Roatán Island

Roatán is the largest of Honduras's Bay Islands, strung along the edge of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef — the world's second-longest. The island is a low-lying strip of jungle and coral sand, with a fringing reef running the entire length of the south shore that makes for some of the best shore diving in the Caribbean. Tidal range is microtidal throughout: spring range 0.2–0.4 m, with occasional wind-driven surge adding more on the north side during winter nortes. The calm, shallow waters between the south shore and the reef crest are the island's economic engine — snorkelling, diving, and sailing charters depart from West End and French Harbour daily. The north coast is rougher, with reef-protected inlets popular with kayakers at low tide when the sandy bottoms are most visible. Sandy Bay and West Bay beach have the clearest water and the shallowest sand flats. Roatán receives the bulk of Honduras's cruise ship traffic; early-morning low tides before the ships dock are the quietest window for snorkelling the reef flat.