Roatan is surrounded by living reef making it a paradise for divers and snorkelers. Along the south coast, some large channels through the reef allow access to deep harbours at Coxen Hole and French Harbour, as well as safe anchorages at Port Royal and Oak Ridge. A visit to Roatan is complemented with a side trip to mainland Honduras to see the Mayan ruins at Copan or have a jungle adventure tour remote mountain villages such as San Juancito. From West End Village with its interesting shops to Roatan’s east end with its fishing villages, here you can see colorful Roatan Island and the Honduras mainland in pictures.

Scuba diving in Roatan is sure to provide you a dive experience unlike any other you’ve experienced. They have some of the most amazing coral reef on the planet! And there is a plan to make the Bay Islands (Roatan is the largest of three Bay Islands) a “Free Port.” Roatan is a very long, thin island, approximately 40 miles in length. It is a stunningly scenic island that includes a living coral reef, mountainous regions and lush, green, tropical plant life. Christopher Columbus, on his fourth voyage (1502-1504) discovered the Islands as he visited the neighboring Bay Island of Guanaja. The Spanish soon after, began using the Islands for the purpose of slave raiding, and no original Native American communities survived. Visitors can stay for up to 30 days without a visa, and can stay for up to six months by simply renewing their passport stamp monthly at the Island’s Immigration Office. Tourists are allowed to carry up to $1000 along with their personal belongings when entering the country.

Now, however, as a result of the collapse of fish stocks, the economy has lost its diversity, and tourism has taken over as the mainstay. An unusual opportunity for divers and snorkellers. To interact with dolphins on the mammal’s own initiative. There is a wreck reserved for those divers with advanced training. The tourists are mainly divers but the island is perfect for beaching and snorkeling. One onsite dive center, Barefoot Divers, is located on the shore and offers full-service diving and snorkeling, scuba lessons, guided dives with valet diving service, and a retail center. The Barefoot Cay spa is also housed in a separate wing of the facility. Roatan’s location in the southwestern Caribbean basin usually keeps it out of harm’s way, as storms commonly divert northward to Cuba or the Yucatan Peninsula. Roatan survived the devestating 2005 hurricane season relatively unscathed; Hurricane Wilma, their most serious storm of that season, only caused minor cosmetic damage.

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