The Ultimate Family Vacation to Roatan Honduras Travel Guide (2024)

Trying to figure out where to go on your next family trip? Put a family vacation to Roatan Honduras on your shortlist!

I have visited a lot of places in the Caribbean, and I have to say this is one of my favorite places to visit in Central America. 

Roatan is an island in the Caribbean, located off the coast of Honduras. Not only is it home to the second-largest barrier reef, but it is also known for its amazing animal interactions.

If you are planning a trip to Honduras you will not want to miss this!

From a spectacular and relaxing beach vacation, beautiful sights, incredible food, and thrill-seeking adventures! Roatan is a fantastic destination! It is definitely kid-friendly and I would really recommend a family vacation to Roatan Honduras. 

Family Vacation to Roatan Honduras: Things to Do

There are so many great things to do from zip lining and snorkeling to visiting the nature parks, etc. Here are my recommendations to guarantee an awesome trip with the whole family. 

1. Zuperman Zip Lining 

👉 This Tour includes the amazing Zuperman zip line and a fun beach break!

If you or your kids love a good adrenaline-filled adventure, this is by far one of the best activities I have ever done. At first, I thought it was going to be a standard zip line. But it is sooo much more!! 

Roatan is home to one of the longest zip lines in Central America and home to the famous Zuperman zip line. This experience includes a special harness that will make you fly head first feeling like “superman” through the jungle. 

Pro Tip: They will take pictures you can pay for, but you can use your phone to take awesome videos on your own at no cost! Just make sure it does not fall in the jungle during the zip line. 

What to wear: active attire, sneakers, bug repellant, and plenty of sunscreens. 

2. Suspension Bridge & Ziplining 

If the Zuperman zip line is not for you! Don’t worry, they have plenty of regular zip lines you and the kids will love. This adventure starts walking through the jungle!!!

But do not worry, you will be with a group of people and your guide. 

The amazing tour guides will give you a brief history of the island as you go through the jungle and encounter a series of suspension bridges!

Once you are done with each, it is time for the zip-lining!  Each zip line has a different height and it is a total of 11 zip lines through the Roatan jungle.

If you are traveling with smaller kids, they do have special kids harness for them to participate as well. This adventure has an amazing view and it will be a blast for everyone! 

3. Catamaran Sailing

👉 This catamaran tour includes snacks, drinks, & snorkeling!

Roatan is well known for its calm, clear waters and beautiful barrier reef! If I were to pick between any tour, this would definitely be within my top 3.

Doing a catamaran is such a great fun day activity! These tours include a great staff, food, drinks, and snorkeling through Roatan’s beautiful waters. 

This trip is about 4 hours long and there is no age limit! This means you can go with small kids and they will be able to enjoy themselves as well.

If you are traveling with the whole family or a big group, there will be an activity for each person to enjoy. 

4. Whale Shark Expedition

👉 I recommend going with Anthony’s Key Resort! They will have a great whale shark diving adventure and a relaxing beach break afterward. 

If you truly want to plan a unique experience on your family vacation to Roatan Honduras, this expedition will be a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.

Whale shark swimming is a bit more complicated, as you will not be able to see them unless it is during specific times of the year. 

BUT! Roatan is one of the few places where you are able to go whale shark diving all year round! There are individual boats and tours available.

Pro Tip: this will be in the open ocean, so knowing how to swim is a must, but they will provide snorkeling gear and a safety jacket! 

5. Glassbottom Boat Tours 

👉 This tour is the one I took and highly recommend. It is about a 40-minute trip. 

Jump aboard a glass-bottom tour! This is a fun activity that lets you see the amazing marine life as the boat goes through the waters.

You will jump on what feels like a submarine and get to see amazing fishes, eels, and sea turtles and might even spot a few sharks.  

If you are not a huge swimmer or might get nervous with a snorkeling excursion, this will be a great tour.  Especially if you have smaller kids! This is suitable for all ages and it is perfect for the whole family. 

6. Snorkeling the Barrier Reef

👉There are a lot of boat tours that will include a visit to this beauty. This tour is one of the best!

Roatan has the world’s second-largest barrier reef! You will be able to see incredible wildlife and even have a few close interactions with reef sharks, turtles, and many fishes.

Some of the tours will leave from the west end, a village on the northwest side of Roatan. You will receive full snorkeling equipment and get to see one of the world’s largest ecosystems!!

This tour has a great price, so a great budget-friendly adventure. Prices typically range but would be around $50 per person. 

Pro Tip: To protect the barrier reef make sure to use special sunscreen that is reef-safe. 

👉 I like this sunscreen for outdoor excursions and water activities.

7. Diving Through Shipwrecks

👉 If you want to explore the reef and shipwrecks, I recommend this tour. 

Another snorkeling adventure!! Snorkeling is one of my favorite things to do in Roatan. The crystal clear waters and marine life make this a spectacular experience.

This tour will also leave from the west end village, and it can last a few hours. 

Apart front the great barrier reef, the island has quite a few shipwrecks for divers to explore. Do not worry, some of these were purposely done for snorkeling and scuba diving.

If you are planning to snorkel on your family vacation to Roatan, there are many tours that offer a combination of the great barrier reef and shipwreck diving! This will be the best time to do both tours!! 

8. Swimming with Dolphins

👉 There are so many places where you can swim with dolphins, but I recommend Anthonys’ Key Resort. They have a resident pod living right next to the resort.

Who has not dreamed about swimming with dolphins? If you are planning a family vacation to Roatan Honduras, they have a rare interaction where you can swim with dolphins in the open sea.

Here you can swim and snorkel with wild dolphins on their own terms, with no trained behaviors. You can also dive with them in the open sea and experience what it’s like to be ‘part of the pod’.

They have a great dolphin program and you can interact with their resident pod of dolphins and snorkel with them on your own TERMS!!

Dolphins are incredible and they are everyone’s favorite marine animal, so make sure you and your family try this close interaction experience with them. 

9. Paddle Boarding & Kayaking

👉 This kayak tour is a great choice for families with kids 5+

Both these activities are a fun way to spend a few hours! You can paddle along the clear waters and see some awesome marine life.

There are a lot of tours that offer both of these and if you have small kids, they will be able to join on the fun! 

10. ATV Adventure

👉 If you want to do ATV and see some of the local sanctuaries I recommend this tour.

Definitely an experience that is worth the price!! This ATV tour will take you through some back roads and through the town for about an hour ride. This is a fun activity and it is nice to see the town too!

Your kids will be able to enjoy, this is for anyone 6 and over. The ATV’s will fit 2 people, with 1 designated driver. This was the first time I ever rode an  ATV, so it can be a bit scary at first! But it is really easy to learn after a few minutes. 

11. Gumbalimba Park 

👉 I recommend this tour for visiting Gumbalimba Park.

Gualimba Park is one of the most common tourist spots in Roatan located in the West Bay.

Roatan is known for its incredible animal interactions and this park is a natural paradise that offers an incredible eco-adventure.

You will be able to see animals and native reptiles to the island, including the Iguana Farm that is doing great work to repopulate the iguana population on the island. 

This adventure also offers zip lining, canopy, suspension bridges and a beach break. There are a ton of exciting things to do here during a family vacation to Roatan!

12. Wildlife Tour | Monkeys & Sloths

👉 There are a lot of different sanctuaries, but I recommend going to Daniel Jonhson’s Hangout.

Explore the Islas Animal Sanctuary! You can see monkeys, sloths, and even some parrots. This experience is great for toddlers or small kids!

They will enjoy seeing all the different animals in the sanctuary and can have fun at the beach right after! Roatan has a lot of animals, but this will be a close-up experience.

13. Jungle & Beach Horseback Riding

👉 For a great horseback riding adventure, I highly recommend this tour.

One of my favorite things to do is go horseback riding! It’s a great excursion with kids. You will see a lot of different tours offering a great horseback riding experience through the beach or through the jungle. 

Each tour will have a designated guide and you will be riding your horse for about 1 hour. A lot of private islands offer horseback riding, but the actual time riding would be a lot less.

So I would recommend specific tours for this experience! This is a great family activity for older kids, especially for teenagers. 

14. Visiting Little French Key

With so many exciting and thrilling experiences. There is nothing quite like going on a relaxing beach experience! Little French key is a private island in Roatan and they offer a great variety of packages. 

You will be able to enjoy great food, drink packages, a tour of their animal rescue center, and even do some special add-ins like swimming with pigs, scuba diving, horseback riding, etc!

This beach break will be relaxing in their lounge chairs or you can use the island’s amenities which include paddle boarding, kayaking, etc!

If you are traveling with your kids or a big family, this would be a plan that everyone will love!! It does have something for everyone. 

Pro Tip: To get to this island, there is a meeting point with a few shuttle drivers and than about a 20 minute boat ride. 

15. Visit West End

For your Family Vacation to Roatan Honduras, I recommend visiting a small village in the northwest side of Roatan Honduras!

They have a lot of shops, restaurants, and a great nightlife. You can plan a day visit to walk around the village or have dinner by one of the amazing restaurants near the water. 

The beaches in West End are absolutely incredible and a lot of the excursions I mentioned are in this part of the island.

If you are planning a visit, you can use one of the water taxis! They operate pretty much all day and you can catch them at one of the 2 piers. 

Family Vacation to Roatan: FAQs

Still have questions about planning your family vacation to Roatan Honduras? Here are answers to some frequently asked questions.

What are the best months to visit Honduras Roatan?

The best months to visit Roatan Honduras is November through March. This is the “peak” season for tourism in Roatan!

During this time the temperature will be in the 80s°F, so it is the best time to enjoy all the amazing beach adventures they have. 

Other Times to Visit Roatan Honduras

There will also be a lot of people going to the island for scuba diving and there will be a lot more night life and activities. Although it is a great time to visit the island, high season prices will apply for hotels! 

You can also visit the island from April – June. This would be considered off-season, so the island will be quieter and it will be a little bit cooler.

But do not worry, there will still be plenty of sun and the water will be warm enough to go diving. 

June – September is really hot in Roatan! When I went in November it was about 82°F! So I cannot imagine the summertime.

But this is still a great time to go, with the kids going on summer break and it is right before “peak season”, so the prices for hotels do decrease quite a bit. 

Overall, any time would be great! I always try to go around October. Right before peak season but still a good time to have a great family vacation to Roatan Honduras.  

Roatan Weather Overview

One of the best things about Roatan is the amazing weather. They will have sunny clear weather pretty much all year round.

So really, any time of the year would be fun for you to visit and there will be plenty of sun and fun! They do have a rainy season in summer, but rain is usually during nights. 

Do they speak English in Roatan?

Yes, many people speak English in Roatan. But not everyone does, since Spanish is the main language in Honduras. A big source of income for the island and the locals is tourism.

Everywhere I went everyone spoke great English and I did not have a hard time communicating with anyone. 

How to Get to Roatan by Air?

Getting to Roatan by plane is the easiest option. They have an international airport (Juan Manuel Galvez Airport) and have a lot of direct flight options from the US and a variety of airlines to choose from. 

From Miami, the flight is about 2 hours nonstop. But! It is hard getting a nonstop option, typically there is a layover depending on where you are coming from. 

How to Get to Roatan by Ferry?

If you are coming from the mainland, or a nearby island. The easiest way to get there is using one of the ferries. The ferry departs twice a day and it is less than 2 hours long! There is only 1 ferry company that is operating (Safe Way Marine). 

How to Get to Roatan by Cruise Ship?

Roatan has a cruise port and a lot of ships offer Roatan as a stop on a Caribbean cruise.

The ships generally stop at the port in the morning and leave in the late afternoon or early evening. This is a great way to see what the island has to offer within a short time. 

Family Vacation to Roatan: Places to Eat

One of my favorite places to eat is the West End part of the island. They have incredible nightlife and good restaurants! The food in Roatan is incredible!! 

One of their main dishes is actually Iguana. I have not tried it, but I have heard it is delicious. So if you do see this dish on the menu, you might want to try their main delicacy. 

Here are some of my recommendations:

• Argentinian Grill in West Bay: I know what you are thinking! This is not local food. Yes, this is an Argentinian restaurant. BUT! I absolutely love eating meat and the beef here was absolutely amazing. Plus it’s close to West Bay Beach.

• Roatan Oasis: Located in West End, this is considered a fusion upscale restaurant. If you are looking for a nice restaurant to have dinner I absolutely recomend you eat here. They have a few signature cocktails and the seafood is really good.

• Celeste Dining Cuisine: If you are looking for a great breakfast spot, I recommend you try this. Also located on the west end side. The breakfast is a good price and it is buffet style. 
• Madah’s Kitchen: If you are looking for a truly authentic Caribbean meal, this is the most recommended one. You can try the famous iguana or you can have seafood. The lobster here is really good!

Family Vacation to Roatan: Where to Stay

There are a lot of different hotels to choose from on your family vacation to Roatan Honduras. My recommendation is to see which part of the island you would like to stay in.

Personally, I love staying in the West End. There are so many things to do and there are a lot of restaurants, shops and great beaches. When booking a hotel, I recommend planning ahead of time as a tip for budget travel.

Here are a few hotels I recommend. These are nice hotels that have a good location and a beachfront! I prefer to stay in hotels with a beach and pool, family travel is easier when you can just walk a few steps to be in paradise. 

🏨 Grand Roatan Caribbean Resort | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🏆 Rating: 9.1/10

Located in West Bay. This is considered a “luxury resort” on the island. They have a pool, hot tubs, and beach on site as well, and it is nearby by some of the top attractions.

The staff is very knowledgeable and they were really helpful for me to find some awesome things to do during the stay.

🏨Beach House Boutique Hotel | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🏆 Rating: 9.1/10

Located in the west end side, this is a remodeled hotel that has a beautiful beach and you can even see the barrier reef from shore.

They have a restaurant onsite called Mila Del Mar and they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner at a cost. It is really convenient and has a great location. The staff is absolutely incredible and nice. 

🏨 Las Verandas Hotel and Villas | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🏆 Rating: 8.6/10

The hotel offers a great villa that is perfect if you are going with a big family and need a lot more space. The area is really spacious and completely remodeled.

The hotel is absolutely huge and even has cabanas by the pool, tennis courts, and really good restaurants. This is a great option if you are just looking to stay within the hotel. 

🏨 Mr. Tucan Hotel | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🏆 Rating: 9.1/10

This would be the most budget-friendly option! The hotel is located in the West End, which is my favorite place to stay on the island.

The hotel is near a lot of restaurants and nightlife and has the beach right in front. Really great location and a great price. 

Family Vacation to Roatan: Getting Around

Whenever I am in a new place, I am always very cautious about taking transportation. But Roatan is very safe! So do not worry about getting around.

There is no UBER in Roatan, but there are a lot of taxis that you can take and you can also rent your own car. 

The best way to use transportation is through the hotel. If you book any activities, transportation is usually included and you might just have to walk a small distance to the meeting point.

Even if you have to pay extra to use the hotel shuttle, I recommend you have a secured ride. 

👉 While we have global health insurance for our day-to-day lives, we also elect travel insurance with SafetyWing for our spurts of fast travel adventure!

Conclusion: Family Vacation to Roatan

I have visited Roatan a few times and I always have a great experience. If you are planning a Honduras family vacation or want to experience a Caribbean beach break, I recommend going to Roatan. 

The locals are extremely friendly and it is a lot cheaper than in some other areas in the Caribbean. There are so many different activities to do!

If you are just looking to have a relaxing experience where you can eat great food and tan, you can easily do this in Roatan. 

I have always been into vacations that have an adventure, which is why I love going on a family vacation to Roatan Honduras. There are soo many activities, from  Zip Linninfg, Snorkeling, whale shark diving, etc. You will not run out of things to do. 

Pro Tip on What To Pack: pack as many things you might need, as the island will not really have a lot of shops where you can buy any missed items.

Packing can be hard, but a beach vacation is usually pretty easy. To ensure you don’t forget anything on your family vacation to Roatan, I made you a complete travel checklist! 

Don’t Forget to Bring:

• Cash – you can use both dollars or the Roatan currency. But it is handy to have cash on hand, especially if you are stopping by local shops and stores. 
• Bug Spray – will be needed for any adventure! Especially if you are ziplinning or visiting one of the parks. 
• Sunscreen – make sure to get a safe sunscreen for the water! They are always trying to protect the reef. 

Make sure to save this list when planning an awesome family vacation to Roatan Honduras!