Honduras, Roatan Kayak Adventure

Day 1 - The trip will officially start at the Airport on the morning of the trip start date. Your Northwest Passage guides will be waiting for you wearing a Northwest Passage t-shirt and holding a "The Northwest Passage" sign.  We will then shuttle to Paya Bay on the North East side of the island where we’ll have time to settle into our rooms. Before dinner we’ll have welcome drinks and an orientation reviewing the itinerary for the week and answering whatever questions you may have. (D)

Day 2 – After breakfast, we’ll get fitted into our boats and gear and get straight out on the water to take-on the first leg of the circumnavigation. Along the way we’ll stop for cold drinks and snacks in the Garifuna town of Punta Gorda, and take time dip and snorkel in the clear blue waters along the nearby reef. Our first paddle leg will end at Turquoise Bay where we’ll spend our second night on Roatan. (B, D)

 Day 3 – Today our journey continues westward along the North coast paddling the pristine reef where we’ll have more opportunities to snorkel and swim throughout the day  (as conditions allow). The group will paddle roughly 8 miles today which may seem like a short distance, but will definitely fill up most of the day as we explore the sandy beaches and mangroves in search of wildlife and cold drinks. Our destination is the Upachaya Eco-Lodge where we’ll spend the next two nights. Tucked into the mangroves, this is a quiet retreat worthy of multiple nights. (B, D)

Day 4 – The objective today is to reach the Western tip of Roatan. This section of coastline is home to the most beautiful beaches and dive sites on the island. For this reason we will see more resorts and boat traffic. Don’t forget your snorkeling gear and camera! We will be taking full advantage of the well known dive sites and hopefully get a glimpse of some of the larger sea life that are native to Roatan. After landing our kayaks at the far end of West End town, we will shuttle back to Upachaya.  Dinner is on your own tonight allowing for a few options from a quite night at Upachaya or in West End town for some local flavor. (B)

Day 5 – We will depart from Upachaya early in the morning and head back to our boats on the West end. This will be one of our longer days of paddling as we round the tip of the island and make our way back East along the southern coast. Today we’ll pass the two main cruise ports and the airport. While the areas we’ll be passing are more developed than the North coast, it is no less beautiful. The deeper water offers a much darker blue than the shallow reef of the previous days.   We’ll finish our paddling leg at Barefoot Caye where we’ll rest up, have dinner, and spend the night. (B, D)

Day 6 – Fully rested today is long day as we finish off the rest of the South Coast. Weaving in and out of the near-shore cayes, we’ll make our way 14 miles up the coast to Parrot Tree Resort. Along the way we’ll stop in the town of Oak Ridge which is one of the original settlements on the island, dating back to the 1600’s when notorious pirates ruled the Carribbean.  (B, D)

Day 7 – On our last day of paddling will cover the remaining coastline of the island and arrive back at Paya Bay. This leg will take us through a canal on the Northeast end of the island which is also the most remote section of paddling. Without any restaurants or resorts, we’ll pack lunches in our boats have and enjoy remote mid-day meal on the water.  Upon arriving back at Paya Bay (our original starting point) we’ll have one last celebratory dinner. (B, D)

Day 8 - After breakfast transportation will be provided to the airport where we’ll part ways until our next adventure together. (B)

Note: This is our intended itinerary. As with any adventure travel, the forces of nature can be unpredictable, causing us to make adjustments and changes to the itinerary. Rest assured that our many years of exploring have provided us with numerous options if changes need to be made. If it is too windy to paddle, various hiking, cultural and historical options will make you glad for the winds.