The Island of Roatan

Roatan is the largest of the Bay Islands of Honduras, a tropical paradise located off the Central American coast in the Western Caribbean. In addition to it's obvious physical charm, the island has a long, colorful history culminating with it's current position as a reasonably priced, laid-back Caribbean tourist destination.

The first human inhabitants of Roatan were Paya Indians, who left behind an abundance of pottery shards and other archaeological evidence of their simple existence. During the 17th century, pirates shared the island with the Indians. Port Royal Harbour, on the East end of the island, provided a safe shelter for their ships, and a convenient place to lure unsuspecting larger vessels which became easy prey for the shallow reefs, rocky shoreline and looting pirates.

Descendants of the pirates and the Indians have been joined over the centuries by Caribbean people, known as the Garifuna, by Spanish-speaking natives of mainland Honduras, and by a growing community of residents representing many different countries. The result is quite an interesting mixture of people, language and culture. Diversity is the norm, but the common thread shared by all the island inhabitants is their pride in the natural beauty of Roatan and their friendly willingness to share that beauty with visitors from around the world.

After centuries of changing cultures and industry - from subsistence fishing and piracy to commercial fishing and tourism - Roatan seems to have found it's place, both within the borders of Honduras and in the world as a Caribbean tourism destination. Roatan has the world's second largest barrier reef, making our scuba diving and snorkeling some of the best in the Caribbean. New tourist attractions, like canopy tours, parasailing and catamaran cruises, are coming aboard all the time. The views are stunning. The beaches are brilliant. The resorts are small-scale and friendly. Come and discover for yourself the island paradise of Roatan.