The 7 Best Beaches in Roatan Honduras for Cruisers
Roatan Honduras is a super underrated cruise port and vacation destination in the Caribbean. There are many great things to do, including visiting the amazing beaches. Some of the best beaches in Roatan are Half Moon Bay, West Bay Beach, and Mahogany Bay.
I’ve visited Roatan on a cruise two times in the past two years. I’ve also visited a handful of times around 10 years ago. Each time I visit, I make sure to get some beach time in.
The beaches in Roatan have fine, white sand, that is comfortable to walk around in bare feet. The water is crystal clear, warm, and safe for swimming. Also, there is amazing snorkeling off of Roatan’s beaches.
I have a few favorite beaches in Roatan, listed below. I also reached out to travel blogger friends to have been to Roatan for their recommendations.
Keep reading for a list of the best beaches in Roatan and the pros/cons of each one.
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Best Beaches in Roatan Honduras
Below are the best Roatan Honduras beaches for cruise visitors and vacationers. They are in no particular order and I include the distance from the port, what to expect, and the pros/cons for each beach.
At the end of this post, I share the winners for the best beach for snorkeling, a hidden gem, and my top pick.
1. Half Moon Bay
🚢 Distance from the Cruise Port: 35 minute drive
Recommended by: Tasha Amy from Backpackers Wanderlust
No doubt you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to beaches in Roatan. However, my personal favorite no doubt is Half Moon Bay.
Located on the West End part of the island is the perfect slice of paradise for holiday goers. Not only will you be surrounded by an beaches with plenty of swimming and snorkeling opportunities, you will also be near to some incredible hotels (including some affordable options), restaurants, and cafes providing you with everything you could need!
Head to the rocky cliffs on each side of Half Moon Bay for a spot of snorkeling or just hang in the middle for beautiful stretches of sand enjoying the waters.
There are also plenty of diving schools around if you are keen to get certified, or perhaps already are and want to do some fun dives. No doubt learning to scuba dive is one of the best things to do here.
A visit to Half Moon Bay in Roatan is a must for your time in Honduras. Whether you decide to simply spend a couple of hours here or stay in one of the nearby accommodation providers you wont be disappointed.
👍 Pros: Good snorkeling and nearby hotels if you are visiting not on a cruise
✖️ Considerations: Can become crowded from nearby hotel guests
2. Mahogany Bay
🚢 Distance from the Cruise Port: 10 minute walk
Recommended by: Karen from Forever Karen
Mahogany Beach provides a great beach day for guests on a Western Caribbean cruise. Unlike West Bay Beach, this one is manufactured and purpose-built for passengers stopping at the Mahogany Bay cruise port in Dixon Cove.
You can either choose to walk or take the Magical Flying Beach Chair (repurposed ski lift) to reach this venue. The sandy beach features washrooms, bars, restaurants, complimentary loungers, and inexpensive Wi-Fi.
It’s the ideal destination for families with a sheltered cove and a lifeguard. If you’re into watersports, you can rent snorkel gear, aqua cycles, and paddle boards. Alternatively, you can purchase excursions for scuba diving, ATVing, or fishing.
Adventure seekers can opt to reach the beach by zip line. Outside the cruise center, Xplore Roatan offers a six-line package with guests flying through the rainforest and over ravines. The highlight of the ride is the 1600-foot drop on the last line, which ends at Mahogany Beach.
While Mahogany Beach allows cruise guests to go from ship to sand in under ten minutes, the beach can get crowded when multiple ships are in port.
👍 Pros: Close to the cruise port, don’t need to take a taxi
✖️ Considerations: Can become crowded when multiple ships are in port
3. West Bay Beach
🚢 Distance from the Cruise Port: 40 minute drive
Recommended by: Eleanor of Elevate Your Escapes
West Bay Beach in Roatán is a stunning place to visit and a must-do while visiting. It’s a popular destination for both locals, land visitors, and cruise ship passengers, as it’s close to the port.
The beach consists of gorgeous powdery white sand and crystal-clear turquoise waters. You can swim top snorkel and see the vibrant coral reefs just off the shore.
The water is very calm and the front part of the beach is shallow, so it’s an ideal spot for a relaxing day. I loved both snorkeling and just sitting in the water.
West Bay Beach has a variety of beachfront bars and restaurants. Some offer music, which adds to the energy. You can also find shops and vendors selling crafts and souvenirs along the beach.
This beach is so great that it often gets a bit crowded. I prefer more secluded beaches, so I didn’t appreciate the afternoon peak time.
It’s even worse in the high season for visitors. It’s best to arrive early to secure an ideal spot on the sand.
👍 Pros: Many beachfront bars and restaurants
✖️ Considerations: Crowded, especially in the afternoon
4. Tabyana Beach
🚢 Distance from the Cruise Port: 50 minute drive
Recommended by: Me!
Tabyana Beach is technically a beach club which is part of West Bay, not it’s own beach. However, it’s my personal favorite beach to visit on the island.
The main reason I enjoy Tabyana beach is that the West Bay area of Roatan is super nice. The beach is clean, the sand is soft, and the water is great for swimming.
Tabyana also has amazing snorkeling! In fact, the last time I visited, I chatted with a couple from the East Coast US that travels to Roatan each year for the sole purpose of snorkeling at Tabyana.
I prefer Tabyana specifically because I prefer to have a beach chair and umbrella, easy to access restrooms, and nearby bar and restaurant.
👍 Pros: Beach chairs, bar, restaurant, and restrooms on site. Great snorkeling!
✖️ Considerations: Have to pay an entrance fee + additional charges for chairs, food, drinks, etc.
5. Camp Bay Beach
🚢 Distance from the Cruise Port: 1 hour drive
Recommended by: Madison from Madison’s Footsteps
There are countless exciting things to do in Roatan, but visiting the best beaches on the island is a must-do on any Roatan itinerary.
Many tourists, especially the ones that arrive by cruise ship, spend all of their time on the island’s most popular beaches – West Bay Beach and West End Beach.
Don’t get me wrong, these beaches are beautiful, but don’t underestimate the allure of Roatan’s less popular beaches, like Camp Bay.
Camp Bay Beach is a hidden oasis on the east side of the island, past iconic Roatan spots like Kristi’s Overlook and Punta Gorda. The wind is stronger on this side, so it’s the best spot on the island for kitesurfing.
It’s common to see scuba divers over here as well, although the current makes it trickier to dive here vs. the calmer sites in West End and West Bay.
With the exception of La Sirenas de Camp Bay beach bar and the Camp Bay Lodge, Camp Bay Beach is very secluded. I recommend filling a cooler with snacks and Salva Vida, packing your speaker (a great addition to your packing list for Roatan), and heading down here with a good book and a couple of friends to enjoy the sun and solitude of Roatan’s East End!
👍 Pros: Less crowded, great for windsurfing
✖️ Considerations: Windier side of the island
6. Maya Key
🚢 Distance from the Cruise Port: 15 minute drive + water taxi
Recommended by: Lisa from Planning Away
Maya Key is one of the best beaches on Roatan. It is a key island off of the island of Roatan. You will need to take a water taxi to reach Maya Key.
Maya Key is a private island retreat that offers a little more than just a beach. But since we are talking about the best beaches let’s start there.
This private beach has everything you need, enough sand for sand castles, and a perfect slope to enter gradually into the ocean. There are plenty of beach chairs included in your admission to Maya Key. There are also fun water toys in the ocean to climb on.
The best part of Maya Key beach is what is under the water. Honduras is known to have the best snorkeling in all of the Caribbean. This is a magical underwater paradise you have to experience.
Maya Key has direct access to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. You do not even have to take a boat. You walk directly onto a boardwalk, step down and start exploring.
Bringing your own snorkel gear is recommended but no big if you do not have any. You can rent some onsite.
Maya Key also offers animal encounters, a resort pool, and even a replica of Copan Mayan ruins. Maya Key is definitely an all-inclusive private beach worth visiting!
👍 Pros: Private, amazing snorkeling
✖️ Considerations: Need to take a water taxi to get there
7. Playa West End
🚢 Distance from the Cruise Port: 40 minute drive
Recommended by: Sally from Sally Sees
Playa West End is a small beach in the heart of West End town.
It’s a narrow strip of sand, lined with a grove of palm trees, and calm, shallow waters. We loved lazing in the shade of the palm trees and being able to see the sunset from the beach each night.
Playa West End is not one of the typical ‘best beaches’ in Roatan. However, it was one of our favourite beaches on the island for a number of reasons!
First, it was quiet! There are some beautiful stretches of sand in Roatan, but many of them are always crowded. Most popular beaches are lined with restaurants, bars, lounges for rent and hordes of cruise ship passengers each day.
On Playa West End, we hardly ever had to share the beach with anyone.
Secondly, the location is great and super central to everything in West End, if you just want to pop to the beach without planning a day trip.
It was right near where we were staying, and within a few minutes’ walk, we were enjoying a morning coffee or sunset beer on the sand without needing to drive or take a water taxi.
The beach itself doesn’t have any amenities. There aren’t any bathrooms, no lounge rental and no restaurants right on the beach.
But you’re in such a great location you have easy access to all these things along West End Road right behind the beach.
There are some fantastic restaurants nearby, so you can easily grab a meal or snack take away (we loved Creole’s Rotisserie Chicken!).
👍 Pros: Private, quiet, and not crowded
✖️ Considerations: No amenities (although there are restaurants nearby)
Map of Roatan Beaches
Tips for Getting Around Roatan
The best way to get around Roatan is by taxi. They are easy to find, safe, and reliable. Before you begin a trip, be sure to agree on a fare or ensure the meter is running.
Getting a Taxi from the Roatan Port
From the cruise terminal, walk through the port area towards the exit. There are clear signs pointing where to go.
Once you leave the fenced port area, you will be bombarded by tour guides and taxi drivers. It can be extremely overwhelming and the people can feel very pushy.
However, everyone is very nice and wants to be helpful. Take a deep breath, then find someone with a taxi badge around their neck and let them know what beach you plan to visit.
They will provide a per-person price for the ride to the beach, usually around $10 (this varies by beach). You can try to haggle, but they are often very firm in the price.
If you enjoy your driver on the way to the beach, you can coordinate a time for them to return and pick you back up later in the day.
Renting a Car in Roatan
If you are visiting for more than one day, you can choose to rent a car. However, drivers in Roatan are very aggressive and I would not personally feel safe driving. If you decide to drive, keep an eye out for oncoming traffic passing in your lane.
Beach Bag Packing List
- Packable Beach Bag – I love how this bag folds up super small to fit in my luggage. Also, the holes keep it from filling up with sand that inevitably gets everywhere.
- Towel Clips – One of my biggest pet peeves is my towel blowing away or falling down on my lounge chair. These towel clips solve that problem so easily! Plus, they’re a great thing to pack for on board the cruise ship too.
- Waterproof Phone Case – This phone case is super helpful if you want to take photos in the water.
- Snorkel Gear (optional) – Most beaches have snorkel equipment you can rent. However, if you prefer your own I recommend bringing it. Roatan is on the Mesoamerican reef and has excellent snorkeling.
Summary of the Best Beaches in Roatan Honduras
Best for Snorkeling: Maya Key
Top Hidden Gem: Playa West End
Easiest to Get to from the Port: Mahogany Bay Beach
My #1 Top Choice: Tabyana Beach
Besides visiting one of the amazing beaches, there are many other great things to do in Roatan. You can take an ATV tour, try local-made chocolate, or visit a wildlife sanctuary. Read my one day Roatan itinerary!
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- Ultimate Royal Caribbean Southern Caribbean Cruise Guide And Itinerary
- Royal Caribbean Western Caribbean Cruise Tips And Itinerary
- What To Wear On A Caribbean Cruise – 7 Day Cruise Packing List
- Cruise Outfits For Men | What Should Men Wear On A Caribbean Cruise?
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