Roatan, Honduras: Beachcombing Off the Beaten Path

By Mary Meinking Chambers

This warm, hilly Caribbean Isle drifts just 40 miles off the coast of Honduras. Roatán has been known for decades as a scuba diver’s paradise, as it sits on the world’s second largest reef, the Mesoamerican Reef. The nearly 100 dive sites are home to a rainbow of sea life, which beckons divers from all over the world. For years, the marine life, along with the swaying palm trees and tropical temps, was a well-kept secret.

Denis Kvarda/Shutterstock.com

Word of Roatán’s warmth and stunning beauty got out. The cruise ship industry added Roatán to their tropical itineraries. Today, a million cruise ship passengers visit Roatán annually. Also, flights arrive daily at Manuel Gálvez International Airport. Most flights skip the mainland of Honduras and fly directly into Roatán.

Roatán is the largest and most developed of the eight major islands off the Caribbean coast of Honduras that make up the “Bay Islands.” Christopher Columbus visited the Bay Islands on July 30, 1502, and claimed the isles for Spain. In the 17th century, pirates such as Henry Morgan, John Coxen, and Edward Teach (better known as “Blackbeard”) waited here to capture ships passing by. Over the years, the ownership of the islands bounced between Holland, Spain, France, and England. Finally, in 1859, England turned the Bay Islands over to Honduras.

The mainland of Honduras can be seen from Roatán on a clear day. The relaxed isle of Roatán seems like a world away from the mainland. Today, most tourists stay on or visit the West Side of Roatán, including West End or West Bay beaches. All these visitors helped make tourism Roatán’s main industry.

My husband Scott and I recently spent a week on Roatán’s West Side. One day we decided to get off the beaten path to explore the more undeveloped “East End” of the island. It took nearly an hour and a half to cover the 31 miles. We zigzagged over unpaved roads and through lush jungles to reach the opposite side of the island. There, we were greeted by a stunning, deserted beach, and crystal-clear turquoise water. It was as though we were transported back in time.

The most eastern point, Camp Bay, keeps cool with the constant strong northern trade winds. Kiteboarders and windsurfers can be seen offshore, skipping over the waves. The wild and rugged location makes the beach practically untouched.

We stopped to enjoy some lunch at La Sirena de Camp Bay (“The Mermaid of Camp Bay”) Restaurant. This unique thatched roof restaurant is perched on a wooden dock that stretches out over the water. We enjoyed a local meal of coconut-crusted lionfish, the catch-of-the day, and rum punch. We were entertained by dozens of very active Honduran emerald hummingbirds, who were enjoying their sugar water lunch, too.

After lunch, we beachcombed the long stretches of white sand surrounding the restaurant. There we found pieces of sea glass, pottery, china, coral, shells, and other treasures that had washed ashore.

A local puppy shadowed our beachcombing efforts all afternoon long.

Eventually we meandered back to our West Bay resort. On the more populated side of the island, there are more options for shopping and waterfront cafés. Chain restaurants and hotels haven’t found their way there yet. Water taxis offer to transport you to and from beachfront locations, if you don’t feel like walking or driving.

A few days later, while walking near our hotel, we stumbled upon a spill of used glass pool tiles! The ground was littered with cobalt and turquoise tiles. They must have re-tiled a pool and just discarded the old tiles. Their loss was our gain!

Roatán’s warm water beckons scuba divers and snorkelers to explore its marine life. Dive shops dot the landscape. There are many other non-aquatic activities to enjoy, like ziplining, kayaking, swimming with dolphins, golfing, or visiting a cameo jewelry factory, a sloth farm, mangroves, and museums. There are so many ways to enjoy Roatán’s nature, history, and culture. On your next trip to Roatán, jump in and discover paradise!

All photos courtesy of Mary Meinking Chambers except as marked.

Learn more about the best beaches and destinations for sea and beach glass, seashells, fossils, rocks, and more beach finds around the world. Articles ›

This article appeared in Beachcombing Magazine Volume 48 May/June 2025.