It is so easy to become complacent in any beautiful white sand resort and never leave. This was the case during our visit to Roatan, Honduras at Infiniti Bay Spa & Resort in West Bay Beach. But as usual, I was yearning for some adventure & exploration. On our second day, we walked half a kilometer up to a shopping center that rented scooters. Renting a motorbike is definitely the best and most practical mode of transportation on Roatan Island. It’s uncrowded and roads are narrow. There are several things to do in Roatan:
- Rent a Scooter
- Explore the island from the west to the east (35 miles stretch)
- Hire a boat to explore the Mangrove Tunnels
- Buy fruits off the side of the streets
- Swim in the warm, aqua-blue Caribbean Sea
- Sunbathe at the beautiful resorts
- Admire sunset from any of the beach bars and restaurants
We rented a scooter for only $24/day and kept it until our last day. They gave us a rough map of Roatan with the island only about 35 miles long. I was uber excited to explore! West Bay Beach, where we stayed is on on west end of the beach. This area in Roatan is known to have the most beautiful aqua-green Caribbean water and the best resorts. Next town over is the upbeat hippie-backpacker town West End with all the restaurants and night scene. We hopped on the scooter to explore more of the island and drove east along the main road through villages while gazing out to the gorgeous view of the Caribbean Sea.
West Bay Beach in Roatan
I loved riding through the open ocean air and observing the various towns we drove through. Roatan has a population of only about 50,000 people but it seems even less with so few in sight. The people are surely a friendly bunch, a common stereotype of Caribbean islanders, the usual smiles and waves as you ride by.
My goal was to reach the east end and then slowly ride back through sunset. The road went from small city towns to lush green open lands, botanical gardens, harbors, resort entrances and beaches. Our last stop was at Oak Ridge where we hired a water taxi to explore through the Mangrove Tunnels.
After a day on the beach by our resort in West Bay, we took our scooter up a steep hill just 10 minutes west of us to Smugglers Cafe. A honeymooner couple we met had recommended it as the best sunset bar in Roatan. We parked by the small dirt lot and took a small trek down to the restaurant in it’s own private beach. The crowds had not piled in yet, so we were able to snatch a front row seat on the sand to enjoy the ocean view and sunset.
I ordered the usual, Rum Punch. When in the Caribbean, drink as they do, and that would definitely be Rum! Especially after how good Jack Sparrow made it look in Pirates of the Caribbean. “But Wherreee have all the Rum goneee!?!!” Yes, I begin to feel and act like him after a few of those.
As if the beautiful sun setting over the Caribbean Sea was not enough, we were delightfully surprised spotting dolphins (swimming in pairs) in the distance. It brought the whole vibe of the beach bar into one ecstatic energy, people “woo-ing & ahh-ing“.