Roatan’s West Bay Beach is a 20 minute water taxi ride from Orchard Beach or 30 minutes from West End Village. Even though the names sound similar, there are differences.
West End Village is a local community with unique shops, eateries, and public beach. West Bay Beach is geared more towards the tourist with its various resorts and beachfront activities.
For those of you who are first time readers, my name is Anthony. I will be your personal guide throughout this adventure. Today we will be venturing out to West Bay Beach and it’s popular off-the beach-snorkeling location. It just so happens that the second longest living reef in the world lies off Roatan’s southern shore. This makes for a perfect diving destination. Even though I am not a diver, this doesn’t stop me from being an avid snorkeler.
We stayed at Villas de Cisnes, which is centrally located between West End and West Bay Beach, and a short walk to the Orchard Beach area. From here, West Bay is approximately a 30 minute walk down the beach.
What’s nice about walking along the beach is when it starts to get hot, you can refresh yourself by taking a quick dip in the beautiful Caribbean Sea. You will know you’re about half way there when you come to the inlet.
To cross this small channel, you walk along a concrete dock to a metal bridge. If you are leery of catwalks or open-air pedestrian bridges, you might consider taking a water taxi. However, the bridge is very safe and offers fabulous views {shown in the attached video}.
Right after the bridge, West Bay Beach will come into view. On the farthest end of the beach is what’s known as “The Wall.” This cliff like barrier covered with vegetation extends out from the beach. I began thinking to myself, “Just hang on for a few more minutes and we will be snorkeling before you know it!”
On our way to The Wall, we passed numerous docks that anchored several types of boats. There were wooden Panga’s which are mostly used for fishing, sunset cruises, and taxi rides. All of them are given namesakes that reference their existence.
The aluminum and fiberglass V-hull boats with the larger engines are used to shuttle divers out to the reef. When loaded down with larger groups of people and their diving gear, they can steadily navigate open water better than a Panga.
Even though Roatan is known for its diving and snorkeling experience, it’s also a great place to vacation. People come from all around for the sun, sand, and water!
When we first stepped onto West Bay Beach, the scenery changed. There are various types of resorts, the beach is covered with tourist in lounge chairs smelling of tanning lotion, and people loading onto boats to go diving and snorkeling.
As we moved further down the beach, the thought of swimming in the beautiful clear water offered a euphoric rush. This isn’t a bad way to spend the day if I do say so myself.
Cocktails anyone? Out of all of our travels, I have yet to see a floating bar with a bartender mixing tropical drinks! I thought this was rather ingenious. Why haven’t I done something like this back home? The water also offers a softer landing if you have a few to many!
We finally arrived to our day’s ultimate destination. We heard that The Wall is a great place to snorkel amongst some incredible marine life. As with past snorkeling trips, we charted our path beforehand. We couldn’t wait to get our snorkel gear on and into the clear turquoise water. And that is exactly what we did!
The calm surf made for a perfect day to snorkel. We started our excursion about a 100 yards out and just feet away from The Wall’s rocky edge. We then ventured along a seagrass berm and clear channels that extend out from The Wall.
We saw a variety of fish that included Damsel, Butterfly, and Yellowtail Snapper to mention only a few species. There was a large Parrotfish feeding on coral, and my partner saw a barracuda hiding in the seagrass.
A “Big Thank You” to Roatan’s West Bay Beach for a fantastic day of snorkeling. If time permitted, we would have taken a snorkeling trip to the Mesoamerica Reef. Maybe next time!
The western side of the island is an ideal place to use as home base. Not only does it provide a tranquil setting, it also offers great accommodations. You can choose from a selection of resorts or individual condos like Villas de Cisnes.
The West Bay area accesses many of the island’s amenities. Start your day by hanging on the beach and having lunch at a beachside bar & grill. Then when evening rolls around, you can have dinner and afterwards, dance to some live music. We did this quite often!
I hope you enjoyed our tour to Roatan’s West Bay Beach. When we weren’t walking around taking photos and shooting video, we took full advantage of the island’s laid back atmosphere. We meet lot’s of great people, did some awesome snorkeling, ate some fantastic food and enjoyed the local nightlife! As I have said before, Roatan, Honduras is a hidden secret. However, it won’t stay this way for long! You need to contact Villa de Cisnes and reserve you condo today!
Our final adventure in this three part series will include an exciting and personal tour by no other than Phil Swam. Stay tuned!
Photography: Anthony & Maureen Scopel, Phil Swan
Video: Anthony & Maureen Scopel
Article Creator & Formatting: Anthony Scopel
Video Production: Anthony Scopel & Matt Kemper
Associate Editor: Maureen Scopel
Technical Mastering & Web Support: Matt Kemper
Publishing Provide By: You, Me and The Dock
“Thank you Villas de Cisnes & Phil Swan
for the fantastic accommodations!”
“Love, Laugh & Travel Lots!”
