vampire octopus. The submarine was designed, built, and piloted by Karl Stanley and can safely transport three people to 3,000 feet below sea level. Less than 3 percent of the world’s deep waters have been explored. It is truly an unknown world. It is this unknown that you can personally explore. One every dive, the submarine Idabel illuminates places that have never been seen by human eyes. This is truly a once in a lifetime experience.
Golf
The Black Pearl is Roatan’s best (and only) golf course. This 18-hole, par-72, 7200 yard championship golf course was designed by world famous golf course architect Pete Dye. The course starts at the water’s edge, rises into the island’s tropical foothills, then takes golfers on a wild ride back to the seaside clubhouse. It features one of Dye’s signature island greens, and 14 holes offer breathtaking views of the ocean.
And More
Roatan also offers horseback riding, kayaking, canopy tours, dolphin encounters, kite boarding, windsurfing, sailing, Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUPing), parasailing, glass bottom boat trips, island tours, visits to Garifuna Villages, Glass bottomed Kayaking, hiking, shopping, Botanical Garden tours, a Butterfly Garden, Dolphin Shows, volunteer opportunities, ATV’s and quadbikes, off-road carting tours, paintball, Mangrove tours, bird watching, tours of animal rescue centers, cooking classes, Pirate boat trips, island tours, and so much more. If you do know see anything that interests you, please let us know what you would like to do and we will do everything in our power to make it happen
