Roatán: on the world's second-largest reef

Part of the world's second-largest barrier reef after Australia's, Roatán remains the Caribbean's principal island for scuba diving.

A car or taxi remains necessary to travel along the island, which overlooks the world's second-largest barrier reef.

The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, which borders the coasts of Roatán, offers some of the richest diving in the Caribbean, with coral walls that plunge steeply for tens of meters.

At West Bay, the island's main beach, calm and transparent waters allow snorkeling just meters from shore.

Moving inland, the Gumbalimba Park hosts capuchin monkeys and parrots in a tropical botanical garden, with natural caves to explore.

Toward evening, the fishing villages on the eastern coast of the island, less touristy than the western zone, offer fresh fish served directly on the beach at sunset.

The Mesoamerican coral reef extends for over a thousand kilometers along the coasts of four different countries, and the sections around Roatán remain among the best-preserved throughout the entire system.

Roatán was long a haven for English and Dutch pirates seeking refuge from Spanish fleets, a past that has left visible traces in several shipwrecks still visible off its shores.