--- title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Roatan, Honduras | Wimup" description: "Roatan ranked: reef walls and wrecks off West End, the sand at West Bay, Garifuna Punta Gorda and the empty East End, plus ferries, dishes and dates." url: https://wimup.com/city/roatan type: City guide updated: 2026-11-08 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Top 10 Things To Do in Roatan Roatan, Honduras · North America · By Wimup Editorial, 14 min read The reef is the whole argument. It sits a few hundred metres offshore along the north and west coasts, drops into walls at 15 to 45 metres, and is reachable from the sand at West Bay without a boat. Around it: two municipalities, an English-speaking island culture older than the Spanish one, and an east half most visitors never drive to. ## Quick answer Roatan is a 59 km sliver of limestone off the Honduran coast with the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef running the length of it, close enough to swim to in places. Dive or snorkel the west end, base yourself in West End village for walkable dive shops and food, take a day for the Garifuna town of Punta Gorda, and give the East End a full day for beaches nobody is on. ## Quick facts - **Best months:** Mar · Apr · May - **Ideal length:** 5–7 days - **Budget per day:** $90–170 - **Language:** English and Spanish - **Getting around:** Colectivo taxis and boats - **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://honduras.travel/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## The 10 best things to do in Roatan ### 1. Snorkel the reef off West Bay Beach Beach · West Bay, Roatan The reef crest sits a short swim off the south end of the beach, so the best snorkelling on the island needs no boat. Come before the cruise tenders land in the late morning, and stay off the coral: the shallow crest is where fins do the damage. - **Time:** Half day - **Cost:** Free from the sand - **Best at:** Early morning - **Tip:** Rent fins in West End ### 2. Dive Mary's Place Dive site · South shore, Roatan A crack in the reef that opens into vertical canyons you swim through rather than over, and the one Roatan dive people come back for. Boat access only, so ask about it when you book the week rather than on the morning. - **Time:** 2 tanks - **Cost:** Boat dive - **Best at:** Calm mornings - **Tip:** Book ahead ### 3. Dive the El Aguila wreck Dive site · Sandy Bay, Roatan A 70 m cargo ship sunk deliberately in 1997 as an artificial reef, now broken into sections on sand at about 30 m. Green morays and grouper hold station in the hull, and the mast is the photograph. Depth makes it a short dive, so plan it as the first of the day. - **Time:** 1 tank - **Cost:** Boat dive - **Best at:** First dive - **Tip:** Advanced depth ### 4. Buy a tag from the Roatan Marine Park Marine reserve · West End, Roatan A community organisation founded in January 2005 by dive operators watching the Sandy Bay to West End reserve degrade. The tag every diver and snorkeller buys pays for the patrols and the mooring buoys that keep anchors off the coral. Their West End office also runs the lionfish culling. - **Time:** 30 min - **Cost:** Day or annual tag - **Best at:** Day one - **Tip:** Dive shops sell it Links: [Website](https://www.roatanmarinepark.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 5. Spend a morning in Punta Gorda Cultural site · North shore, Roatan The first Garifuna settlement in Central America, founded after the British put some 3,000 deportees from St Vincent ashore here on 12 April 1797. It is a working town rather than an exhibit, so go for the food and the drumming and ask before photographing anyone. - **Time:** Half day - **Cost:** Free to walk - **Best at:** Late morning - **Tip:** Colectivo from Coxen Hole ### 6. Walk Carambola Botanical Gardens Gardens · Sandy Bay, Roatan Forty acres of trails through native Bay Islands plants, with a climb up Car Mountain that opens onto the north coast and the reef line. The uphill section is steep and unshaded in parts, so take water and go early. - **Time:** 2 hrs - **Cost:** Paid entry - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Wear real shoes ### 7. Drive out to Camp Bay Beach Beach · East End, Roatan The longest empty beach on Roatan, an hour and a half east of West End on a road that deteriorates as it goes. There is almost nothing here beyond a couple of beach bars, which is the point. Bring cash and leave before dark. - **Time:** Full day - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Weekdays - **Tip:** Rent a 4x4 ### 8. Swim and eat at Half Moon Bay Beach · West End, Roatan The crescent at the north end of West End village, with shallow snorkelling off the sand and a wall dive straight out from it. Every dive shop, bar and kitchen in West End is a walk away, which is why most people who stay a week end up here every evening. - **Time:** 2 hrs - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Sunset - **Tip:** Swim left of the boats ### 9. Cross the bridges at Gumbalimba Park Park · West Bay, Roatan Twenty acres above West Bay holding more than 200 plant species, a suspension bridge over the ravine and an animal enclosure with macaws and capuchins. The gardens and the view are the reason to go; the animal handling is a personal call. - **Time:** 2–3 hrs - **Cost:** Paid entry - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Pair with West Bay ### 10. Meet the iguanas at Arch's Iguana Farm Wildlife · French Cay, Roatan Sherman Arch began protecting black spiny-tailed iguanas on his own land here in 1980. The colony now runs to several thousand and they are entirely unbothered by people, so feeding time is close range and slightly alarming. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Paid entry - **Best at:** Feeding time - **Tip:** Cash only ## Best dive sites in Roatan Walls, swim-throughs and two deliberate wrecks, all inside a short boat ride. 1. **Mary's Place** (Canyons · Advanced · South shore): A deep crack in the reef with vertical canyons to swim through. 2. **El Aguila** (Wreck · 30 m · Sandy Bay): A 70 m freighter sunk in 1997, broken in sections on sand at about 30 m. 3. **Odyssey** (Wreck · 30 m · North shore): Roatan's biggest wreck, a 90 m cargo ship sunk in 2002, from about 30 m. 4. **Spooky Channel** (Swim-through · 27 m · Sandy Bay): A narrow opening that widens into a cathedral of a channel, to about 27 m. 5. **West End Wall** (Wall · 10–45 m · West End): Reef top at 5 m, then a wall that keeps going past recreational limits. 6. **Half Moon Bay Wall** (Wall · Shore dive · West End): The shore dive from West End: reef at 5 m, wall from there down. 7. **Blue Channel** (Swim-through · 3–14 m · West End): Shallow canyons and swim-throughs at 3 to 14 m, good for snorkellers too. 8. **Mandy's Eel Garden** (Wall · All levels · West Bay): Named for the garden eels standing out of the sand at the wall base. ## Best beaches in Roatan Two crowded, four you can have largely to yourself. 1. **West Bay Beach** (Reef swim · Busy · West Bay): The postcard: white sand, palms, and the reef a swim offshore. 2. **Half Moon Bay** (Snorkel · Walkable · West End): A crescent of sand with a wall dive off it and the village behind. 3. **Camp Bay Beach** (Remote · No facilities · East End): The long empty one, an hour and a half east on a rough road. 4. **Palmetto Bay** (Quiet · North shore · Palmetto Bay): Calm reef and almost no crowd, on the north shore between the two ends. 5. **Paya Bay** (Secluded · No shade but palms · East End): Coconut palms, clear water and nothing else, on the far northeast. 6. **Sandy Bay** (Local · Reef access · Sandy Bay): A working stretch of coast with reef access and a local population. ## Best restaurants in Roatan Island seafood, Garifuna coconut cooking and the rotisserie everyone queues at. 1. **Ginger's Caribbean Grill** (Seafood · $$ · West End): Half Moon Bay seafood, with fish bought off the boats. 2. **Creole's Rotisserie Chicken** (Rotisserie · $ · West End): Caribbean rotisserie chicken and the island queue to prove it. 3. **La Palapa Beach Bar and Grill** (Seafood · $$ · West Bay): On the sand at West Bay, whole fried fish and the day catch. 4. **Pura Vida** (Ceviche · $$ · West End): Costa Rican cooking and ceviche near Half Moon Bay. 5. **Cal's Cantina** (Island · $$ · West End): Casual island kitchen east of the West End strip. ## Best nature & wildlife in Roatan What the island has when you come out of the water. 1. **Carambola Botanical Gardens** (Gardens · 2 hrs · Sandy Bay): Forty acres of native planting and a climb up Car Mountain. 2. **Gumbalimba Park** (Park · 2–3 hrs · West Bay): Twenty acres, 200 plant species and a suspension bridge. 3. **Arch's Iguana Farm** (Wildlife · 1 hr · French Cay): A black spiny-tailed iguana colony protected on private land since 1980. 4. **Roatan Butterfly Garden** (Enclosure · 1 hr · West End): A walk-through enclosure of about 30 native butterfly species. 5. **Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences** (Research · 1–2 hrs · Sandy Bay): A marine research and education centre working here since 1989. ## Best neighborhoods in Roatan Six places to sleep, in order of how much company you want. 1. **West End** (Divers · Walkable · West End): A mile of dive shops, kitchens and bars, walkable end to end. 2. **West Bay** (Resorts · Beach · West Bay): The beach and the resorts, twenty minutes by water taxi from West End. 3. **Sandy Bay** (Quiet · Reef · Sandy Bay): Quieter than West End with a bigger local population and the same reef. 4. **French Harbour** (Working port · French Harbour): The island fishing port, with the fleet and the working waterfront. 5. **Coxen Hole** (Capital · Services · Coxen Hole): The capital and the business of the island, named after a 17th-century pirate. 6. **Punta Gorda** (Garifuna · Historic · Punta Gorda): The Garifuna town on the north shore, founded in 1797. ## Best day trips in Roatan What a boat or the morning ferry puts within reach. 1. **Cayos Cochinos** (Boat · Full day · South): Thirteen cays and two islands, a marine reserve since 1994. 2. **Utila** (Boat · Full day · West): The cheaper, scruffier dive island, and whale sharks in season. 3. **Guanaja** (Boat or flight · East): The third Bay Island, mountainous and barely visited. 4. **Barbareta and Pigeon Cay** (Boat · Full day · East End): A private island and a sand cay in a turquoise lagoon. 5. **La Ceiba and Pico Bonito** (Ferry · 1 hr 15 · Mainland): The mainland port and the rainforest national park behind it. ## Best bars & cafes in Roatan Four places on the West End strip, from coffee to the dance floor. 1. **Sundowners** (Beach bar · West End): On the sand at Half Moon Bay, and the island sunset institution. 2. **Blue Marlin** (Live music · West End): A deck over the water, karaoke on Thursdays and live music at the weekend. 3. **Cafe Escondido** (Coffee · Breakfast · West End): Espresso, smoothies and rice bowls above West End Divers. 4. **Nova** (Late · DJs · West End): DJs most nights and fire dancing at the weekend. ## Festivals & annual events in Roatan (2026) - **Lobster closed season begins** (1 March): The regional veda runs to the end of June, so local lobster is off the menu until July. - **Garifuna Settlement Day** (12 April): Punta Gorda re-enacts the 1797 landing by boat, then drums and food all day. - **Semana Santa** (March or April): Honduran holy week. Mainland families fill the beaches and everything books out. - **Lobster season opens** (1 July): The closed season ends and the fleet at French Harbour goes back out. - **Roatan International Fishing Tournament** (Mid-September): Four days of offshore competition, timed to the independence holiday. - **Honduran Independence Day** (15 September): Parades in Coxen Hole, then carnival on the west side into the night. - **Dive shop competitions** (September to November): The low season, when West End dive shops run their own events against each other. - **Christmas and New Year** (Late December): Peak week on the island. Flights, boats and rooms go months ahead. ## Must-try dishes in Roatan, Honduras - **Sopa de caracol**: Conch simmered in coconut milk, the national dish and an island one. - **Machuca**: Garifuna seafood and coconut soup poured over mashed plantain. - **Tapado**: A coconut stew of crab, fish, shrimp and ripe plantain. - **Baleadas**: A flour tortilla folded over beans, cheese and cream. Breakfast everywhere. - **Pan de coco**: Garifuna coconut bread, still warm if you time the bakery right. - **Pescado frito**: Whole fried fish with plantain, the standard at any beach kitchen. - **Lionfish**: Invasive on this reef, so eating it is the one order that helps. - **Gifity**: The Garifuna herb and rum infusion, poured at Punta Gorda celebrations. ## Roatan transport & airports - **Juan Manuel Galvez International** (RTB): The island airport, just east of Coxen Hole. Taxis wait outside arrivals; West End is about 20 minutes west. - **Galaxy Wave ferry** (Ferry): The catamaran from La Ceiba on the mainland, about an hour and a quarter each way, twice daily in each direction. Check in an hour before. [Website](https://www.roatanferry.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Colectivo taxis** (Shared): Shared taxis run the one paved road linking Coxen Hole, French Harbour, Sandy Bay and West End. Flag one down, agree the fare first, pay in lempiras. - **Water taxi and rental** (Local): Boats shuttle West End to West Bay through the day, which beats the road. For the East End, hire a car: colectivos thin out past French Harbour. ## Roatan at a glance - **Country:** Honduras - **Region:** Bay Islands (Islas de la Bahia), split between the municipalities of Roatan and Jose Santos Guardiola - **Population:** About 110,000 across the island (2020 estimate) - **Founded:** Punta Gorda, the oldest continuous settlement, dates from 1797 - **Nickname:** The Bay Islands - **Language:** English and Spanish, with a Caribbean English patois spoken across the island - **Currency:** Honduran lempira (HNL). US dollars are widely accepted - **Time zone:** CST (UTC-6), no daylight saving - **Calling code:** +504 - **Airports:** Juan Manuel Galvez International (RTB), just east of Coxen Hole - **Power:** 110V, type A and B sockets, as in North America - **Emergency:** 911 ## Interesting facts - Roatan runs about 59 km end to end and is under 8 km wide at its widest point. - The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef along it is the second-longest reef system on earth. - Coxen Hole is named for John Coxen, one of the buccaneers who used the island in the 1600s. - The Garifuna reached Punta Gorda in 1797 after the British deported them from St Vincent. - The island sits about 56 km off the Honduran mainland, an hour and a quarter by ferry. ## Roatan travel FAQ ### Do you need to dive to enjoy Roatan? No. The reef crest sits close enough to shore at West Bay and Half Moon Bay to snorkel straight off the sand, and the island has gardens, an iguana colony and the Garifuna town of Punta Gorda on land. Diving is the reason most people come, not the only one. ### When is the best time to go? February to June is the drier stretch and the most reliable for visibility. October and November are the wettest months, and the pattern the rest of the year is a clear morning, a short afternoon downpour, then a clear evening. ### How do you get to Roatan? Fly into Juan Manuel Galvez International (RTB), which takes direct flights from several North American cities in season, or take the Galaxy Wave catamaran from La Ceiba on the mainland. The crossing runs about an hour and a quarter, twice a day in each direction. ### West End or West Bay? West End is a walkable village of dive shops, kitchens and bars, and it is where independent travellers base themselves. West Bay is the beach and the resorts, twenty minutes away by water taxi. Stay in West End and visit the beach, unless you want the resort. ### Do you need lempiras, or will dollars do? Dollars are accepted almost everywhere on the west side and many places quote in them. Lempiras get you a better rate and are what colectivo taxis, bakeries and market stalls actually want, so carry both and keep small notes for the road. ## Nearby guides - [Belize City](https://wimup.com/city/belize-city.md): Belize · 10 picks - [San Salvador](https://wimup.com/city/san-salvador.md): El Salvador · 10 picks - [Tulum](https://wimup.com/city/tulum.md): Mexico · 10 picks - [All of North America →](https://wimup.com/north-america): 40 cities Part of the [Honduras guide](https://wimup.com/country/honduras.md) · [North America](https://wimup.com/north-america.md) ## Sources - [Roatan tourism board](https://honduras.travel/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Buy a tag from the Roatan Marine Park (official site)](https://www.roatanmarinepark.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Galaxy Wave ferry (official site)](https://www.roatanferry.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.