Exploring Roatan Honduras: A Perfect Day Long Road Trip Adventure

Roatan, Honduras - a travel hotspot just two hours off the coast of Honduras. It's been on our destination list for years and in May of 2026, we finally decided to pull the trigger. If you're reading this you probably already know - Roatan is home to stunning beaches and unreal coral reefs. Seriously I'm barely into snorkeling and I absolutely loved the reefs here. Many blogs emphasize Roatan's beauty, but they frequently neglect exploring the eastern side of this large island. That's why we're headed on a day long road trip around Roatan.

After spending long days hanging on the beautiful beaches of the West End and West Bay, we were eager to get out of the tourist epicenter and road trip around Roatan. We found Hamilton Car Rentals on google and were easily able to book a reservation via text two nights prior to our day trip. Day of we walked over from our AirBnb in West End, paid our $55 day rate and quickly got our car. After fueling up with gas, we were off!

We set our destination as Punta Gorda and followed Carretera Principal along the north coast. It's a scenic drive although the ocean is not as visible from the road as we'd have liked. There are a few pretty viewpoints, but they go by fast so keep your eyes pealed.

You'll cut across the island near Brick Bay before working your way back north. In the last 15-20 minutes before you arrive at Punta Gorda the road turns to gravel. It's VERY dusty so if you're traveling by motorcycle make sure you have an enclosed helmet. Traffic slows down quite a bit but the roads really aren't bad.

One note of caution, as of May 2026 google maps has the turn off for Punta Gorda wrong. The road it tells you to turn on is actually a very narrow private drive that is difficult to turn around in. So ignore their directions and go past the turn it suggests. Instead you're looking for a paved road 100 yard further that is clearly marked with Punta Gorda signs. Our drive here took around an hour.

ROATAN ROAD TRIP STOP 1:

Garifuna Culture in Punta Gorda

Once you start seeing water, you've arrived in Punta Gorda. Home to the rich Garifuna culture, the community is known for its music, dance, and traditional cuisine. Prior to your visit check local calendars to catch a live drumming performance if your timing is right.

Our was not but you can park your car and take a stroll to admire the painted murals on colorful buildings along the coast. If you're hungry it's a great place to try traditional foods like cassava bread or hudut, a traditional fish stew served with mashed plantains.

We felt slightly awkward walking around and taking pictures in what is essentially a fishing village filled with normal people doing normal things so we didn't stay long before getting back in our car to continue on.

ROATAN ROAD TRIP STOP 2:

The Turquoise Waters of Camp Bay Beach

Just 15 minutes later, we arrived at our main destination for the day, the remote Camp Bay Beach. This long beach has a single entrance, which isn't indicated on google maps. There is a small sign but we drove past it twice before actually making the turn. Use the screenshot left as a reference and you'll find it eventually. Find a parking spot and then hit the beach.

There was a festival going on the day we went so it wasn't as remote as we hoped. Many on google maps have said they had the whole beach to themselves!

The water truly is beautiful here and the beach has a more rugged feel than the manicured beaches of West Bay / End. We found a spot to hang at the top of the dunes where you can nestle in under a tree to get some shade. Hop into the water when you're hot enough and enjoy a refreshing swim. Since we are now on the north coast, the beach is more exposed to the elements, resulting in stronger currents and more waves compared to West Bay.

There are no vendors here so plan to bring any water and snacks you'll need.

After a few relaxing hours, we headed over to La Sirena for lunch. This was one of my favorite restaurants in Roatan. It's situated on a group of docks and every spot offers a great view. We ordered a few beers and switched between watching the hummingbirds and wind surfers while we waited for our food. We'd heard a lot about Honduras' struggle with the invasive lion fish and how they are encouraging people to eat them to create demand. La Sirena is one of the few restaurants preparing them so we knew we had to try it. We opted for the lionfish ceviche. It was delicious and the lionfish tasted like any other fish.

Once you've had your fill of the views, get ready to hit the road again.

ROATAN ROAD TRIP STOP 3:

Oakridge

Thirty minutes away (and headed back towards West End), you'll find Oakridge. A small coastal community filled with colorful stilted houses. If time permits consider doing a tour of the mangroves located here. Pre book online or just stop by the G&J gas station where boat captains are ready and waiting to take you. Tours can take anywhere between 1.5-4 hours depending on what you want to see.

The best way to see Oakridge is by boat. Unfortunately we'd spent a few hours too many at the beach so we opted to simply drive around.

I still regret that we didn't have time to do a boat tour because as you can see in this photo from Roatan Executive Reality: IT'S SO CUTEEEEE

We still saw some fun stuff though by heading out on the peninsula here and then making our way back on this frontage road. One note of warning - the roads are quite narrow here so if you're in an SUV like we were, go slow.

ROATAN ROAD TRIP STOP 4:

Happy Hour with a View

If you're not tired of pretty views yet - consider a stop at Kristi's Overlook. It's on the top of a hill, just 25 minutes away from Oakridge and a great way to break up time in the car as this day trip comes to an end.

We weren't hungry quite yet but I couldn't pass on a $10 texas sized margarita. Luckily for me I was not on driving duty.

The views, so pretty!

You've got another 40 minutes in the car to get back to West End. We hit a bit of traffic around French Harbour which slowed us down but we caught some pretty views of the sunset as we pulled back in our home for the week in the West End. Road trip complete!