Roatan Jungle Zip Line, Monkey Sanctuary and West Bay Beach

The Roatan zip line canopy circuit

Roatan's hilly interior is covered in tropical forest, and its ridges are ideal for zip lining. This circuit links 16 cables, 24 platforms and 3 suspended bridges, so you move from tree to tree high above the canopy, with sweeping views over the green hills and, on clear days, the turquoise Caribbean Sea beyond.

Before you start, the team fits your harness, helmet and gloves and gives a full safety briefing, then guides clip you in at every platform. Confident riders can try different positions on the longer lines, while first-timers simply sit back and enjoy the ride. A Roatan zip line tour needs no experience, only closed shoes, comfortable clothes and a sense of adventure, and it is a favourite with cruise passengers looking for an active morning.

The monkey and sloth sanctuary

The second stop is a small, family-run animal sanctuary that cares for rescued and resident animals in a leafy setting. A guide walks you through the park and explains how each species lives, what it eats and why the sanctuary looks after it.

You will see three-toed sloths moving slowly through the branches, lively white-faced capuchin monkeys, and brilliantly coloured scarlet macaws, the national bird of Honduras, along with several kinds of parrots. Always follow the keepers' instructions, keep your voice low and let the animals decide how close they come. Many travellers say the sloths are the highlight of their day in Roatan, so keep your camera ready for the moment one turns its gentle face towards you.

West Bay Beach, Roatan

West Bay Beach lies on the western tip of Roatan, a long curve of soft white sand backed by palms and lapped by clear, calm water. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef runs very close to shore here, so you can see fish and coral just a few metres from the beach.

The tour ends with free time at a beach club on West Bay Beach, where you can swim, sunbathe and relax before heading back. Lunch, drinks and snorkel gear are not included, but food and equipment can be bought or rented on the beach. People often ask if West Bay Beach is worth visiting; with its clear water and gentle slope into the sea, it is the beach most visitors remember from the island.

Roatan and the Bay Islands of Honduras

Roatan is the largest of the Bay Islands, a chain off the Caribbean coast of Honduras. It is long and narrow, with a forested spine of hills, fishing villages, sandy beaches and some of the best reefs in the region, because it sits on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second-largest barrier reef in the world. English is widely spoken alongside Spanish.

Most cruise ships dock at Coxen Hole, the island's main town, or at the island's other cruise port nearby, and this tour is timed around ship schedules. The drier months are usually from about March to August, while October to January brings more rain, but warm weather makes Roatan a year-round destination.