Things to Do on Roatan
We often receive inquiries as to what activities are available in Roatan, and specifically for guests at The Inn of Last Resort. Below is a list of possibilities for divers and non-divers (some prices are listed, others are not, as prices are always subject to change):
1. We offer three boat dives a day for the divers. Snorkelers are welcome to go on the boat snorkeling, swimming and sunbathing. All of the boats have reinforced hard tops with ladders leading up to them, and most dive sites are “snorkel friendly”. Shorediving from our private lagoon is great too. We do a nice barbecue one evening each week, and you’ll find it a super spot to hang out and enjoy the stars.
2. Here at the resort there are hammocks, a small library, a game room with bumper pool and board games and a TV with satellite dish programs.
3. Fishing trips can be arranged with a local guide for a couple of hours
of early morning trolling. Gear is included, and we’re happy to cook the fish you catch for you.
4. A shuttle to West End is available for $1 per person. A vehicle is usually available for this, but you need to give us a little notice so that we can work it around staff runs. This shuttle is also available for guests that want to go see the dolphins or go to Carambola Botanical Gardens or the tropical Bird Park.
5. A swim or dive with the dolphins is available for visitors 13 years and older at a nearby resort. You just need to let us know as soon as you arrive so that we can make reservations for you as space is limited. We highly recommend this program, as there is a great deal of interaction with the animal, especially in the snorkel with the dolphin program which is $75. A scuba dive with the dolphins is also offered for $100.
6. For guests who want an opportunity to be in the water with, and pet the dolphins, but are either under 13 or not comfortable with the snorkeling, a dolphin encounter is offered for $45. This gives you about a half-hour in waist deep water petting and handling the dolphins. The price is the same for children and adults. It is suitable for children as young as 5 or 6 years old depending on their height, and is also a lovely experience for adults.
7. Dolphin Training Presentations, Roatan Museum & Roatan Institute of Marine Sciences (RIMS) will walk you through the history of the island and show you the evolution of marine life at the Roatan Museum and RIMS classroom. Afterward you can watch the dolphins perform in an on-site training demonstration. Throughout the week, there are shows twice daily at 10am & 4:30pm. The entrance fee is $5 and covers admission to all three activities.
8. Horseback riding trips are available at Keifito’s Plantation Retreat located halfway between West End and West Bay. The ride is around 2 hours and winds it way through mountain trails and along the beach. Cost is $35 per person.
9. Stone Castle Cameo, Gravel Bay. Visit the Stone Castle and watch professionals carve intricate designs on shells from the sea. Veteran artist Franco Tammaro even offers lessons in carving and design. The lessons last three hours and all materials are supplied. Open Mon.-Fri. 9:30 to 4:30pm; Sat. 9:30 to 4pm.
10. Coral Reef Explorer, West Bay. The tour takes you out in a “floating sub” from where you will see the reef and the rich colors of the tropical fish that inhabit it. The tour includes a bilingual guide and takes approximately one hour. There are three trips daily from West Bay at 11am, 12:30pm and 2pm. The cost is $20 per person for adults and $15 for kids under 12 years old (children 2 and under ride free).
11. Underwater Paradise. A semi submarine glass bottom boat makes three daily departures from Half Moon Bay Cabins in West End. You will actually be seated seven feet under the water in this unique air-conditioned boat. The price is $20 per adult and $10 per child under 12.
12. Roatan Canopy Tour, West Bay. An all ages adventure Jungle ride where participants travel to the top of a mountain and glide down to the beach on a 200-meter cable in a harness. The cost is $35. They are open from 9am to 5pm every day. Just let us know and we’ll make reservations for you.
13. Carambola Botanical Gardens, Sandy Bay. Enjoy hiking, bird watching, and wildlife. A nature interpreter is available to accompany you as you visit the “Chocolate Tree” and climb to the summit of Carambola Mountain. Open 7 days a week from 8am to 5pm, the cost is $5 per person.
14. Roatan Butterfly Garden, West End. The garden is home to over 12 different species of butterflies and various kinds of exotic plants and tropical fruit trees. Learn about the butterfly’s life cycle, anatomy and behavior from one the garden’s guides. . Open Mon to Fri. 9am to 5 pm. Admission is $3 per person.
15. Iguana Farm, French Cay. The Iguana Farm is home to over 3,000 iguanas, 200 lobsters, 200 conch fish, 36 tarpon fish and 14 turtles. Visitors can learn all about the habits and behaviors of the iguanas as well as watch them during feeding time. To see the iguanas at feeding time you need to be there at around 12:00pm. The farm is open Mon-Sun. from 10am to 4:15pm and the charge is $3 per adult and $1 per children.
16. Forrest Fun Park, Sandy Bay features an 18 hole miniature golf course (very miniature but tough) which welcomes families with children of all ages. They also have two batting cages (not appropriate for young children) with machines throwing pitches from 40 to 96 miles per hour.
17. Playschool, West End. A play group for 3 to 5 year olds. Parents can drop off their children at the West End Fitness Centre on Mon. Wed. & Fri. from 8:30am to 12:00pm. Kids play games and take part in educational activities as well as take supervised swims and walks along the beach. Cost is $5 per day and parents should pack sunscreen, bug repellent, a swimsuit, towel and a snack for their child.
18. Dolphin Discovery SCUBA Camp. Here’s a chance for a great experience for your child while you enjoy a relaxing dive vacation at our small private resort. At this week long camp, kids of all ages learn how to interact, train and care for dolphins and also are introduced to SCUBA diving basics by a PADI instructor. Campers put on their swim gear and head into the sea for three dolphin encounters where they can touch and interact with the dolphins. Two of the encounters include full dolphin swim and snorkel sessions. Each child then moves to a floating platform to practice hand signals and training techniques with two experienced dolphins. One morning during the program, the campers thaw and sort fish for the resident dolphins – a messy but key task in dolphin care.
Every day there is a class in marine education at the Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences where topics include conservation and environmental awareness, dolphin anatomy, evolution and behavior, whale evolution, and a turtle presentation. Classroom activities range from videos and slide shows to microscope labs and training games.
The diving component of the camp varies between age groups. Children 5-7 years partake in the SASY (Supplied Air Snorkeling for Youth) program. They learn to breathe with a regulator. They also wear a Buoyancy Control Device (BCD), life jacket and small tank, but don’t go underwater. Eight to ten-year-olds graduate to the Bubblemaker level where they descend to six feet with a standard BC, regulator, and tank. Kids aged ten and up are certified as Junior SCUBA divers, which allows them to dive to a maximum of 40 feet with a PADI professional upon completion of the camp.
Campers also embark on several island field trips during the week, including horseback riding, a West Bay Beach picnic, Iguana Farm, and Paradise Bird Park. The camp operates each week on Monday to Friday from 7:45am to 12:00pm and 1:30pm to 4:30pm and costs $400 plus 12% tax. The resort will provide transportation to the camp in the morning, and then pick them up and bring them back for lunch at the resort. After lunch we will take them back to camp and then pick them up at the end of the day.
19. Car rentals are available for $30 to $100 a day. Usually a day is enough time to take the car and see the other end of the island. The scenery is spectacular on the drive towards the East End of the island. Along the way, you can stop and visit the Iguana Farm. Further on, you can stop a Parrot Tree Plantation for lunch and snorkeling. At Oakridge you can take a tour of the mangroves on a local water taxi. Past Oakridge is Punta Gorda where the Garifuna dancers live and often come out of their homes to dance for you. Still further is Marble Hills Farm, where you can stop and see Lisa and Brian and how they make jelly from all the different fruits available on the island. Lisa also has a studio where she creates beautiful batik fabrics.
20. If you rented a car (24 hours), you may want to go out to a restaurant
one night, since the taxi fares are fairly expensive at night. There is Gio's in French Harbor, well known for its crab dinners and other seafood, or the French Harbor Yacht Club with a wonderful view of the harbor. At nearby West End there is Half Moon Bay Restaurant (be prepared to have a few drinks while you wait for dinner), The Argentinean Grill, Salt & Peppers, Pura Vida, Brick Oven, Tiki Bar, Belvedere's and others -- so you have quite a few nice restaurants to choose from.
21. There are white water rafting trips available on the mainland that only
take a day. Your flight leaves at 8am, the rafting company picks you up at the airport in La Cieba, gives you instruction, takes you rafting, feeds you lunch, continues the rafting trip, then takes you back to the airport, and you are back on Roatan at 4:15.
22. Trips to Copan are available, but this should be planned in advance
for the beginning or end of your trip to Roatan, to make the most of your airline tickets that you have already purchased. You will probably need to spend at least one night in Copan to see everything.
23. Bicycle, moped, and motorcycle rentals are available through Capt. Vans in West End, with hourly, daily and weekly rates. This is a Great way to see the island and Capt. Van has a very detailed map with two days worth of things to see and do, if you rent from him he will go over it with you in detail.
24. Visit Las Palmas shops for the island's widest variety of local craft
items, T-shirts, and other souvenirs. There is a restaurant, a bar, a beautiful beach, and a short nature trail. At least one day a week, they have live music and Garifuna dancers.
25. Sea kayaking, water skiing, jet skis, and other water sports are available in West End.
26. Rain Forest Safari Adventure Paul David takes you on a four hour guided tour of the Pico Bonito rain forest. One of only three rain and cloud forest systems in the world. The trip includes round trip airfare from Roatan to LaCeiba and back, transportation to and from the rain forest, a picnic lunch, and eco-snorkeling at the waterfalls. The trip takes about six hours and costs $120 plus tax.
27.Massage – Both Shiatsu massage which is an ancient form or Japanese massage and the more traditional European form of massage with essential oils are offered at the resort by appointment. Price is $25 for 30 minutes, $45 for 60 minutes and $60 for 90 minutes.
28. West End Shopping is great fun. There are lots of little crafts shops with both Honduran crafts and some beautiful hand woven Guatemalan Fabrics, and many charming small local restaurants to stop for a drink or bite to eat.
29.Island Tours, and of course, last but not least, tours of the island can be arranged at reasonable prices.
