Roatan is the largest, most developed and most frequented of the Bay Islands. Essentially a long, forested ridge rising from the Caribbean, it retains much of the original landscape that the Buccaneers knew in the 17th and 18th Century. There are several towns around the island, each offering their own unique character to Roatan visitors. Following is a list of some recommended destinations and their culinary offerings:
French Harbour - Located 20 minutes west of the Villas. A bustling community, with many banks. A well-stocked market, a clinic, pharmacy. Just East of town is Arch’s Iguana Farm, where a local has set up his own iguana reserve. Stop by around noon to view mealtime for the inhabitants. There are also several restaurants located in French Harbour, including:
- Just before you reach town on the right hand side is Pineapple Villas. Herby’’s Sports Bar is open for Lunch & Dinner. Burgers, sandwiches, beer, wine, mixed drinks. The Pineapple Grill is open for Breakfast and Dinner. American and Tipico breakfast, omlettes, etc. Dinner, steak, seafood, full bar. Outside or inside dining.
- Just west of the French Harbour junction on the main road on the left hand side are the Chinese Kitchen. In the town of French Harbour down by the water is Gio’s restaurant where the specialty is King Crab. Open 11am to 10pm with a wonderful night view of the harbor, from the deck.
Oak Ridge - Travelling east on the main road from the Villas, scenic Oak Ridge is on the southern shore. It boasts a strong Afro-Antillean heritage. Most homes are right on the water, and locals operate water taxis, offering highly recommended tours through the mangroves. B.J.’s is a very rustic local bar that’s great for light lunch and a beer. Take the right fork at the entrance to Oak Ridge and follow it down and around. B.J.’s is in front of Bodden’s Supermarket on the water.
Continue East past Oak Ridge to the sign to East End Beaches and follow the dirt road to The Crow’s Nest, at Marble Hills Farms. They have a lovely sunset view and are open for dinner and drinks Wednesday - Saturday. Tropical Island Divers, located at Marble Hill Farms, offers a full range of dive courses from a "Discover Scuba" afternoon through to Divemaster training.
Camp Bay - Check out the Camp Bay Beach Adventure Lodge restaurant and their variety of island tours and activities. Beautiful public beach.
Look for the sign to Paya Bay about 10 minutes after Marble Hills Farms- Paya Bay resort sits on a bluff in the center of two beautiful white sand beaches. Their restaurant is on a deck overlooking the beaches and the sea. Take your swim suits and take a dip on one of the scenic, uncrowded beaches.
There are two roads down into Punta Gorda - just to the East of the Villas. The first Garifuna settlement, established in 1797. This event is celebrated annually on November 12th with a celebratory carnival that should be high on your list should you be visiting during that time. Socrifice Restaurant is on the waterfront in Punta Gorda. Very local food like deep fried lobster. A good lunch suggestion.
Coxen Hole - Largest city on Roatan and the capital of the Bay Islands. Coxen Hole is the gateway to Roatan, as both the airport and ferry dock are located here. Banks are open 8am-11:30am, 1pm-4pm, Monday-Friday.
Lawson Rock -The Hungry Kiwi has good breakfasts and also a great prime rib dinner.
Sandy Bay - Visit the famous Anthonys Key Resort. It is here that the institute of marine science is located. Dolphin encounter shows are scheduled regularly, two shows per day excluding Wednesdays, and three shows per day on weekends. For a fee you may swim with the dolphins. Reservations are required. Dining in Sandy Bay includes:
- Tranquilseas, a boutique resort, serving tapas on Tuesday evenings accompanied by live music at their beach bar, The Sunken Fish.
- The Beach Grill at Blue Bahia is open to the public for lunch and dinner, and specializes in seafood and smoked meats..
- The Blue Parrot, along the main road in Sandy Bay, offers an oriental-inspired menu.
- Bella Napoli offers good pizzas.
West End/West Bay - West End and West Bay offer breathtaking beaches in a tropical setting. Great scuba diving, sea kayaking, horseback riding and glass-bottom boating are all available. No banks are located in West End. Take a boat ride to West Bay and find one of the most beautiful stretches of beach anywhere. Snorkeling here is superb. There are many small restaurants from which to choose:
- Sundowners at the water’s edge is always fun and serves a great hamburger; it is a popular sunset meeting spot for islanders and tourists. Sip on a Monkey La-La around the beach bonfire - true island experience.
- Bite on the Beach - has a beautiful deck overlooking West End and West Bay. Offering a full bar with a wide selection of seafood, Bite on the Beach is easily accessible via water taxi from West End.
- Bananorama in West Bay has a lively bar scene and a typical beach bar menu at the Thirsty Turtle. The Vintage Pearl, also located at Bananorama, is a more upscale restaurant with a great wine cellar and cusine featuring local seafood and great steaks.
- Rudy’s - great for breakfast, open from 6:30am.
- Fosters - party every Friday with live music.
- Pinocchios - a bit out of the way - keep an eye out for their sign on the main road. Definitely worth the extra effort! This Italian restaurant offers continental cuisine; mouth-watering crepes and a variety of fish and stir-fried dishes. Open only for dinners 6 days a week, from 6pm to 10pm.
- Half Moon Bay - great coconut shrimp! Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Nice view of West End from their waterside deck. International and continental cuisine.
- The Argentinian - located at the Posada Arco Iris hotel. Offers grilled specialties including charcoal-grilled tenderloin, beef and shrimp brochettes, and a variety of seafood dishes. Their homemade chimichurri sauce is delicious!
- Luna Beach Resort - a self-contained beach resort, complete with fully stocked beach bar and gourmet french restaurant.
- Tong’s Thai Island Cuisine offers cuisine from Thailand that is described as "simply amazing". Try the Pad Thai with shrimp...
- Oolanthoo, just outside West End, serves up Indian dishes and even offers Indian cooking classes!
- The Lighthouse has a great champagne brunch.
The following are links to addtional information about the island of Roatan.
- roatanonline.com - lots of good, useful information about Roatan and all of Honduras, including maps, real estate information, things to do, etc.
- roatannet.com - another excellent site full of Roatan and Honduras information; activities, news, events, weather, classifieds, etc.
- www.subwaywatersports.com Full range of Scuba diving options. Daily dives and instruction from beginner to Instructor level. Minutes from the Villas
“ Feb 19, 2011, 9:16 AM We are 2 adult couples who travel at least 2x a year outside the US borders, and have just completed an 8 day stay at Mariposa del Mar. Picture this property if you will, as a resort, with 3 separate houses, on several acres of land. Security was present as you would find in any resort setting but never intrusive. There is a gate to the property that is met by security upon entering and leaving. The managers were helpful with a full orientation to the property and tips on "must dos". As far as cell phone and wi-fi, there is a cell phone at the house that minutes can be purchased, we were able to call with great reception. Wi-fi, is slow. We would highly recommend this property and will be repeat visitors. ltdsmokin ”
Villas Del Mar Roatan