Roatan Excursion: Beach Break / Plus Sloth Park och Snorkel Adventure

Had a great trip with three fun experiences a zoo, a beach and seeing fish while snorkeling. Total fun for everyone. Loved our driver Marvin

I traveled with a large group of 15 people, ranging in age from 6 months to 74 years. While I understand that tour operators can’t control the weather or traffic, there were many aspects of this excursion that were simply mismanaged. The experience started with confusion at the chaotic Roatan port, which was expected. We eventually met our guide, who repeatedly referred to himself as our “babysitter.” From the outset, he emphasized tipping, telling me no less than 20 times, “I’ll take care of you, and you take care of me.” It was uncomfortable and unprofessional. Our first activity was a walk along a busy roadside to reach the sloth and monkey sanctuary. This walk was not safe or suitable for older individuals or anyone with mobility concerns. The heat was intense (which, of course, is no one’s fault), but a well-prepared operator would have provided water or at least an option to purchase refreshments. Neither was available. My 74-year-old father was visibly overheated and pale by the end of it. After the sanctuary, our guide disappeared for 5–10 minutes. Locals tried to call him, but he was unreachable. He eventually returned, but the lack of communication left us unsure and frustrated. Next, we boarded a small boat—something that may not have been part of the original itinerary. It was not easy for my father to get on and off, and there were no life jackets available for my infant grandson, which was concerning. The boat barely had enough room, forcing some of our group to stand for the hour-long ride. Four water bottles were provided for the 15 of us—likely from the boat operator, not our guide. Thankfully, the snorkeling portion was excellent. The water was clear, fish abundant, and the snorkeling guide (not our original one) was knowledgeable and engaging. This part was the highlight and the reason this review isn’t one star. After snorkeling, we returned to the beach—and then the rain came. Again, weather isn’t anyone’s fault, but the response was poor. We sought shelter at a restaurant, told the guide we wanted to return to port, and were told a bus would arrive in 20 minutes. Based on that, we declined food and drink and thus removed ourselves from the restaurant shelter and instead stood under a different area that did not keep us dry. However, it took over an hour for the bus to come. Had we been given accurate information, we could have waited comfortably and had a meal. Instead, we were left standing wet and cold with little guidance. Throughout the trip, the guide continued to press for a tip, even blaming the delay on traffic, which didn’t seem plausible. When the bus finally arrived, the AC was blasting despite us being drenched. We had to ask for it to be turned off. We skipped the photo stop and any other optional visits—we were tired, wet, and ready to leave. Ultimately, the excellent snorkeling saved this from being a one-star review. With a more attentive, honest, and guest-focused guide, this could have been a four- or five-star experience. As it was, I left unimpressed and hesitant to return to Roatan.

What a great time we had with Orling!!! He was so attentive to us and made sure the day was perfect. Thank you for making our day in Roatan so special!

It was somewhat difficult to locate our driver when we arrived because he was not holding a sign like the others. Thankfully, some of the city workers knew who he was and called him, helping us find him. Although it was lovely having our own driver, he continuously talked about how much in tips he had received in the past, almost as if to be setting a standard in what his expectation was for us to tip. We also felt somewhat unsafe as to how fast he was driving, he also mentioned that there was no speed limit so he could go as fast as he wanted, it was a little sketchy at times. However, the jungle park was great- we loved our tour guide there and that they truly took the time to make sure every child and family had time to hold the animals and take the pictures. The beach was clean and the staff there were very accommodating and helpful. The snorkeling experience was fantastic- but I would bring your own mouthpiece because it was hard to say how clean they were. Overall, we loved our experiences. I would definitely recommend the experience, maybe just a different driver or more training in that department would help improve the overall rating!

This was a fun day. Some of the places we went were very crowded because there were 5 cruise ships in port, but our driver - Kelvin - was fantastic and very attentive and helpful with anything we needed. It was very easy to find him, we were in a very comfortable vehicle and he got us back to the port with plenty of time to not be in a rush getting back on the ship. This was a great way to see several things in Roatan in such a short time in port.

We had a great time with the excursion. There was a nice variety with first seeing the animals, snorkeling and then hanging on the beach. Our diver Larry was great. They also stop for pictures along the drive, just be aware that food is not included.

We had a great time. It was raining really hard the night before and the morning of our tour so the water was really cloudy so we decided not to snorkle. Our tour guide Jenny took us for a tour around the island and showed us a bunch of things and then we had a nice lunch afterward. She dropped us back off at the ship afterward. She was very sweet and we had a great time.

Meeting our guide outside gate 1 at Coxen Hole port was stressful as there were so many tour operators and no way to identify our tour operator. We walked from the port to the Sloth Park, which was nothing more than five cages with various animals. Our park guide was very friendly and informative. Holding a sloth was the highlight. Next we were driven to Fosters Resort on West Beach. The snorkelling was very chill and enjoyable. There was only four of us and the boat’s driver snorkelled with us and pointed out lobsters, which was cool! The beach experience was not peaceful as it was extremely busy and crowded. I don’t feel that our tour was worth what we paid. However, overall it was an enjoyable day.

While our original plans for snorkeling and beach days were washed out by the rain, our Roatan trip still had its bright spots. The animal sanctuary, particularly the sloth encounter, was truly memorable. We're grateful to Jenny, our fantastic guide, for her flexibility in rearranging our itinerary. The city tour, rum tasting, and chocolate factory visit were unexpected but delightful additions to our trip.

Great company! Avoid the ship crowds and take this private tour. They stay with you and they made sure we had everything we needed. Snorkel beach was great and the sloth and monkeys were so cute. Not a long ride to each place and back to the ship easy and on time.