Divers explore the magical underwater world of Roatán, Honduras

Roatán is one of Honduras’s Caribbean Bay Islands. Being part of the huge Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, it is known for its beautiful white sand beaches, scuba diving sites and marine life, including whale sharks. In the southwest is busy West Bay Beach, with a coral reef near the shore which is where Brent and Elsa found themselves on this day in November 2018. Boarding a panga boat in west bay they scooted to the very near dive site called ZIGZAG. Descending below the waves brought Brent and Elsa an amazing dive with some gorgeous creatures common in the area. Although Roatan is a small island it offers up more than 30 dive sites around its perimeter. Intriguing names such as Turtle Crossing, Spooky Channel and Green Outhouse Reef are just a few of the dive locations you will find around the reef. Thinking about exploring Honduras Bay Islands and possibly specifically Roatan? The first explorer in history to land here was Christopher Columbus in 1502. He was not the first one there though, the people known as the Paya Indians are known to have inhabited these beautiful islands back as far as 600 AD. Whether a scuba diving enthusiast or someone that just loves to travel and explore, Roatan has a lot to offer for such a small island. Not a snorkeler or diver? The west bay has some great shops offering up some beautiful handmade treasures or sit on the gorgeous sandy beaches and enjoy a cold drink with your toes in the Caribbean waters. Are you a daredevil? Take in a jet ski tour racing through the local bays. You can also get harnessed up for a speedy slide on the zip lines at Monkey Trail Canopy at Gumbalimba Park. Foodie? Well there are definitely some great restaurants and beach side bars offering up some local treats of seafood and a local specialty called Baleadas. These are homemade flour tortillas filled with beans and cheese and are just $1! Try them with avocado, eggs, chicken or meat.