To Roatán, Honduras

Roatán is an island in the Caribbean Sea, in the Islas de la Bahía group. It is part of Honduras. It lies 65 kilometers north of the country’s Atlantic coast. Roatán is the largest island in the Islas de la Bahía group. Its length is 77.2 km and its width is 8 km. The island’s landscape consists of hills covered with tropical greenery. Along the shoreline you’ll find sandy beaches scattered about; around the island there is a ring of coral reefs. The length of the coastline is 1,254 kilometers. To the east of Roatán lie several small islands, the so-called “cayes”: Morat, Barabarretta, Pigeon Cay, and Beirfoot Cay. The island’s main town is Coxen Hole. Other settlements include French Harbour, West End, and Oak Ridge.

The island’s most important source of income is servicing tourists. In 2006, more than 250,000 people visited Roatán. The island is covered in magnificent beaches and surrounded by coral reefs, making it an ideal destination for vacationers. It is especially attractive to scuba diving enthusiasts, as the marine life around the island is exceptionally diverse (coral reefs and grottos, hundreds of varieties, tropical fish, sea turtles, rays, moray eels, and in the spring months-great white sharks). Roatán is considered the most popular place for diving throughout the entire Caribbean.

The best beaches in all of Honduras are located on this island, along the coastal strip of West Bay.

Roatán is probably the only island in the Caribbean Sea that is least affected by tourist hype, so an excursion with a visit to a farm of iguanas and snakes, a park of exotic butterflies, and the Carambola Gardens evokes a sense of romance and is full of a variety of extraordinary discoveries.

A special feeling of admiration is caused by the small town called Oak Ridge, which resembles Venice in that it, too, is immersed in water. The town’s distinctive unusual feature is a luxurious mangrove tunnel located there.

The climate is tropical trade-wind. The average air temperature in January is +22 degrees, and in July it is +26 degrees Celsius. The wet season lasts from May to October. A favorable climate year-round, which even frequent rains cannot spoil.