It’s happened yet again! Roatan’s West Bay Beach was just awarded yet another Best Beach award in TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Awards for 2016. This time, West Bay Beach was named the best beach in all of Central America.
For years, international tourism has highlighted the stunning beaches of Belize, Costa Rica, and Panama – the sweethearts of travel agencies and big resorts. But West Bay Beach has been repeatedly named one of the best beaches in the entire region for years, and this year, it finally takes the crown.
Why is West Bay Beach the Best?
If your ideal beach is filled with soft, powdery white sand, dotted with palm trees and ever so softly kissed by a lapping Caribbean Sea…then you’re imagining West Bay Beach.
This strip of sand along Roatan’s western tip grants you the perfect location for a relaxing day in the sun or in the water. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef – the second largest in the world, behind the Great Barrier Reef of Australia – wraps around the Bay Islands at its most southern point. This reef system fringes around Roatan, close enough so that you can swim for only a few minutes before reaching it.
Fun Activities on West Bay Beach
The snorkelling straight off West Bay Beach is regularly called some of the best in Roatan. The Roatan Marine Park [link to new RMP post] has done a wonderful job promoting conservation and educating both local residents and tourists alike. You’ll notice signs on the beach reminding you to remove your trash and not to touch any of the coral. You’ll also notice some signs underwater as you snorkel, indicating the best direction to swim so you don’t end up in very shallow areas.
In addition to the amazing snorkelling available just off West Bay Beach, you’ll notice multiple scuba diving shops located along the beach. Scuba diving is what put Roatan on the tourism map years ago, and it is still the primary tourist activity on the island. The plethora of dive shops located on West Bay Beach offer you the chance to try scuba diving for a day, to take a full certification course, or to go out for fun dives all day and into the night.
West Bay Beach offers countless other fun activities for you to do during your visit, including parasailing, flyboard, jet ski rentals, paddleboarding, kayaking, and more. You’ll have the opportunity to fill your days with fun, or to relax all day on the soft white sand.
Relax on West Bay Beach
Buy a hammock and string it up between two palm trees toward the end of West Bay Beach, or sprawl out on a chaise lounge at one of the resort beach bars along the way. Play some beach volleyball or join the kids in a game of beach soccer. Marvel at the iguanas sunbathing on the iron shore at the end of West Bay Beach and enjoy some of the most stunning sunsets you might ever witness.
Yes, the sunsets are reason enough to spend your afternoons on West Bay Beach. Grab a cold cocktail, rest in the sand, and watch as the sky puts on one of the most astounding shows you’ll ever see. And after the bright orange sun dips below the horizon, head to the nearest beach bar for some live music and evening events. Movies on the beach, fire dancing, crab races, talent shows…you’ll find it all on West Bay Beach in Roatan.
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