Of the three Bay Islands, the largest, and most developed for tourism is Roatan. Roatan is a long island, measuring almost 40 miles in length and with a total landmass of 49 Square miles. The island has a mountainous backbone and is totally surrounded by coral reefs, offering superb diving as well as excellent fishing.

Roatan has a paved road that connects the most important communities of the Island. Starting from the Western End of the Island, at the community of West End, the roads leads through the communities of Sandy Bay, Coxen Hole, Brick Bay, Mount Pleasant, French Harbour and Oakridge - Punta Gorda. From here, the road becomes a dirt road and continues east for a distance, to the area of Paya Bay, Camp Bay, Port Royal, and other communities.

For the purpose of our description of Roatan, we have broken up the island into five different areas, which are the following: Coxen Hole, French Harbor, Oakridge/Punta Gorda, Sandy Bay and West End/West Bay.

Coxen Hole:

The largest city and capital of the department of the Bay Islands, Coxen Hole is the most important city from the point of view of politics. Although there are not many tourism attractions as such, the rich afro Antillean influence lend a unique atmosphere to this community. It is also the main gateway to Roatan: Both the airport and the dock where the ferry arrives are located in Coxen Hole. In addition, many of the better souvenir shops are located here. There is regular bus and van service leading both, east towards French Harbour and Oakridge, as well as west towards Sandy Bay and West End.

French Harbour:

Perhaps the most bustling community on the island, French Harbour is home to one of the largest fishing fleets in the Western Caribbean and is the economic motor of the Island, with many of the banks in the island located precisely here. On the outskirts of French Harbour, a local islander has set up his own Iguana reserve. According to the owner, Arch, there are over 2,800 iguanas of four different species living on his property in French Key. Although there are really no facilities to speak of, you will marvel at the sight of these reptiles, which are quite docile, despite their prehistoric appearance. The entrance fee to the farm is $1.00 USA dollar per person. There are good photo opportunities, as well as some souvenirs. Arch has this Iguana sanctuary out of his personal appreciation for the animals and your visit will help him continue his conservation efforts.

Oakridge/Punta Gorda:

Continuing on the road towards the east, you will arrive at Oakridge, located on the southern end of the island. Oakridge is a small and very picturesque community with a strong afro Antillean influence. Up until shortly, access to this part of the Island was somewhat limited, and therefore, Oakridge has not changed much with the passing of time. On the south side of the island you can find a variety of communities, fringing the coast, starting with Jonesville, Oakridge and Calabash Cay. All three are very picturesque and interconnected by a series of canals through mangrove forests. Fishing here is outstanding. Although services to tourists are scarce, the Reef House Resort, located on a small key, just across from the main dock at Oakridge offers first class restaurant service.

On the opposite side of the Island (The North Coast) is the Garifuna community of Punta Gorda, the only true Garifuna community on Roatan. Punta Gorda was actually the first Garifuna settlement in Central America.

The Black Caribs or Garifunas where marooned in Roatan by the British in 1796 and first settled in Punta Gorda. To commemorate their arrival to Roatan, the Garifunas at this community have a carnival every year on the 12 of April. If you happen to be in the Island on this date, it is well worth your while to visit and enjoy the carnival. Nearby Jonesville, a picturesque fishing community has one of the more popular bars in the island, the Hole in the Wall. Access to the bar is only by water, so you will have to hire one of the dorys that operate as water taxis to take you there.

Sandy Bay:

Sandy Bay is the cultural center of Roatan. It is here where the Institute of Marine Sciences, The Roatan Museum, the Carambola Gardens and Marine Reserve are located. This small community, located, as its name appropriately states, on a sandy bay offers a lot to do, and whether you are planning to spend your vacation on Roatan in this part of the Island or not, you should definitely plan on visiting the area and its attractions. The famous Anthony's Key Resort is located in this area.

The Roatan Museum is open from Thursday to Tuesday. There is an entrance fee for everyone not a guest at the Anthony's Key Resort. Entrance fee is $4 US dollars. The Institute of Marine Sciences has dolphin encounter shows regularly. On weekdays, the show is at 10:00 a.m. and at 3:00 p.m. On weekends there are three shows, at 10:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. The entrance fee for the show is also $4 US dollars per person. Guests at Anthony's key are free of charge. There are no shows on Wednesday.

The newest tourist attraction in Roatan is located in the Sandy Bay area. Tropical Treasures Bird Park has a live exhibit of macaws, toucans and parrots that are native to Honduras, as well as a few species from South America. The birds, all from a private collection of many years, are in fantastic shape, and although some of them are quite common, there are several species that are extremely rare, such as bufon's macaw, a large green macaw that is native only to Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.

The park is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. and the admission fee of $5.00 US per adult and $3.00 US per child includes a guided tour. Special rates can be arranged for groups. 17 species and over 95 birds can be enjoyed in the lovely park that is pleasantly shaded by big old mango trees and cooled by the gentle Caribbean breeze. The compound also offers a nice souvenir shop, located in a lovely old island house, typical of yesteryear in Roatan.

West End & West Bay:

Whether this is the most popular part of the island because it has the most commercial establishments, or whether it has the most commercial establishments because it's the most popular part of the island remains to be seen. Either way, if you're looking for liveliness and variety, this is the spot for you. You'll find idyllic beaches in a dreamy tropical setting and a full range of hotels and restaurants. You'll also find a variety of activities here, whether it's relaxing on the beach, boating along the coast, sailing, diving, sea kayaking or horseback riding.