Just off the northern coast of Honduras, the Bay Islands are not the most familiar of Caribbean holiday destinations, but they have to be counted amongst the prettiest and most relaxing for a shore excursion. Cruise ships stop at Mahogany Bay on the island of Roatán, the largest of the three islands in the chain: 37 miles long and 2 miles wide, with beautiful sandy beaches, lush green hills, and encircled by coral reefs.
The small port area of Mahogany Bay offers the visitor a range of bars, shops and restaurants, plus a variety of other tourist services, including tour operators and taxis eagerly waiting to offer you a ride to any one of the many beaches or to sign up to a range of island activities. These include reef diving, water skiing and kayaking, or exploring the many delights of the island’s interior. You can visit the Roatán Butterfly Farm at West End, the Carambola Botanical Gardens, a 40 acre reserve showcasing the beauty of the islands’ natural jungle habitat, or see exotic birds, monkeys, gardens and pirate caves at Gumbalimba Park.
The calm, shallow waters of the lagoon are crystal clear and perfect for swimming and snorkeling. Scuba diving in the warm waters off the reef at West Bay Beach or Half Moon Beach brings you face to face with a wonderful display of marine life. You can swim alongside great schools of tropical fish, and see manta rays, whale sharks, barracudas, dolphins and turtles. The islands have a colourful maritime history that includes battles for control between the English and Spanish, traders and pirates. Several ancient coral-encrusted shipwrecks around the island add to its underwater treasure trove.
Whether you choose to spend the day relaxing on one of Roatán’s many pristine beaches, experiencing the thrill of riding its famous Zip ’n’ Dip zipline through the jungle canopy, exploring the island’s charming little villages or playing a round of golf at the Black Pearl Golf Club, you can look back on a perfect day on one of the Caribbean’s fastest developing holiday islands.
Just off the northern coast of Honduras, the Bay Islands are not the most familiar of Caribbean holiday destinations, but they have to be counted amongst the prettiest and most relaxing for a shore excursion. Cruise ships stop at Mahogany Bay on the island of Roatán, the largest of the three islands in the chain: 37 miles long and 2 miles wide, with beautiful sandy beaches, lush green hills, and encircled by coral reefs.
The small port area of Mahogany Bay offers the visitor a range of bars, shops and restaurants, plus a variety of other tourist services, including tour operators and taxis eagerly waiting to offer you a ride to any one of the many beaches or to sign up to a range of island activities. These include reef diving, water skiing and kayaking, or exploring the many delights of the island’s interior. You can visit the Roatán Butterfly Farm at West End, the Carambola Botanical Gardens, a 40 acre reserve showcasing the beauty of the islands’ natural jungle habitat, or see exotic birds, monkeys, gardens and pirate caves at Gumbalimba Park.
The calm, shallow waters of the lagoon are crystal clear and perfect for swimming and snorkeling. Scuba diving in the warm waters off the reef at West Bay Beach or Half Moon Beach brings you face to face with a wonderful display of marine life. You can swim alongside great schools of tropical fish, and see manta rays, whale sharks, barracudas, dolphins and turtles. The islands have a colourful maritime history that includes battles for control between the English and Spanish, traders and pirates. Several ancient coral-encrusted shipwrecks around the island add to its underwater treasure trove.
Whether you choose to spend the day relaxing on one of Roatán’s many pristine beaches, experiencing the thrill of riding its famous Zip ’n’ Dip zipline through the jungle canopy, exploring the island’s charming little villages or playing a round of golf at the Black Pearl Golf Club, you can look back on a perfect day on one of the Caribbean’s fastest developing holiday islands.
