7 Things I Wish I Had Done in Roatan

7 Things I Wish I Had Done in Roatan
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My husband and I went on a magical belated honeymoon to the beautiful island of Roatan, Honduras. We explored, relaxed, ate, drank, laughed, and loved for a week on this incredible isle.

This Caribbean island captured our hearts and hasn’t let go since. We reminisced about our amazing time spent there for years and wished for a return trip many times.

Leading up to our trip, I spent weeks finding things for us to do while on Roatan. Creating an itinerary that was a mix of adventure and relaxation. And our plans worked out JUST how we wanted them to.

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Check out this post to see all the things to do on Roatan besides scuba dive.

However, since returning home, more Roatan posts popped up in my Pinterest feed and I discovered things that I wish we would have done while we were there. I’m posting this list here so that you don’t miss out on these amazing opportunities.

7 Things I Wish I Had Done in Roatan

1. Starfish Alley

I had seen numerous pictures of smiling tourists holding brightly colored starfish during their vacation to Roatan. I couldn’t wait to have one of those pictures of my own.

However, I’m not a scuba diver, nor do I want to be. We did some snorkeling during our trip, but we never came across a starfish. Little did we know there is a stretch of water between West End and West Bay called Starfish Alley. There, you can find dozens of red, orange, and even green starfish! And you don’t need a bit of scuba gear to see them, as they are hanging out in less than 3 feet of water!

Things to do in Roatan: Starfish Alley
(This picture is courtesy of Snorkeling Report, where you can find directions and more info about Starfish Alley.)

2. Pirate Hideout

The island of Roatan has a long and rich pirate history. Notorious pirates such as Blackbeard, Henry Morgan, and Van Horn used the island as a hideout. In fact, Roatan’s largest city Coxen Hole is named for John Coxon, a plundering pirate captain that escaped the gallows on more than one occasion.

We did visit the small pirate museum at Gumbalimba Park, but there are more authentic pirate memorabilia, tours, and actual hideouts that can still be visited. If we ever make a return trip, I would make it a point to visit Old Port Royal, which was a center for pirate activity in the 1700s.

Things to do in Roatan: Visit Old Port Royal.

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3. Smoothies Every Day

Hands down, one of the best things about island life is island food!

Every day we tried different restaurants and street vendors for breakfast and lunch. One thing they all had in common was excellent food, including the most delicious fruit smoothies. The best smoothie we tried on the island was at a small restaurant in the West End called Rudy’s.

We heard about their infamous smoothies before our trip, but only stopped by once. If I could do this trip over again, we would have at least one smoothie a day from Rudy’s – because it was that good!

Things I Wish I Had Done in Roatan: Have a Rudy's Smoothie Every Day!

4. Cayo Cochinos

The Cayo Cochinos are 2 small islands in a Marine Protected Area near Roatan in the Caribbean. These little islands are surrounded by pristine turquoise waters untouched by commercial divers or fishermen. Inhabited only by the indigenous Garifuna people, the Cayos Cochinos have no cars, roads, or even bikes. There are only hiking trails and footpaths that lead to residences and a lone lighthouse on the highest point of the island.

Accessible only by chartered boats, we had no ideas that we could even visit these tiny islands while we were on Roatan. If we ever get the chance to go back to Honduras, a visit to Cayo Cochinos will definitely be on the top of the list!

Things I Wish I Had Done in Roatan: Visit Cayos Cochinos
(This photo is courtesy of West Bay Tours, where you can charter a boat out to the Cayos Cochinos.)

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5. Swim with Dolphins

Prior to our trip to Roatan, I had seen gorgeous pictures of tourists swimming with dolphins. Their smiling faces glowing as a dolphin planted a kiss on their salty cheeks.

I couldn’t wait to litter my own Instagram feed with cute dolphin pictures, but after arriving on the island we learned that these dolphin encounters are usually booked in advance. I was unable to book an encounter on short notice, but you better believe it will be booked ahead of our next trip to paradise!

Things I Had Done in Roatan: Swim with Dolphins
(This photo is courtesy of Anthony’s Key Resort, where Dolphin Encounters happen on the daily!)

6. Monkey & Sloth Hangout

While we were able to play with monkeys and macaws at Gumbalimba Park, I had no idea that we could have held a sloth too!

At Daniel Johnson’s Monkey & Sloth Hangout, you can interact with monkeys, sloths, and exotic birds. You can also explore the mangroves near the park to see more wildlife. Trip #2 to Roatan will definitely include a trip to this unique attraction!

Things I Wish I Had Done in Roatan: Daniel Johnson's Monkey & Sloth Hangout
(This photo is courtesy of Discover Roatan, where you can book your excursion to Daniel Johnson’s.)

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7. More Snorkeling

Roatan is a world-class scuba diving destination. Divers travel from all over the globe for their chance to see the Meso-American reef and all of it’s splendor. While scuba diving isn’t exactly my forte, I couldn’t pass up the chance to get a glimpse of the second-largest coral reef in the world.

On an excursion to Little French Key, we had a guide take us out snorkeling and it was AMAZING!! I wish we would have went snorkeling again before our trip ended.

In fact, my biggest regret from the whole trip was not having an underwater camera. Don’t miss an opportunity to snorkel while in Roatan. It was one of the highlights of our trip!

Things I Wish I Had Done in Roatan: Another Snorkeling Tour
(This photo is courtesy of West Bay Tours, where you can schedule your own snorkeling tour!)

Our trip to Roatan was absolutely perfect! 

I loved every minute that we spent there and don’t regret a single dime that we spent on that vacation and would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I would just make sure that we included these 7 things on the next trip!

Check out these 10 Things to do in Roatan….Besides Scuba Dive!

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This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something, I may make a commission at no extra cost to you. For more info, please see my full ad & affiliate disclosure.

3 Comments

  1. January 27, 2022 / 3:11 pm

    Starfish Alley is awesome! Definitely one of the best parts of my trip to Roatan. I also recommend West Bay for snorkeling. You don’t need to arrange a tour to see one of the best reefs in the world. The waters are incredibly calm and clear. You don’t even need to go much more than waist deep to see an incredible array of sea life.

    I can’t wait to go back to Roatan!

    • findingmandee
      Author
      January 28, 2022 / 9:15 am

      We definitely want to go back to Roatan too! And I agree you don’t have to be more than waist deep to see all kinds of awesome fish!

  2. July 9, 2019 / 2:53 am

    Could you give me an idea of what each one of these places cost to visit (monkey’s, sloth’s, museums,etc) also what hotel to stay at that is nice but not too expensive. Is it worth getting all inclusive or just get a cheap place & spend the money at local restaurant’s, etc. My budget is going to be tight cause I have already been in Honduras for two months but it has been in the jungle & I have been kinda roughing it. So now I’m ready for some enjoyable time before I head home to USA (ND) I’m also having to pay for my friend coming with me so let me know all your suggestions asap 😉

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