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My husband and I went on a magical belated honeymoon to the beautiful Roatan, Honduras. We explored, relaxed, ate, drank, laughed, and loved for a week on this incredible island.
This Caribbean jewel captured our hearts and hasn’t let go since. We have reminisced about our amazing time there 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.
(Check out this post to see 10 Things To Do on Roatan Besides Scuba Dive.)
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.
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7 Things I Wish I Had Done in Roatan
1. Starfish Alley
I have 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!
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.
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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!
4. Cayo Cochinos
The Cayo Cochinos are 2 small islands in a Marine Protected Area near Roatan. 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 idea 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 be at the top of the list!
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5. Swim with Dolphins
Before our trip to Roatan, I had seen gorgeous pictures of tourists swimming with dolphins. Their smiling faces glowed 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!
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!
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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 in all of its 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 had gone snorkeling again before our trip ended.
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!
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!
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!
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!
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 😉