Things to Do in Roatán

West Bay reef snorkel

Slide off West Bay's powdery strip. Parrotfish crunch coral within seconds. Purple sea fans bow to the current. Three kicks and you hover above a 40-foot wall splashed with electric-blue chromis. A hawksbill turtle may cruise past, unbothered.

Gumbalimba Park animal encounter

A white-faced capuchin lands on your shoulder, soft as a sweater. Its paws smell of leaves and rainwater. After photos you cross a suspension bridge. Philodendron tangles below. The air tastes of damp earth and wild ginger.

Oak Ridge mangrove boat tour

The skipper guns the skiff through vine-draped tunnels. Limestone echoes boom. You burst into fishing yards where pelicans guard wooden docks. Diesel mixes with the scent of freshly scaled snapper.

Punta Gorda Garifuna drumming night

Drummers warm skins over coconut-husk fires. The drums growl, never ping. Dancers kick sand onto your ankles. Moonlight glints off the sea. A bowl of hudut steams between your palms. Smoked plantain lingers on your tongue.

Carambola Gardens jungle hike

The trail climbs past strangler figs. A woodpecker knocks. Leaf-cutter ants march across your shoe. At the summit the canopy parts. Reef lines scar the dark-blue sea like aquamarine wounds.

West End is a low-key village. Backpack hostels share lanes with mid-range cabanas. Noise drifts until 1 a.m.

West Bay has a long blond beach. All-inclusives and condos line the sand. Water stays calm for kids.

Sandy Bay feels residential. Guesthouses are cheaper. Roosters and school bells replace bar bass.

French Harbour is a working port. Upscale villas crown the headlands. Groceries and banks stand nearby.

Oak Ridge hosts stilt-house B&Bs. You reach them only by boat. Mornings sound like outboards and fishermen yelling.

Punta Gorda is a Garifuna settlement. Simple rooms face the reef. Drums roll most weekends.