Everyone Books the Beach Excursion in Roatan—But We Found Better Options
Planning a cruise stop in Roatan, Honduras? Most cruise passengers head straight for the beach—but after visiting Roatan ourselves, we discovered there are so many more exciting ways to spend your day on the island.
During our cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas, we had the chance to explore several of the most popular Roatan shore excursions. Since we were traveling with a group of 22 people, we divided into smaller groups and tested a variety of tours and activities across the island. It was the perfect way to compare experiences and find out which excursions were truly worth booking.
Before our trip, we spent hours researching the best Roatan excursions and comparing prices. One thing we quickly noticed was that many independent tours offered through Viator were significantly less expensive than similar excursions sold through the cruise line.
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Cruising to Hondarus
Before we jump into all of the fun cruise excursions Roatan has to offer we need to talk about the different Roatan cruise ports in Honduras.
Roatan has two cruise ports.
Mahagony Bay
Mahagony Bay is absolutely amazing! Carnival, Princess, and Holland America are the only cruise lines that have access to this port. The beaches are superior and it is included in your cruise price.
This might defeat the whole purpose of my post but you really do not need to book a Roatan cruise excursion if you are on those cruise lines, unless you want to do a zip-lining tour or something in the jungle. (Roatan has some of the best ziplining in the Caribbean!)
Towne Center at Port of Roatan
All other cruise lines come into Town Center Port (Coxen Hole). You will want to book a Roatan excursion. There isn’t too much to do at the port itself.
Because we were on Royal Caribbean, we entered this port and made sure to book a Roatan excursion.
There are lots of fun things to do in Roatan and we are going to list out our top choices for fun Roatan Cruise excursions! Let’s Go!
1. Honduras Zip Lining Tour
The number one Roatan shore excursion is ziplining! Wow, zipling in Honduras is fun! There are a lot of Honduras tour companies to choose from. We went with Anderson Company and had a fabulous time.
What Does this Roatan Excursion Include?
- Tour Company is a Short Walk Cruise from Port
- Beach Pass (Beach Chairs and Changing Room)
- Transportation with a Bilingual Driver
- Zip Line Equipment
Book Roatan Ziplining and Dip Tour
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Tour Length: 5 hours 30 minutes
Why choose this tour? Because is it so much cheaper than booking through the cruise line plus this tour includes 3 activities: Ziplining, monkey and sloth sanctuary, and a stop at the beach.
Everything is included, and there are no hidden fees! It also has Free Cancellation!
We did a ton of research and because we had a group of 22 we wanted to make sure we were getting the best price! This is the best price!
Our Review
We were really nervous that our 8-year-old old who is a little scared of heights would not enjoy this, but man were we wrong. He loved it. The guide made everyone feel comfortable and even got us doing flips! It was awesome! We had so much fun zipling in Honduras! I highly recommend booking a Zipline tour with the Anderson Company!
Check Prices and Avaliablity Now!
2. Roatan Snorkeling Excursions
Honduras has the best snorkeling I have ever experienced! Before I went on our cruise I had several people tell me that they loved snorkeling in Honduras even more than Hawaii!
Seriously, I didn’t believe them at first but now I have to say that I agree! If you have read my blog, you know how much I love Hawaii!
The snorkeling in Honduras is unbelievable! I would 100% choose a Honduras snorkeling excursion unless I had little kids with me or those who are not strong swimmers. This might be one of the best Roatan cruise excursions available!
What Types of Roatan Snorkeling Excursion Tours are Available?
I am going to list out a few options, please note that all of these tours are highly rated and each offers a different experience.
- Roatan 3 Stop Snorkeling Adventure (5 out of 5 Stars)
- Kayak Harbor Adventure and Reef Snorkel (5 out of 5 Stars)
- Catamaran Tiki Snorkel (5 out of 5 Stars)
- Private Yacht Snorkeling Adventure (5 out of 5 Stars)
Book Your Snorkeling Roatan Cruise Excursion
Rating: All of these tours are 5-star! Tour Length: All tours are around 3 hours.
Why choose these tours? Like I said before, the snorkeling is amazing in Honduras. All of these give you an option of transportation whether by car, kayak, or boat.
Some of these tours include beverages and snacks or even lunch. You will have to determine what sounds the best to you and then see what is included in each individual Roatan snorkeling excursion.
Our Roatan Excursion Review
Hands down the Roatan snorkeling excursion is worth it. I like that there were a few options with a price range that will fit every budget, especially if you are traveling in a large group.
I have never seen coral as big as in Honduras. It actually is a part of the second-largest barrier reef in the World. There is so much, which makes it an awesome habitat for colorful fish. I highly recommend a Roatan Cruise excursion snorkeling
Check Prices and Availablity for Roatan Snorkel Excursions
3. Private Island Tours
There are private islands or keys all around the main island of Roatan. Some cruise lines actually have private islands that you can enjoy and book directly through the cruise line. This is a more expensive option for a Honduras shore excursion.
Through Royal Caribbean, we booked Maya Key which is a private island key Roatan cruise excursion. On other cruise lines, you can book Little French Key. Little French Key was hands down my father-in-law’s favorite Roatan cruise excursion ever!
But you can save money and book a private island tour through Viator on Private Fantasy Island Beach.
All of these are great options. Do a little price comparison and see what works for you.
Book Private Fantasy Island Beach
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars Tour Length: 5 hours
Why choose this tour? If you just want to relax Maya Key, Little French Key, or Fantasy Island Beach are the perfect place. They offer an all-inclusive island experience that includes lunch. The beach is nice and it is a great place to swim and snorkel.
Our Roatan Cruise Excursion Review
We loved going to Maya Key, The snorkeling was out of this world. You could bring your own gear but you did have to purchase a life vest to participate.
We walked all around Maya Key. There is an animal sanctuary, a pool, a nice beach, ancient ruins, and a gift shop on the key. It is a great place to relax and enjoy Honduras.
4. Monkey and Sloth Tours
Almost all the Honduras cruise shore excursions offer an animal experience.
There are monkeys, sloths, and lots of other exotic animals all over the island of Roatan. Everyone in our group of 22 had an opportunity for an animal encounter.
I enjoyed seeing all the animals but this is more of an “add-on to another tour” option however, you can book an animal encounter singular.
Book a Monkey, Sloth, Iguana, and Butterfly Excursion
Rating: 5 Stars Tour Length: 2.5 to 6 depending on your tour.
Why choose these tours? If you are an animal lover and want to see some exotic animals this is for you. There are animal encounters included with almost all Roatan cruise excursions.
What Types of Animal Encounters Roatan Cruise Excursions Are Available?
- Daniel Johnson Monkey and Sloth Sanctuary
- Roatan Cruise Excursion Monkeys, Sloth and Snorkel Adventure (5 out of 5 Stars)
- Roatan Excursions: Zipline and Monkeys (5 out of 5 Stars)
- Private Island Tour and Monkeys
- Gumbalimba Preservation
Our Roatan Cruise Excursion Review
I loved walking around and looking at all the animals. Some animal encounters will let you hold the animals. I did not want to, I was happy to watch them play in their cages.
There were lots of other animals besides monkeys at the location we went to. This is a must-do in Honduras!
Check Prices and Availablity Now!
5. Beach Excursion
Some beaches are better than others in Honduras.
We went to West Bay Taybana Beach. We knew going into our trip that this beach was going to be very crowded with lots of locals selling products. It was also dirty! It isn’t the best beach but it was included on the zip line Roatan cruise excursion we booked.
If you are going to book one of the Honduras shore excursions to the beach just be aware that West Bay Taybana Beach might not live up to your expectations!
What do Roatan Beach Excursions Include?
- Transportation
- Beach Chairs
- Beach Umbrellas
- Showers
I am going to recommend some of the best Roatan shore excursions for the beach below. My parents are avid cruisers so they have done pretty much every Honduras excursion. These are their recommendations.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Tour Length: 3 to 8 hours – these Roatan cruise excursions are flexible. You can stay as little of as long as your want.
Why Choose a Roatan beach excursion? The beach for the most part is a great place to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather and ocean. If your kids want to build a sand castle or if you want to swim in the ocean a beach day is perfect!
What Types of Beach Excursions Are Available?
Check Prices and Availiblity Now!
6. ATV Roatan Shore Excursions
How does riding ATVs through the jungle sound? Pretty cool huh! Honduras may be the most affordable location I have ever seen to do this type of tour.
A lot of the ATV Honduras tours include not only an ATV ride but also another activity. One thing I found is that if you book an ATV Honduras Tour you can get access to Mahagony Bay even if you did not arrive on Carnival, Princess, or Holland America.
What Does an ATV Tour Include?
- Transportation
- Safety Gear
There are a few tours I will recommend. Most of them will include other Honduras activities as well.
Rating: 4.5 and 5 out of 5 Tour Length: 1 to 6 hours
Why Choose an ATV Honduras Tour? This is an adventure! Riding ATVs through the jungle is pretty cool. There are paths all over the island.
We own a few ATVs so we know how fun they are. If you have never done anything like it before you are going to love it!
What Type of ATV Roatan Cruise Excursions are There?
Check Prices and Avalibility Now
7. Chocolate and Rum Factory Tour
Chocolate? Rum? Honduras has it all. Actually, you can book a Honduras tour of a few factories.
My father-in-law jumped on this opportunity and had a fantastic time. On the West End of the Island of Roatan are two factories to tour. You can also take a chocolate-making class.
Book a Chocolate Honduras Tour
Rating: 5 out of 5 Tour Length: 3-5 hours
Why Choose This Tour? If you love chocolate or rum this is a great option. This is a great tour if zip lining is not calling your name and hanging out at the beach is not very high on your list. Although you will have the option on this Roatan cruise excursion.
Type of Food Roatan Shore Excursions Are Available?
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8. Roatan Horseback Riding Tour
Horseback riding on the beach? I think YES!
If you want to have access to Mahagony Bay you can book a horseback ride on the bay. They will pick you up from the Town Center (Coxen Hole) Port.
This is the most beautiful part of the island so you are in for a treat!
Book a Horseback Riding Roatan Tour
Rating: 4.5 -5 out of 5 Tour Length: 1-5 hours depending on the tour.
Why Choose This Tour? I love horseback riding! The prices in Honduras are a lot lower than in the US for horseback riding. Riding on the beach sounds magical. I am sold! Next time this will be on my list!
Type of Horseback Riding Honduras Tours
Check Avaliblilty and Prices Now!
9. Catamaran or Boat Rides
You can not go wrong with a Catamaran Honduras cruise excursion. Like, I said earlier Honduras is near the second-largest barrier reef in the World making it a perfect place to explore.
Jumping on a boat and exploring what is under the water is a great idea. A lot of these Roatan excursions come with food and drinks. Hanging out on the catamaran is pretty fun!
Book a Catamaran Honduras Cruise Excursion
Rating: 4.5 and 5 out of 5 Tour Length: 3 hours
Why Choose This Roatan Cruise Excursion? You can not go wrong with this option! Exploring the island from the sea is a great way to relax and enjoy your time in Honduras.
Best Excursions in Roatan for Catamarans
Check Prices and Avalibility Now!
10. Scuba Roatan Shore Excursions
I know my family was so excited to scuba dive when we booked our cruise. Royal Caribbean offers PADI certification onboard so when you arrive at the port you can be ready to go scuba dive.
There are lots of levels and options for Roatan cruise excursions for scuba diving in Honduras.
What is Included in a Scuba Diving Roatan Cruise Port Excursion?
- Diving Equipment
- Transportation
Book a Scuba Diving Honduras Tour
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars Tour Length: 3-4 hours
Why Choose this Scuba Diving Honduras Tour? Roatan has the best diving in all of Honduras. There are shipwrecks, coral gardens, and sand flats, and sharks.
It is a perfect place to scuba dive and explore the ocean!
What Scuba Diving Honduras Tours are Available?
Check Prices and Availibility Now!
Are you Ready to Book your Roatan Shore Excursion?
How fun is Roatan Honduras?! There are so many excursions in Roatan!
Hopefully, you can pick out the best excursions in Roatan Honduras for you! I love the cruise excursions Roatan has to offer. There are so many and they are awesome!
Roatan Shore Excursion Travel Tip
One more tip, tips are not included in the price of your tour. Some tours it may not be necessary but if you book a tour with a guide, don’t forget to tip!
Have a wonderful time.
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We Love To Cruise!
We love family cruises. We have been on some fun ships, the Disney Wish, Odyssey of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas. We have gone out of Orlando, Miami, and Galveston. Vancouver is another great option.
We have visited Thrill Water Park at Perfect Day, and have been to port stops in the Bahamas We have also hit a private island in Roatan, checked out Costa Maya to see the ruins, and visited Cozumel. Castaway Cay is awesome. We did the Castaway Cay 5k If your itinerary includes these stops, take a look at some of the fun tours available.
If you are planning a cruise in Europe, we did some amazing excursions in Rome, Naples, Santorini, Mykonos, and Ephesus.
One of the best cruise gifts is an excursion. If you are looking to give a cruise addict a holiday gift one of these Honduras tours will be perfect!
Lisa is a Utah-based family travel blogger and founder of Planning Away. She helps families plan stress-free, kid-friendly trips across the U.S., Europe, Mexico, Asia, and Canada. With firsthand experience at hundreds of destinations—from national parks and ski resorts to international adventures—Lisa shares practical guides, tips, and travel inspiration for unforgettable family vacations.
