DISCOVERING
ROATAN
ISLAND
by Mike Diamond
The very first time
I tried snorkeling, I had a panic attack. My boyfriend
and I had arrived on Roatan Island, Honduras only hours
earlier, and I was psyched to explore the colorful and
exotic creatures of the warm Caribbean waters. My initial
experience: sand in my flippers, choking on salt water,
a sudden, paralyzing fear of what was lurking in the shallow
waters, all convinced me that I was going to drown under
the blazing tropical sun. Fortunately, my initial freak
out soon passed and I came to love exploring the coral
reefs surrounding this lush Central American island 30
miles from the Honduran mainland, and miles away from
modern life and my own expectations.
Thirty-three miles long and only four miles across, Roatan
is at once intimate and yet somehow expansive; luscious,
jungle-like hillsides offer the promise of unexplored
terrain. There is essentially one main road on the island
that winds itself from the tourist-friendly western half
of the isle, to a point just about two-thirds of the way
east. Throughout and beyond awaits a labyrinth of half-paved
streets and dirt roads, largely unmapped, frequently uphill.
The Island is “up and coming”; the infrastructure
is, by all accounts, not quite 21st-century, a quality
many travelers may find refreshingly real and exciting.
For accommodations, we selected The
Inn of Last Resort, and we could not have made a
better choice. Located in the Sandy Bay area of the
island, the Inn is located on a private peninsula, tucked
up into Roatan’s palm shrouded hills. Each of the
Inn’s 30 rooms are air conditioned, with understated
wooden décor, ceiling fans, hot water showers,
and free wireless Internet service. Meals, with waiter
service, are served in the resort’s spacious, airy
restaurant; breakfast was fresh fruit, eggs, and beignets,
and the dinner entrées ranged from coconut shrimp
to filet mignon. A relaxed and friendly feeling permeates
the entire compound; my boyfriend and I instantly and
genuinely felt welcomed by each member of the Inn’s
staff, as well as by all of the flip-flop wearing, suntanned,
largely Mid-Western folks who were also staying at the
Inn. Owners Donna and Andy Arcaya have created a rustic
retreat that almost seamlessly blends into the surrounding
natural flora. Though the housing is comfortable and
pleasant, outdoors is definitely where you want to be.
The Inn features a private lagoon (perfect for snorkeling
or a quick dip in the warm azure waters) as well as
a brand new deck and bar for cocktails and sunbathing.
On the opposite side of the Inn lies
Gibson Bight, where a small fleet of three 42-foot
boats leaves daily for scuba outings at various island
dive sites. Make no mistake, scuba is the main attraction
on Roatan; there are dozens of dive operations attracting
thousands of hardcore scuba aficionados from around
the world. The waters off of Honduras are host to the
second largest coral reef in the world, a magical undersea
feature it shares with Belize, and second only in size
to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
Gay adventure group Undersea Expeditions
hosts several dive excursions to Roatan throughout
the year. The manager of Undersea Expeditions, Greg
Hamman, told us: “I think the thing that makes
Roatan and the laid-back funky charm at the Inn of Last
Resort so appealing to lesbians and gays is the adventure
of traveling to Central America, going someplace that
most of our friends haven’t heard of. Someplace
with an edge and interesting history, but safe and relatively
easy to get to, and a real bargain! It’s one of
those inside secrets that adventurous travelers let
each other know about. It’s a fun way to get some
diving experience and meet new dive buddies.”
Luckily, for people like myself, Roatan offers an amazing
array of activities and attractions for the non-diver.
During our second day on the island, we rented a pickup
truck (a must in this spread out, often rocky terrain)
and headed out for some island adventures.
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Driving through this exuberant and untamed
landscape, you may suddenly feel like Kathleen Turner
in Romancing the Stone. At any moment I expected the
truck to go tumbling down a muddy ravine, sun block
and palm fronds everywhere. Instead, on the advice of
locals, we followed the main road to its very end, a
quaint little area called Jonesville. Following
the instructions we had been given, we found the house
with the Rottweiler in front, and called up to the second
story window. A woman’s face popped into view.
“Hole in the Wall?” she asked, and yes, that
was our destination. Two minutes later, a tugboat appeared
in the bay, captained by a boy of perhaps 14. He motored
us across the water, and within minutes we had arrived
at this ramshackle eatery, jutting out over the water,
completely packed with folks awaiting the buffet-style
steak and lobster cook out, held here every Sunday afternoon.
Hole in the Wall is a strange and wonderful place.
Every inch of the wooden walls, tables, and chairs is
covered in graffiti left by previous visitors, and includes
declarations such as “Peeple of zee wurl, relax!”
and “Come hungry, leave happy!” We left our
own scribblings, albeit of a far more salacious nature
than the regulars may be used to; “Men don’t
make passes at boys with flat asses” and “If
at first you don’t succeed, suck harder.”
As the squawking sounds of a Macaw echoed from the rear
of the shack, the grizzled and suntanned diners (think:
straight bears) piled their plates high, then tossed the
empty lobster tails right into the water, which were quickly
devoured by schools of eager fish.
The next day, we signed up for a little
more rugged adventure with South Shore Canopy Tours
in West Bay. After being fitted with safety helmets
and wrapped in harnesses with several straps and metal
components, we began our treetop endeavor. Each person
is hoisted up onto a suspension cable, or zipline, and
sent careening across the canopy, over the lush tangle
of vegetation. The view is spectacular, and the ride
itself offers quite an adrenaline rush, careening from
one treetop platform to the next. We tried mid-air maneuvers
such as the “Butterfly” (upside down, arms
out, legs wrapped around the guide), and my favorite,
the “Milkshake,” where the guides make the
cable bounce as you fly through the air. With 16 platforms
and 13 cables, the tour took roughly 45 minutes and
also involved a bit of hiking up the hillsides. Breathtaking
ocean views and sightings of green tree lizards and
lovely butterflies, combined with the ziplining, made
for an unforgettable afternoon.
All of that flying through the jungle made us quite
hungry, and we stopped into a charming little restaurant
called Que Tal Café. Owner Kim Dueffert
has created a welcoming and pleasant eatery, with very
tasty items to nibble on. Seated on the second story
balcony that overlooks the yard, we watched as free-range
roosters strutted their stuff. I felt no guilt, however,
in ordering the Cranberry Chicken Salad—it was
delicious.
Continued
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