Things to Do in Roatan Honduras: Beaches, Reefs and Sanctuaries
Most things to do in Roatan Honduras fall into three kinds: the reef, the beaches and the animal sanctuaries. Chocolate, rum and ziplines fill the gaps. Here is each place, what you do there and which of the best tours in Roatan take you.
West Bay Beach
West Bay is the long white beach at the island's west end, and most shore excursions stop there. The beach is public, so you can walk onto the sand without paying. What a fare buys is a resort day pass: a lounger, a shower and a restroom.
The Tucan private days use Henry Morgan Beach Resort. One of them adds a 45-minute guided snorkel at Blue Rock, five minutes from the beach by boat. The Zip-n-Dip day uses a partner resort on the same sand.
West End Village
West End is the village beside West Bay, at the island's west tip. The Tucan private days stop for souvenir shopping at the Macaw Market. The private West End boat meets you in front of the Roatan Chocolate Factory.
The Tucan park, rum and chocolate day points out Half Moon Bay, the curved beach in West End, as a place for photos. Its drive to West Bay passes Flowers Bay, Sandy Bay and Coxen Hole.
The reef off West End
Roatan sits on the Mesoamerican Reef, which the Roatan Marine Park calls the second-largest barrier reef in the world. It is shared by Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. Around the Bay Islands it lies inside the Bay Islands National Marine Park, declared in 2010.
Off West End, the private boat stops at Blue Channel, the Aquarium and Turtle Crossing, a few minutes apart. The crew gives fins only on request, because they snorkel without them to protect the reef. The 3-stop shipwreck trip also reaches Blue Channel, from a dock at Big Bight.
French Cay and the south-side reef
The south coast east of the cruise ports has its own reef sites. The 3-stop hopping trip snorkels the Coco View reef wall and French Cay, then stops on the beach at Brady's Cay. The hydrobikes launch in French Cay, and the night snorkel starts two minutes from its base there.
These trips are short drives from both ports. They suit you if you want to be on the water within the hour and back well before your ship sails.
Sloth and monkey sanctuaries
A sanctuary visit is the island's most booked stop, and each tour uses its own. You meet sloths, capuchin monkeys and macaws with a keeper. Each card names the park and says whether the entry is in the fare.
Manawakie Eco Nature Park. On the shared sloths, chocolate and rum sampler, in the fare. The VIP private day lists its entry at US$15 a person, extra.
Mayan Eden. The stop on the ATV wildlife day and on the zipline and buggy day.
Jungle Top. The sanctuary on the private snorkel, sloths and beach day.
The Monkey and Sloth Hangout. A small, family-run sanctuary, in the operator's words, on the Super Man zipline day.
Gumbalimba Park. A beachfront park in West Bay of over 20 acres, as the customizable day's listing describes it. It is one of the stops you can choose on that day.
No fare promises that you can hold a sloth. Each park sets its own rules for touching and feeding the animals.
Chocolate and rum
The chocolate and rum stop comes on most private island days. The Tucan days visit the Roatan Chocolate Factory. The 2K's day tastes at Mayak Chocolate and the Roatan Rum Company. The shared sampler adds the island's highest viewpoint.
It is a good stop for a wet morning, since it is under a roof. The tastings are in the fare on these listings.
Ziplines
Three zipline courses appear on the listings, and each is different. The Zip-n-Dip has 11 ziplines and two suspension bridges. It takes riders from age 5, up to 295 lb. The Super Man day's course has 16 lines, 24 platforms and three suspended bridges.
Each zipline day pairs the course with a sanctuary and a beach. Plan five hours or more, port to port.
Mangroves by kayak and hydrobike
The kayak trip paddles French Cay harbour and its mangroves, then stops for a reef snorkel. The hydrobikes are water bikes that tour the harbour from French Cay, and the day ends on the operator's private island. On both, you sit low on calm water inside the reef.
Gardens and iguanas
The customizable day lets you choose your own stops. Its list includes Carambola Botanical Gardens, a butterfly garden and an iguana farm. It also names Arch's Iguana & Marine Park, which began, it says, with its owner hand-feeding a few green iguanas.
No other listing here stops at these places. Ask your driver-guide on a private day if you want one.
Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay is the beach in West End village. The Tucan park, rum and chocolate day names it as a stop for photos. Ask for it on any private day that stops in West End.
Which tour goes where
| Place | What you do there | Tours that stop |
|---|---|---|
| West Bay Beach | Swim, lie on a lounger, snorkel off the sand | Most sanctuary-and-beach days; the Henry Morgan day passes; the Zip-n-Dip |
| West End Village | Shops, the Macaw Market, lunch, Half Moon Bay | The Tucan and 2K's private days; the family day; the West End boat meets here |
| Reef off West End | Blue Channel, the Aquarium, Turtle Crossing | The private West End boat; the 3-stop shipwreck and starfish trip |
| French Cay and the south side | Coco View wall, French Cay, a cay beach | The 3-stop hopping trip; the hydrobikes; the kayaks; the night snorkel |
| Sanctuaries | Sloths, capuchin monkeys, macaws | Manawakie, Mayan Eden, Jungle Top, the Monkey and Sloth Hangout, eco-parks |
| Chocolate and rum | Tastings and a short factory visit | Most private island days and the shared sloths-and-rum sampler |
| Ziplines | Lines, platforms and suspension bridges | The Zip-n-Dip; the Super Man zipline day; the zipline and buggy day |
Each card on the home page names its stops and says what the fare covers. Two places sit on nearly every shared day: a sanctuary and West Bay Beach.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best things to do in Roatan Honduras on a cruise stop?
Is West Bay Beach free?
What is the difference between the sloth sanctuaries?
Can I hold a sloth?
Can I visit Roatan without a tour?
Is Roatan good for snorkeling?
Where these facts come from
The reef, the protected area and the voluntary fee are the Roatan Marine Park's own pages, checked 21 September 2026. Every stop, gear rule and zipline figure comes from the operator's own listing. Gumbalimba Park, the gardens and the iguana park are described as the customizable day's listing describes them.
- The Bay Islands protected area (the marine park's own page)
- The voluntary user fee (the marine park's own page)
Next: find the start points on the map, check the fees on the visitor guide, or compare every tour on Roatan Honduras Tours.