There has been a recent buzz about Roatan
becoming Caribbean "IT" hub in the coming years. This is no surprise indeed
as Roatan houses almost everything that can rank it as one of the most
amazing tourist destinations in the world.
This Honduras Bay Island stands proudly on
the world's second largest barrier reef. Sugar-white beaches, clear
turquoise water, shores lined with coconut trees, but above all- a placid
calm. Roatan is famous for scuba-diving, horseback riding, snorkeling, and
sea kayaking. These different activities make your Roatan exploration trip
even more exciting.
So while you prepare to undertake the Roatan
Island Tour, make sure you visit the following:
Ship-wrecks at Dixon Cole:
The East End showcases two ship-wrecks close to the shore at Dixon Cole.
You can also play with the iguanas at the Archs Iguana Farm, just a
short drive from the French Harbor.
The Rain Forest:
Get close to nature by choosing a canopy tour in the lush tropical rain
forest of Roatan. The forest is replete with wild parrots and monkeys.
Gliding on zip lines is a great thrilling way to ride through the forest
amongst the trees.
The West End:
This area houses the luxury residential community of Lawson Rock and the
beachfront town of West End- ideal for shopping and swimming. Besides,
do not forget to ride on the Coral Reef Explorer to get a glimpse of the
pristine beauty of barrier reef formations.
Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences: This place is a
must-visit as you get the opportunity to play with dolphins as per the
Dolphin Encounter Programs endorsed by the Roatan Institute for Marine
Sciences. The white-sand island of Bailey Key can be literally termed as
the 'school of dolphins'
The Half Moon Bay Beach:
This beautiful beach provides excellent facilities for swimming,
sun-bathing, snorkeling, and tasting the delightful cuisine of the
Caribbean.
Punta Gorda:
This village in Roatan presents a unique mix of cultural heritage and
traditions nurtured by the Garifuna people. Visiting the place will
awaken Roatan's unmatchable history. A halt at the Oak Ridge will make
way for an encounter with inhabitants of English descent.
Garden Tour:
The hike to the top for a fantastic view in the Carambola Gardens and
beholding the flora and fauna in the Gumbalimba Park cannot be done away
with.
For more detailed information on Roatan
Island Tour, you can consult your hotel or even rental agencies. Renting a
car or scooter is a great way to explore the island. You also have the
option of
Roatan motorcycle rentals - to drive smoothly along the entire stretch
of Roatan and have the experience of a lifetime!
Wain Roy is an internet marketing
professional expert in various industries like real estate, web design,
finance, medical tourism and
Roatan Island Tour
What's
your idea of a tropical paradise? Perhaps it includes palm trees, sandy
white beaches and crystal blue water. What if it had no crowds and featured
some of the world's best scuba diving as well? That pretty well describes
the Honduras Bay Islands.
Located in the western Caribbean off the coasts of Honduras and Belize, the
Bay Islands are one of the few unspoiled tropical paradises left on earth.
They consist of the islands of Roatan, Utila, Guanaja and over 60 islets
sitting atop the world's second largest barrier reef.
Discovered by Columbus in 1502, the islands were long a refuge for pirates
like Henry Morgan. Today they feature a laid-back lifestyle, a friendly
English-speaking population, and a great vacation opportunity for divers and
non-divers alike.
Scuba
Diving & Snorkeling
The
Bay Islands have become one of the Caribbean's top dive destinations because
of their large reef system and great variety of corals and sponges. The
water features good visibility, little current and over 800 species of fish.
Diving depths vary from reefs in 15 feet of water to sea mounds that slope
down 200 feet.
Roatan,
the largest of the Bay Islands, is about 42 miles long and 2 miles wide.
Both Roatan's northern reef and southern fringing reef boast around 40 dive
sites each, offering spots for both novice and experienced divers that are
characterized by plummeting walls, crevices and caverns.
Roatan
features a number of excellent shore diving sites, including the famous
Spooky Channel. An ancient streambed forming a cut through the reef, Spooky
Channel can be reached from the pier Bay Islands Beach Resort. While
snorkelers can explore the 8-foot crack at the top of the reef, divers can
swim through shafts of light in the much wider interior of the channel.
The
smaller island of Utila has gained a reputation as a great place for
beginning divers. It offers the least expensive dive certification courses
on the planet, and has become something of a Mecca for low-budget travelers.
Competition between over a dozen small dive shops has brought prices down to
between $125 - $150 for an open water certification course or an advanced
open watercourse.
Recently it has been discovered that Utila is also one of the best places in
the world to see whale sharks, the world's largest fish (don't worry,
they're harmless). March, April and May are the best months to see these
giants. Other spots offer the opportunity to dive and swim with the
dolphins.
Other
Activities
While
scuba diving is the main attraction, there is much more to see and do on the
Bay Islands.
Non-divers can get a close look at the coral reefs with the C-BUG mini-sub.
Located on Roatan's West End, this two-person submarine will take you down
as far 700 ft. below the surface.
Families will love the Tropical Treasures Bird Park on Roatan. The park
contains one of the most extensive collection parrot species in Central
America. Carambola Gardens offers a relaxing stroll through a diverse
collection of flowering plants, ferns, fruit trees and orchids. Kids will
love Roatan's Iguana Farm, where the over-hunted green iguanas that laze
about.
Many
companies also offer sea kayaking from Roatan's West End, another way to
experience the beautiful coastline. From half-day rentals to one, two or
6-day tours, sea kayaks offer the most adventurous way to get around to the
island's best snorkeling spots.
Getting There
Continental Airlines flies directly from Houston to Roatan. The airline also
flies from Newark (New York) to San Pedro Sula on the Honduran mainland,
with a connection to Roatan. You can also fly either American Airlines or
Continental Airlines via Belize City to San Pedro Sula and catch a
connection to Roatan.
TACA Airlines, the low fare Latin American carrier, flies directly to Roatan
from both Miami and Houston. The airline also flies from Los Angeles, New
Orleans and San Francisco, with connecting flights to Roatan. Sol Air is a
new airline that has recently launched and flies direct to Roatan from Miami
and Dallas.
Once
on the islands you can get to any destination with inexpensive taxis, bus
service and water taxis.
Where
To Stay
The
islands feature a number of dive resorts, including Anthony's Key Resort on
Roatan's north shore and the Coco View Resort on the islands south shore.
Most are designed to blend in with the island environment, and none are
built higher than the tallest palm tree.
TropicalREZ.com (http://www.tropicalrez.com),
a central reservations and booking service specific to the islands can help
you with accommodations.
Mike
Brown is the Office Manager for
Roatan Realty, which serves the Bay
Islands of Roatan [http://www.roatanrealty.com/info_detail.asp?id=5], Utila
[http://www.roatanrealty.com/info_detail.asp?id=6] and Guanaja. The company
offers comprehensive listings of local properties and organizes real estate
investor tours of the islands.
Nestled in the heart of the Americas, in the beautiful country of Honduras,
you will find the largest botanical garden in the Americas: Lancetilla
Botanical Garden. Its name comes from one of the local plants that is quite
abundant here: the Lancetilla Palm, a lovely tropical palm tree that is
protected by a nasty set of thorns that keep it away from the menu of the
diverse local animals, as well as off the roofs of the thatched palms that
locals build.
Lancetilla Botanical Gardens is located in the lovely destination of
Atlantida, right in the heart of Central America's Caribbean Coast, jus t
outside the city of Tela. Atlantida, was the actually created as a
department (local equivalent to a state of province) to facilitate the
activities of two large fruit companies that established themselves in the
area at the beginning of the Twentieth Century: The Vaccaro Brothers
Company, which later became the Standard Fruit Company, and the Tela
Railroad Company, which is part of the United Fruit Brands. The first had
its operational and administrative hub in the city of La Ceiba, and the
latter in the city of Tela.
As part of an effort to find different fruits that would be a profitable
produce to export, the Tela Railroad Company established a center for
investigation and created what today is known as Lancetilla Botanical
Garden. Here, a large collection of exotic fruit trees from Central and
South America, as well as Asia, Africa and even Oceania was put together,
with experimental plantations of several of them, including the absolutely
delicious Mangosteen and Rambutan from southeast Asia. Get acquainted with
the over 16 different species of palms that form part of the local
collection, and walk under the tunnel that the giant spiny bamboo forms at
the end of the trail.
Today Lancetilla Botanical Garden is managed by the ESNACIFOR, which stands
for National School of Forest Sciences, whose headquarters is in the City of
Siguatepeque, in the department of Comayagua. The Gardens are open to the
public year round, and have a nice, well kept trail and great guides that
will make exploring the largest botanical garden in the Americas a truly
learning experience.
Lancetilla Botanical Gardens is also a great place for birdwatchers, because
the abundance of tropical fruits make it a site that naturally attracts
birds of different species who thrive on the abundance of food in the area.
Plan on spending at least three or four hours in the garden, but make sure
you bring some insect repellent with you, as a large part of this tropical
garden is covered with a dense jungle that makes mosquitoes thrive!
Lancetilla is but one of the many different nature and educational
activities that you can enjoy in Atlantida, which is probably the most
complete destination of its sort in the World, certainly in Central America.
Atlantida, "The Heart of Central America's Caribbean" is a great destination
in Central America for eco tourism and active adventure vacations. With
three hubs to choose from: Tela, La Ceiba and the Cangrejal River Valley, a
visit to Atlantida will be a highlight in your trip to Central America and
or the Caribbean! For full, up to date information on the destination,
visit http://www.visitatlantida.com/en
