Roatán
Caribbean
Honduras
£2.50
Roatán: The Gem of the Mesoamerican Reef
Roatán is the heartbeat of the Bay Islands and sits right on top of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef—the second-largest reef system on the planet. This Honduran paradise is famous for its "crevice" diving (like the legendary Mary's Place) where deep cracks in the reef create dramatic swim-throughs. But the real magic happens in the blue. Roatán is one of the best places in the Caribbean to encounter squadrons of Spotted Eagle Rays. Watching these elegant creatures glide effortlessly against the current is the defining moment of any trip here. It is relaxed, warm, and visually stunning.
Why We Chose This Sticker Design
To capture the grace of Roatán's reefs, we focused entirely on the Spotted Eagle Ray. We illustrated a formation of these magnificent creatures gliding through the blue, highlighting their signature white rings and incredibly long tails. The background features a light, sandy bottom and crystal-clear turquoise water to reflect the excellent visibility and shallow sand patches where these rays love to hunt for crustaceans.
Diving Roatán
Roatán, the largest of the Honduran Bay Islands, sits on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and offers a rare combination: genuinely good wall and reef diving at some of the lowest prices in the Caribbean. The reef runs close to shore around most of the island, so boat rides are short and many resorts have a house reef. Walls, canyons and swim-throughs make up the terrain, along with a couple of accessible wrecks. It is also one of the cheapest places in the world to complete dive training, which keeps the island busy with divers building experience.
- Best time to dive
- March to September; rain peaks late in the year
- Difficulty
- Beginner to intermediate
- Water temperature
- 26–30°C
- Visibility
- 20–30m
Top dive sites
- •Mary’s Place — Dramatic volcanic fissure — access can be limited
- •El Aguila wreck — Cargo ship broken into sections at around 30m
- •West End Wall — Classic wall diving close to shore
- •Cordelia Banks — Protected site with exceptional staghorn coral
What you’ll see
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to dive Roatán?
March to September gives the driest weather and the calmest seas, with water at a warm 28 to 30°C in late summer. October through January brings the heaviest rain, which can reduce visibility near shore, though the island still dives year-round. Hurricane season runs June to November. Water temperature never really drops below about 26°C, so exposure protection is a light wetsuit whenever you go.
Is Roatán a good place to learn to dive?
It is one of the best value places in the world for it. Warm, clear, calm water and a reef close to shore make for easy training conditions, and the concentration of dive schools on the island — along with neighbouring Utila — keeps prices low and instructor experience high. As always, choose on reputation and group size rather than the cheapest quote, and check that the school is busy enough to be running courses regularly.
