Roatan....Please tell me about it

[Littlegoo75]

Anyone been to Roatan? Please tell me about it. I am looking forward to visiting there, but would like to know what there is to do there.

Thanks!!!!!

[robtx100]

I loved Roatan. The pier/dock is fenced in and they only allow taxi or excursion buses in. Outside the fence is a small, very poor village. Saw some tourists walking around, but the vendors were a little too agressive for my taste. We went to Tabyana Beach and it was the best beach I've ever been to; better than Orient Beach on St. Martin or Magan's Beach on St. Thomas. They also had a sky canopy you could do if you wanted to where you overlooked the jungle. It is a very beautiful little island, although poor. We were basking on the beach at Tabyana when 3 military helicoptors (don't know if they were US or Honduran) flew over the palm trees heading out to see with me sitting in the open window with machine guns. That made it interesting, we all figured they were after a drug boat or something. A local man at Tabyana Beach told us that a California company is buying up all the local real estate on the island, so I'm glad I got to see it before it becomes the next Cancun. You will have a great time there.

[Terre]

We went to Sante Wellness Center and had a very nice relaxing day with massages. Angela and Leon moved from Los Angeles to open the spa. Angela picks you up at the pier and once you get to Parrot Tree Island, you take a little boat over to their house. Depending on what time you are there, you are provided with a snack of breakfast or lunch. You can snorkel while others are getting their massage. Here's the address: http://www.santewellnesscenter.com/

 

These massages are much cheaper than those on the ship and if it happens to be a rainy day (like we had!) you still enjoy an excursion in Roatan!

[mathgal]

To really enjoy your day at Roatan, contact Victor Bodden and arrange for him to give you a tour of the island. Victor grew up in Roatan and is fluent in English. He will make suggestions on what you can do or you can decide for yourself.

 

My friend and I are both teachers and we had Victor take us to a local elementary school where we visited for about an hour. The principal and teacher that we talked to were so gracious to show us around and tell us about their school system.

 

Besides the school, we went to an iguana farm, a grocery store, a scuba resort (where our husbands were diving that day), and had a wonderful lunch outdoors overlooking the beautiful blue ocean. We were also able to do a little snorkeling right off the beach by the restaurant where we ate. We were hoping to see more than just the tourist areas of Roatan and Victor made this possible.

 

You can contact Victor a victorbodden@yahoo.com. He does not have internet access himself so if he doesn't respond to you immediately, do not give up. Victor charged $25/person for our island tour which I thought was very fair for the fantastic service he provided. When we got off the ship, Victor was there waiting for us holding a sign with our names...very convenient!

 

If you want to know even more details, you can check out the section on Roatan in my cruise report at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=71472.

 

You should also check out the Roatan on the "Ports of Call" boards. You will find lots of suggestions of ways to spend your day.

[IBEEMOM]

The island of Roatan is a beautiful green mountainous place. We took a tour to Westend on the west side of the island. We visited a botanical garden and a butterfly farm. Both were very interesting. Westend is a charming quaint village town. It would be an ideal movie setting for a south sea village. The people are very friendly and it was well worth the visit. We have heard that the beaches on the island were wonderful. We had a great time and look forward to visiting again. Hope you enjoy your visit.

[torpeedo]

We loved Roatan also. We did the Tabyana Beach Break. Gorgeous beach with lots of chairs. Shade and sun available. Had no idea about the spa mentioned in other posts here. Sounds wonderful!! We will try that if we get back there again.

[98Charlie]

Roatan is among our favorite ports. We hve taken no excursion there, only walked around Coaxen Hole surrounding the port. We have shopped where the islanders shop in grocery stores to department stores (there's only one store, on mainstreet - unless you consider the many tourist shops that dot the streets as an islander shop.)

 

We've talked to school children walking back and forth between school and home, talked to business owners along Coaxen Hole's streets and know that we take a bit of Roatan home with us after each stop in port because the people of that port don't ask us as tourists for much, only a bit of respect for what they offer to us to take with us when we leave.

 

I hope you love Roatan as much as DH and I do and I only wish you could pack me into your suitcase so I can be there with you when you dock.

[DiverDude]

Anyone been to Roatan? Please tell me about it. I am looking forward to visiting there, but would like to know what there is to do there.

Thanks!!!!!

If you are a diver, Roatan is one of the best places for diving. Even if you just want to smorkle, Roatan is again a winner. For something different, go over to Coco View resort for a relaxing meal and snorkle/dive right in front of the resturaunt by the shipwreck "Prince Albert". My wife and I spent 10 days on Roatan and we had spotted eagle rays swim by us nearly every time we dove or snorkled around the wreck. Enjoy!

 

DiverDude

[DiveCruiser]

We have book a cruise for next year that stops in Roatan. WHo did your husban dive with and how was it???

 

Email me if you like.

Bob

[stingray310]

I have to agree with the above poster about Tabyana Beach. It was the nicest beach that I had ever been to, the water was so clear with a nice sand beach for swimming and excellent coral formations with lots of fish further out for snorkeling. Would love to go back before it gets to popular.

 

Stingray

[cjalphonso]

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then heres a million or so.

These were all taken at Fantasy Island, Roatan.

Enjoy

 

http://www.dotphoto.com/Go.asp?l=cjalphonso&P=&AID=1347898&T=1