The most developed of the Bay Islands, Roatan is still largely unspoiled. You won’t find high-rise hotels or shopping malls here. Instead, Roatan is a delight for those who want to get away from things. It’s also a paradise for scuba divers.

The dive industry has grown tremendously on Roatan because of its clear blue waters and large barrier reef system. Both the northern reef and southern fringing reef feature around 40 dive sites each, offering spots for both novice and experienced divers that are characterized by plummeting walls, crevices and caverns.

With the growth of tourism, Real Estate on Roatan has become a popular investment, with many seeking a villa or vacation home.

In past decades, Roatan was exclusively a diving destination with few organized activities for non-divers. But in recent years, Roatan's menu of activities greatly expanded to include many options for non-divers and families with children. Here are some of the activities to consider:

Beaches - The many beaches from Sandy Bay west to West Bay are excellent, offering places to stop and relax or have a refreshing island cocktail. Our longest and least frequented beaches are located at the east end of the island. The small village of scattered houses called Camp Bay, which is east of Diamond Rock, is the site of Camp Bay Beach, a two-mile long deserted stretch of white sand bordering azure Caribbean water. There is almost nothing to buy out there, so you might consider your trip to Camp Bay a picnic and bring food and drink with you.

Glass Bottom Boat - There are two air-conditioned, glass-bottom boats that will take you on an hour-long tour where you can peer out at the coral reef from seven feet under the water. The Underwater Paradise leaves from Half Moon Bay Cabins at Half Moon Bay, just east of West End. The Coral Reef Explorer operates out of West Point on West Bay Beach, to which you can catch a complimentary water taxi from the Coconut Tree Hotel.

 
C-BUG (Mini-sub) - For a unique experience, take a ride in the two-person submarine located at West End. The C-BUG mini-sub will take you down to 1,500 ft., where little light penetrates but visibility is unmatched. Plants don't grow at these depths, but a strange assortment of plant-like animals haunts this ecosystem that very few people have witnessed.

Carambola Gardens - Offering a relaxing stroll through a diverse collection of flowering plants, ferns, spices, fruit trees, hardwood trees and orchids, the Carambola Gardens is worth setting aside a couple of hours for. Apart from the small, well-tended garden, trails lead up the pretty valley through the arid tropical forest, past the iguana wall where iguanas and parrots breed, and up to the top of Carambola mountain, where you can soak in 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 rarely seen anymore.

Exploring - The first thing to do on arriving on Roatan is to explore the island. 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 that populated in Port Royal in the early 1600's. Bring a metal detector and sturdy walking shoes, as it is said that there is still a bit of treasure to found, both in and out of the water. The most wonderful thing about Roatan is that there is so much to explore, both above and below the water line.

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 of some of the island's best beaches. Sailing - The Belvedere Lodge is home to the beautifully maintained Onair IV sailing yacht, which offers sunset sailing tours. Another sailing yacht offers an exclusive Champagne tour called Champagne Away, which includes a gourmet meal and glass of the bubbly, as well as opportunities for swimming and snorkeling.

Sea Kayaking - Kayaking companies in West End offer many ways to experience the beautiful Roatan coastline. From half-day rentals to one, two or 6-day tours, sea kayaks offer an exciting way to get around to the island's best snorkeling spots.

Swimming with the Dolphins - Anthony's Key Resort has spent years developing a dolphin program through their Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences located on the property. Trained dolphins perform daily shows of acrobatic leaps and spins. On nearby Baily's Key, the Dolphin Encounter offers the chance for you to wade into the water and play with the dolphins. The Dolphin Swim is available for those who want a more intimate experience with these intelligent marine mammals. The resort also offers divers the opportunity to dive with the dolphins.

Water Sports - Whether it is water skiing, jet skiing, parasailing or snorkeling that you're after, Roatan has it. You can sign up for an organized jet ski safari, which will take you out beyond the reef and Marine Park, into open water. Water-skiing is available in either West End or in French Harbour. Another great feature of Roatan is that you can find many on-shore dive and snorkel spots, which alleviated the need to hire a boat. Snorkeling is often combined with sailing trips, kayak trips, or jet ski trips. Parasailing offers you a chance for a bird's-eye view of the island as you are harnessed into a parachute and pulled behind a boat like a human kite. You rise to above 100 ft., from which you can survey the beautiful colors of the reefs and the verdant island greens.

Fishing - There are a number of options for fishermen on Roatan. Many of the dive resorts offer deep sea trolling or bottom fishing tours, where you can go after barracuda, tuna, wahoo, dorado and other species. More-and-more 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 is the easiest of the Bay Islands to reach.

Travel - Continental Airlines flies directly from Houston to Roatan. The airline also flies from Newark (New York) to San Pedro Sula on the Honduran mainland, with a connection to Roatan. You can also fly either American Airlines or Continental Airlines via Belize City to San Pedro Sula and catch a connection to Roatan.

Roatan Realty offers you a complete package of Roatan villas, vacation homes, commercial property and other real estate sales. We can arrange travel, lodging, vacation planning and tours of the finest real estate available on Roatan. We also offer a superb vacation rental service for property owners who would like an immediate return on their investment.

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