Great Places to SUP, West Bay, Roatán, Islas De La Bahia, Honduras

The beautiful Caribbean island of Roatan in the Bay Islands of Honduras offers one of the world’s great places to SUP. The island is surrounded by the world’s second largest coral reef, hugging most of the shore, providing calm, clear beaches for SUP’ing, swimming and snorkeling with varieties of sea life.

Roatan is the largest of the Bay Islands, which are a part of Honduras, lying just over 30 miles from the northern coast of the Honduran mainland. Isolated from the mainland and miles away from anywhere else, Roatan has maintained a laid-back, small scale island atmosphere offering all the services and amenities of an ideal Caribbean location. West Bay is what many consider the picture-perfect Caribbean destination: white sand, clear & calm waters.

Paddle from West Bay Beach to Half Moon Bay and back, this is a 2 hour round trip paddle along the West End, on the inside of the reef.

For a more leisurely SUP experience, make a day of it with a paddle from West Bay Beach to Half Moon Bay and back. Snorkel along the way and check into one of the bars on either beach for a beach chair, drinks and some local food. If you want to snorkel, just pull up to a buoy, tie up the board with your ankle strap, put on your gear and go for it. Keep your eyes peeled because you can also spot a range of marine life, eagle rays, turtles, and many different types of fish life. Great family friendly activity, kids can paddle on smaller boards or ride along with adults. Dogs also love hoping on for a lift.

A sunset SUP can be a magical experience. Watch the sun go down from your paddleboard in the heart of Half Moon Bay.

For a small island, Roatan’s geography is amazingly diverse. At nearly 50 km (31 miles) long, less than 8 km (5 miles) wide at its widest and reaching elevations of 244 m (800 ft), visitors will experience everything from flat sandy beaches, rocky, volcanic rock shores, mangrove forests, lush valleys and steep rainforest-covered hilltops. Sitting at the southern end of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, the island is surrounded by coral reefs, protecting it from the open ocean and home to a complex underwater ecosystem. As suggested by its name, West Bay Beach is located at the western end on the north side of the island.

Roatan is not as “touristy” as many Caribbean islands, but you will find plenty of activities and things to see and learn about the island and Honduran culture. Offering accommodation in a wide variety of prices and amenities, from budget travelers to those who demand the very best, everyone can find exactly what they want – hotels and hostels, resorts, private homes and villas, and apartments.

For your West Bay Roatan SUP be sure to contact Anita, Delanie and Dave at Roatan PaddleSports.
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