Three days in paradise: Roatan Island

The helmet is a bit goofy, but I still think I look pretty bad-ass riding this scooter through the bustling cities and undeveloped wilderness of Roatan Island.

Micah, my traveling partner, and I were excited to have a few days off of work. We took the 9 am ferry and arrived on the Islands approximately 1.5 hours later. Before long we had rented a scooter and were off exploring the lesser known, and more famous, parts of Roatan.


Driving the scooter was exhilarating, and it completely scared the crap out of me. Every turn I was afraid I was going to wipe out and send Micah and I off a cliff. Luckily we didn't have any accidents. We even got this little scooter up to speeds of about 84 klm.

Of all our adventures, my favorite stop was Punta Gorda, the first Garifuna (or Black Caribs) settlement in Central America. The Garifunas were marooned in Roatan by the British in 1796 and first settled in Punta Gorda. We saw no other tourists in Punta Gorda, but the locals were very kind. I met this little girl at a small grocery store in Punta Gorda. I asked her, in Spanish, where she usually ate lunch. Micah and were looking for somewhere to eat and figured this girl would know as well as anyone else where to get good, cheap food. She replied, "Al Mall, en La Ceiba." Maybe this was only funny to us, but La Ceiba is at least a few hours away and would necessitate the use of a boat or plane. Not exactly our idea of a quick, cheap lunch.

After Punta Gorda we headed toward Oakridge, a picturesque community on the Southern end of the Island. What drew us to Oakridge the most was the fact that it was originally settled by pirates. A local man flagged us as we were driving and convinced us to take a brief boat tour of the town. With the ease that comes from navigating a boat for 18 years, our guide took us past houses on stilts and through tunnels of trees. Above is a picture of our guide and his boat. Oadridge was one of the hardest hit areas during Hurricane Mitch. This is a close up of our guide. He sat on a throne with a Bob Marley cushion in the back of the boat.

Quite a contrast from Oakride, Parrot Tree Plantation was a beautiful stop, but not one of much consequence. It was simply a very luxurious development. This is one house that was recently built. The view was amazing.

Our explorations also brought us to new friends. In West Bay we met Artley, a boat taxi driver and native islander. Later that night we met up with Artley, his girfriend (a californian woman), and his friend. They showed us the coolest nightlife spots in the West End. He promised us a complimentary boat road the next time we come to Roatan.
Throughout all our exploring we found time to swim. Minutes after Micah got out of the water a local fisherman informed us that he had seen a Hammerhead shark at this very spot earlier that afternoon. He also showed us a photo, on his cellphone, of the GIANT marlin he caught four days earlier.

As many already know, Roatan is famous for its amazing dives. Shipwecks, like the one pictured, are just one example of the types of adventures one could have under the water. Unfortunately we didn't have time to get dive certified this trip (it takes four days), but after talking to several divers we are definitely going to return and takes some dives of our own.

The beaches of Roatan were not disappointing in the least. The sand was truly bright white, and the water truly clear blue. Three days in Roatan were like three days in paradise, only with more mosquitoes. I definitely recommend everyone visit Roatan.