Honduras: Roatán: Swim Alongside Turtles, Moray Eels, and Brilliantly Colored Fish

Roatán belongs to the Bay Islands, a chain off the coast of Honduras surrounded by the second-largest barrier reef in the world. Thanks to this felicitous condition, Roatán delights divers, who flock here to swim alongside turtles, moray eels, and brilliantly colored fish.

While adults dive, ride horses, or lounge on the white sandy beach, kids ages 5 to 14 can participate in Roatán’s acclaimed dolphin camp. In addition to providing dolphin contact (including teaching campers to communicate by using hand movements that dolphins respond to), instructors take participants to visit an iguana farm and a bird sanctuary. And just in case you don’t dive, the cost of staying at Anthony’s Key Resort on Roatán includes fishing, canoeing, and kayaking.

When planning a trip to the Bay Islands, keep in mind that March-May are the coolest months; otherwise, prepare for heat, humidity, and mosquitoes to sap your energy. Still, no matter how uncomfortable you get on land, you’ll have ample opportunity to plunge into 85-degree water with high visibility and a chance to gaze on coral-encrusted sea walls and even a ship wreck (placed there on purpose), not to mention all that aquatic life. Instructors at the resort will take vacationers out on boats to dive as long as they are certified. To learn more about what you have seen underwater, complete your trip with a visit to the Roatán Institute for Marine Sciences, which provides a base for biologists to study the reef and marine animals in the Caribbean. And don’t forget to wave goodbye to the dolphins as you leave!