In the dazzling Caribbean, forty miles northeast of beautiful Honduras, you will encounter spectacular Roatán Island. Roatán is an island dedicated to the senses, with palm trees, shimmering sand beaches, and picturesque sunsets. Known best for its wonderful sportfishing and incredible scuba diving, Roatán is becoming more popular with tourists with each passing year. The landscape is quite diverse, ranging from dense tropical jungle to vacant white-sand beaches. Roatán is the most developed and modernized island in the Bay Islands chain, and the culture is a mixture of Spanish, British, Paya Indian, and African. The great majority of the citizens on Roatán speak fluent English, making traveling around the island convenient and simple.

The Paya Indians inhabited Roatán for centuries, until the Spanish raided the island in the 16th century. Henry Morgan and a band of over five thousand pirates invaded Roatán and soon took control. When the slave trade was at its highest, rebellious British slaves were sent to Roatán. Today the descendants from this group of people are called Maroons, after marooned slave. Also known as Garífuna, they reside near Punta Gorda.

There are a number of splendid outdoor museums on the island, and one of the best is the Roatán Institute for Marine Sciences. Multiple hands-on learning facilities make this scientific complex fascinating. Sherman Arch's Iguana Farm and The Bird Park are two more great outdoor adventures; and believe me, you will be disappointed if you forget to bring your camera with you to the Iguana Farm! Several of the restaurants on the island are spectacular, and there are quite a few enjoyable clusters of shops and boutiques.