Roatán Sights

  1. Arch's Iguana Farm

    Less a farm than the house of a serious iguana-phile, everywhere you look you see iguanas - on the driveway, in the trees, under bushes, everywhere. In all, around 3000 iguanas live here. Midday is feeding time, and the best time to visit. There's also an enclosed pool with a school of huge fish, several small sea turtles, and dozens of conches.

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  2. Carambola Botanical Gardens

    Carambola Botanical Gardens has well-maintained trails through 40 acres (16ha) of protected forest, extending up a hillside known as Carambola Mountain. It's about 1km (0.6mi) to the 'summit', where you can see all the way to Utila on a clear day.

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  3. El Águila Wreck

    The Águila was a good dive until Hurricane Mitch came along and broke the ship into three pieces - now it's even better. As you descend, you may draw a crowd of resident moray eels and huge groupers looking for a snack. Cool to see, but a good reason not to feed animals while diving or snorkeling since they can get annoying - and sometimes even aggressive.

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  4. Gumbalimba Park

    See the West Bay as you kayak, snorkel or take a canopy tour. The park also has a nature path, botanical garden, monkey and bird enclosures, and, of course, restaurants and gift shops. Aimed squarely at cruise-shippers, the park is only open to the general public on days when there are no cruise ships on the island.

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  5. Mangrove Canals

    Water taxis at the Oak Ridge dock take visitors on a pleasant tour through mangrove canals to Jonesville, a small town on a nearby bight. You can stop and eat at the famous Hole in the Wall restaurant, which has an all-you-can-eat shrimp feast on Friday and Sunday (Sunday only in low season). If you do stop, offer your boat driver a good tip for waiting.

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  7. Mary's Place

    Fissures in the coral form a deep, sheer-faced maze at this one-of-a-kind dive site. Winding through, you'll likely see jacks, lobsters and crabs, and huge schools of silversides; near the mooring, keep an eye out for seahorses. Mary's Place is near French Harbour, and is usually combined with another south-side dive and lunch at Hole in the Wall restaurant.

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  8. Roatán Marine Park

    Thousands of divers and snorkelers come every year to explore the magnificent reefs just a few yards offshore. Three dive schools operate at the western end where there's excellent snorkeling, though the reef is starting to show damage.

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  9. Roatán Museum & Dolphin Show

    This smallish historical center has displays spanning island history from prehistoric times and Mayan occupation to Columbus' arrival and the beginning of the colonial period. There's also a resident population of some 20 bottlenose dolphins. It's worth checking out the dolphin show held twice daily.

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  10. Texas

    Part of the West End Wall, Texas is so called for its wide open terrain and Texas-sized barrel sponges. A deep, strong current means you can sometimes fly over the reef at four knots without lifting a fin. It's not uncommon to see free swimming morays, large groupers, and even the occasional hammerhead. You may even spot elusive sargassum triggerfish.

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