The Roatan cruise ports are the starting points for many island attractions. Credit: Wikimedia Creative Commons license

Roatan tourist attractions include parks, dolphin encounters and plenty of opportunities for both snorkeling and scuba diving.

1) Coxen Hole

Coxen Hole is the island capital, largest town and the main cruise port. It has a population of about 5,000 people, which is small compared to most Caribbean cruise ports. Cruise visitors who dock at Coxen Hole won’t need an excursion operator to explore because the town is small.

Visitors who dock at Mahogany Bay, the other Roatan cruise port, will need a 15-minute taxi ride to get to Coxen Hole. It costs $20 total for one to four people going one way, according to a Mahogany Bay taxi manager when we visited there.

Because of its size, Coxen Hole has a smaller number of restaurants and duty-free shops for visitors compared to larger ports in the Caribbean.

2) Gumbalimba Park

The park is a recreational activity park and animal preserve with parrots, monkeys, iguanas and turkeys, among other creatures. It is about 25 minutes south of Coxen Hole in the West Bay area.

It also has botanical gardens and a sandy beach for swimming and other recreational activities. Activities include kayaking, snuba and scuba diving, a zipline canopy tour and the Jolly Roger Sail. This highly rated tour lasts three to six hours and costs about $75 per person including transportation. Some activities including ziplining cost extra.

3) Roatan Marine Park

The park is a protected area of western Roatan between West Bay and Sandy Bay, an area that contains many of the most popular diving and snorkeling spots and also some of the most popular beaches.

It is used by divers to explore the area’s coral reefs. They are an extension of the second largest reef system on the planet. The reefs reach from the shoreline to depths as much as 70 feet. The park also has mangrove forests.

4) Best Beaches

Anyone not planning to dive or snorkel—or who has extra time—is more likely to head to one of the nearby beaches.

Popular beaches include West End, West Bay and Half Moon Bay. More secluded beaches are common along this island that is 40 miles long and only 2.5 miles wide. A typical shore excursion with transportation will cost about $55 to $60 per person including lunch.

One excursion operator was offering a four- to six-hour trip to West Bay Beach with prices starting at $58 including lunch.

Mahogany Bay has a small but nice beach for cruise visitors there, as we found out. They may not have a reason to look elsewhere.

5) Carambola Botanical Gardens and Trails

This botanical park across the road from Anthony’s Key Resort on the north side of Roatan has 40 acres of land for hiking, wildlife viewing (including monkeys and iguanas) and scenic tours. Garden hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

6) Roatan Dolphin Encounters

The Roatan Institute of Marine Science near Anthony’s Key Resort is a marine research and educational facility. Visitors can swim, snorkel or dive with dolphins.

It also offers six-day dolphin scuba camps for children of visitors who stay on Roatan for a full week or more. Phone number: 1-800-227-3483.

7) Roatan Iguana Farm

Because local residents eat iguanas, a family has created The Iguana Farm to protect and breed the dwindling population. The farm has several hundred iguanas on the property.

The best time to see the iguanas is early afternoon at feeding time. The farm is in French Key, just past French Harbour.

8) Deep Sea Submarine

Visitors can dive as much as 2,000 feet in the Idabel, which is called the world’s deepest passenger submarine, and view marine life through a Plexiglas bubble.

The tour is chartered and can carry two passengers and a pilot at any one time.

9) Butterfly Garden

The Butterfly Garden is a five-minute walk from the main entrance of West End Village. Other than butterflies, the garden has tropical plants and trees, many hummingbirds, and a small collection of parrots, macaws, and toucans that have been acquired as rescue birds. $$

10) Ziplining

Roatan has four ziplining locations. A typical two-hour shore excursion takes visitors across 15 ziplines. Prices depend on sailing dates and other factors. Locations include Extreme Adventure Park and Gumbalimba Park for about $100 per person.