Roatan vs Utila: Which Honduran Island is Right for You?

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If you’ve started planning a trip to the Bay Islands in Honduras, you’ll know that there are two main islands to choose from: Roatan vs Utila. 

The word on the street is that Roatan is for wealthy cruise ship passengers, and Utila is for budget backpackers who want to scuba dive. 

We knew we wanted to visit Utila, but we were tossing up if we should tack on some time in Roatan too. 

We heard these stereotypes time and time again when we were travelling through Central America, and almost got turned off visiting Roatan completely. 

But anywhere with beaches that look like Roatan’s peaks my interest, and we figured it was worth a try. Spoiler alert: we loved it. 

My unhelpful answer to Utila vs Roatan is both. Both islands are unique and worthy of a visit if you can squeeze both in. 

However, if you don’t have the luxury of time or would prefer to explore one island in depth, then this guide is designed to help you choose which is right for you. 

Throwing out all the incorrect preconceived notions you’ll hear on the traveller trail, I’ll compare Roatan vs Utila in a number of different categories like beaches, diving, accommodation and overall vibe to help you decide which island suits you best. 

Introduction to the Bay Islands

Roatan

Roatan is traditionally the more touristy island. It has two large cruise ports and receives mega-ships with thousands of visitors pouring off weekly.

There are high-end resorts along West Bay Beach and a plethora of tacky and unethical tourist attractions that we wanted to avoid at all costs.

However the island is big, and there are so many other facets to Roatan than just the touristy areas. The cruise ships arrive on the south side and most of the aforementioned awful attractions are isolated to this area.

The West End neighbourhood is the place for independent travellers, and we loved it. The eastern side of the island is remote and largely undeveloped.

Utila

Utila’s reputation revolves around two things: scuba diving and partying.

Whilst it does both these things well, there’s certainly a whole lot more on offer here.

Although the island is vast, development is almost exclusively centred around the small Utila Town located in the southeast corner of the island.

Whilst I wouldn’t say ‘local’ is the right way to describe it, given the dive schools are almost exclusively staffed by internationals, the island certainly has a better integration of local life and feels more raw, unpolished and authentic than parts of Roatan. 

🇭🇳 Read our complete Honduras travel guide to help plan your trip!

The vibe of the islands

Roatan

It’s difficult to distil the vibe of such a large and varied island. 

I’m going to safely assume you’re not coming to Roatan on a cruise ship (otherwise you wouldn’t even be considering Utila too!), in which case you’ll most likely spend your time around West End. 

We had visions of some kind of Cancun-like resort town that was loud, tacky and inauthentic. We did not have this experience at all. 

Yes, West End is a ‘touristy’ area, in that it caters for tourists with accommodations, restaurants and bars. But everything is quite small-scale and local. There are no polished or high-rise resorts in this area, most of the restaurants are local or expat-owned, and the nightlife is more focused on some rowdy dive bars, compared to fancy nightclubs. 

It did get a little crowded in the middle of the day with cruise ship passengers coming for a walk around in their shuttle vans. But before they arrived in the early morning, and once they’d cleared out in the late afternoon, West End was blissfully laid back and easygoing. 

We found that the typical visitors to this part of Roatan were slightly older than in Utila, I’d say 30+. And there were quite a few retired snowbirds either living permanently or seasonally in the area. 

Utila

Almost all activity on Utila is centred around one long road, Main Street. When we stepped off the ferry, it immediately felt busier than West End. 

Whereas in Roatan different types of travellers stay in different areas, in Utila, basically everyone is crammed together and thrown in with local life too. 

ATVs and motorbikes were flying down the street with shirtless locals with dreadlocks, backpackers trudging with their bags on, groups of young divers with salty hair grabbing a post-dive feed, and locals going about their lives, selling fresh fruit from a roadside stall or gossiping on their verandah. 

There’s no doubt that Utila has a younger crowd. I would say the majority of visitors are in the 20 – 30 years bracket, so it does have a backpacker feel. 

You instantly fall into the typical routine of the island: dive-eat-party-sleep-repeat. Utila beats to the rhythm of scuba diving, with the entire island basically revolving around what time the dive boats are heading out. Maybe we felt this way because we were diving, but it was infectious and it was a vibe we were happy to fall into. 

Minus the partying. Utila indeed has an active nightlife, but you can avoid it if you’re not into that.

I won’t say you can steer clear entirely, and there’s no doubt you’ll hear all about Tequila Tuesdays, karaoke nights at Underwater Vision etc. etc. but you don’t HAVE to partake, and we weren’t too bothered by the noise and revelry (as lovers of early nights!). 

Prices

Roatan

I’ll unpack prices a little more in each of the relevant categories, but most people consider Roatan more expensive than Utila. 

Again, with the abundance of cruise ship passengers paying for private drivers and pricey tours, and the fancy resorts in West Bay, it can be a lot more expensive. If you’re looking for luxury or higher-end amenities, it will come at a cost.

But in our experience, it doesn’t have to be more expensive. As a couple who travel on a moderate budget but don’t stay in hostels, we didn’t really find that much difference between the two islands, to be honest. 

It did take us a while to find suitable accommodation in our price range, and we did have to spend a bit more than we usually would, but I think that was largely our fault for leaving it to the last minute in peak season. 

The main thing to note regarding prices in Roatan is that most things are priced in USD. Tours, restaurant menus (even local places), taxis and water taxis etc. 

This is due to the large cruise crowds that swarm the island each day and don’t want to change to local currency (HNL Honduran Lempira).

You can pay your bill in either currency, just be very mindful of the conversion. Whether intentional or not, I think a little extra often gets added if you want to pay in Lempiras. Just do your own calculations before settling a bill. 

Despite this, we really didn’t find Roatan that much more expensive. Besides the accommodation issue, I’d say most things were on par or very similar to the prices in Utila. 

Utila

Most things in Utila are priced in Lempira (HNL) with the exception of large costs like your dive school course or accommodations. 

Overall, things are cheaper in Utila. 

If you’re on the lower end of the budget spectrum, you will find it easier to stay in Utila. The dive schools include free dorm accommodations if you’re taking a course, and baleadas are cheap and plentiful. 

However, if you’re sitting a smidge above a shoestring for your Honduras budget (aka you’re not watching every single penny), or you’re a couple that always opts for private rooms and a diversity of meal options, you won’t really notice a difference. 

Getting there and around

Roatan

Roatan is the easier island to get to, particularly if you’re coming from outside of Honduras. 

It has an international airport that receives flights from a handful of North American cities and neighbouring Latin American countries. 

If you’re travelling by land, the ferry ride from La Ceiba on the mainland is quite a bit longer to Roatan, so prepare for a bumpy ride. 

The ease of transport ends at the international airport. Once you’re on Roatan, getting around is actually quite complicated. 

The island is so spread out, and whether you fly in or get off the ferry, you’ve got a 30+ minute journey to get to West End. 

Once you’re in West End, most of the activities, restaurants, dive shops etc. are found here, and you can easily get around on foot. There are water taxis that run to and from West Bay Beach too.

It depends on how content you are to miss some of the main sights though. Although in my opinion, the popular things to do in other parts of the island are mostly cruel and unethical animal attractions so you can skip them anyway. 

Utila

Utila does have an airport, but flights are only from the airport in San Pedro Sula and there doesn’t seem to be a consistent schedule. From what I’ve heard, the flight is pretty rough on a tiny plane, and what we saw of the ‘airport’ didn’t inspire a lot of confidence. 

The ferry is the easiest way to get here, and you can come from La Ceiba on the mainland (45 minutes) or Roatan (1 hour). 

On the island, Utila is an easy win when it comes to getting around. Chances are, you’re staying on or very near to Main Street and 95% of the things you need are within walking distance.

You can rent bikes, scooters, golf carts and ATVs but it’s hardly necessary unless you’re spending a day exploring the further reaches of the island (which I would recommend!). 

Getting between Roatan and Utila

If you’re in the lucky position to be able to visit both islands, it’s really easy to get from Roatan to Utila and vice versa on the ferry. 

It takes about 1 hour, and there is one service each day in both directions. Dream Ferries runs this route, and the tickets are currently $30 USD per person. 

⛴️ Book the ferry from Roatan to Utila: once daily at 2:00 pm
⛴️ Book the ferry from Utila to Roatan: once daily at 10:20 am

Scuba diving

Roatan

This is where things get contentious in the Roatan vs Utila discussion. All I can share is our own opinion, which is Roatan is better for diving. 

The dive sites and the reef are in much better condition, and marine life is more prevalent. We did one dive on Roatan (with hindsight I wish we had done so many more!), and we saw more animals than we saw on 5 dives in Utila. 

There isn’t the same learning/course culture here in Roatan, so if you want to do a PADI Open Water or Advanced Open Water, you will be missing out on the epic dive community of Utila. 

But in terms of the quality of the diving, Roatan wins, hands down, every day of the week. 

Utila

I have aired my feelings on scuba diving in Utila, and as qualified divers, we weren’t impressed by the dives we did. 

However, I totally concede that if you want to learn to dive or further your skills through courses, Utila is the best place to do this. 

The community and culture around scuba diving are so unique, and I can’t think of a better place to be swept up in the world of scuba. 

There are dozens of dive schools, and they all offer free (dorm) accommodation for students taking courses, most with epic waterfront locations. 

You’ll learn to dive by jumping off the dock at your dive school into the calm and shallow Caribbean waters, and slot into an amazing community of other trainee divers, international dive masters and island locals. 

It’s a fantastic environment to learn, the prices are as cheap as people say they are, and the schools are professional and safe. 

It’s just that once you know what you’re doing underwater, the sites are a little bland. 

Accommodation

Roatan

Accommodation on Roatan can be quite expensive, and there aren’t that many options to choose from in West End. We had trouble booking last minute and finding something affordable. 

Most accommodations in West End are rustic but well-kept, many with self-catering facilities, which is always a bonus for us. Expect a clapboard Caribbean-style cabana, not more than a few minutes walk from the beach, surrounded by leafy gardens. That’s the vibe for accommodation here. 

If you want a proper resort holiday, you can find that in West Bay, which is the next ‘suburb’ over from West End on the stunning West Bay Beach. The rest of the area felt a bit clinical and expensive to us, but if you want luxury, this is where you’ll find it. 

Our top options: 

• Seabreeze Inn
• Mr. Tucan Hotel
• Mame Trees
• The Beach House

Utila

The vast majority of accommodation in Utila is connected to dive schools. 

As I mentioned, most schools will offer free accommodation in dorm rooms to students taking courses. But they also have private rooms that are suitable for couples or those who want some privacy. 

You’re still kind of staying in a hostel environment, and it’s anything but fancy. Diving is the priority here, sleeping is the secondary.

But the dive schools have incredible waterfront locations, and most have epic ‘beach’ areas with docks to swim, enjoy the sunset and laze in a hammock. 

If you’re not diving, or just want to separate your scuba from your sleeping, there are other accommodation options, but good quality options are very limited.

They are on the pricier end, and many of them are not along the main road on the water (I told you the dive schools take prime location!). 

There are a handful of higher-end ‘resorts’ (in quotation marks as they’re lovely, laidback and local places, not fancy Hiltons or anything). However, most of them sit on remote beaches with boat-only access. Great if you really want to relax, but not great if you want to combine some luxury with activities on the island. 

Our top accommodation recommendations outside the dive schools: 

• The Odyssey Resort
• MANURII Boutique Hotel
• Mango Inn Resort
• Coral Beach Village Resort

Beaches

Roatan

Roatan vs Utila for beaches? This one is easy – ROATAN!

I told you the reason why we decided to visit Roatan, despite all the negative impressions we had, was the beaches. Man, they did not disappoint. 

West Bay Beach is one of the most incredible stretches of sand we saw during 6 months in Central America. Yes, it can be busy. Yes, it’s lined with resorts and beach clubs. But even that couldn’t turn me off the aquamarine water and powdery white sand. 

The colour of the water was seriously jaw-dropping and I spent hours just floating around in total awe. 

In West End town, you can stroll a few minutes from your accommodation and enjoy Half Moon Bay Beach or Playa West End, both gorgeous little bays with calm and shallow waters. 

There are vast sandy beaches scattered around other parts of the island too if you’ve got some wheels for the day. Camp Bay Beach looks like the best of West Bay without the crowds. 

Utila

Utila has a handful of beaches, but they’re more like waterfront areas rather than soft sandy coastlines. 

This isn’t uncommon on islands around the region (like on Caye Caulker), and whilst the water is stunning, the beaches in Utila are not comparable to Roatan. 

Neptune’s is the best beach on the island in our opinion. It’s a private beach, and you’ll need to take a boat ride through the mangrove canals to get there. They charge 80 Lempira return for the boat ride, but there is no minimum spend once you arrive. 

They do have a nice stretch of sand, and a long dock that leads to vibrant blue and deep waters, with some reefs nearby for snorkelling. 

Chepe’s Beach is a public beach at the western end of town that’s a nice spot to hang out for an afternoon post-dive. There are palm-thatched palapas in the water, perfect for resting a beer while you laze in the water. 

Bando Beach sits at the other, eastern end of Main Street. It’s a private beach that charges a small entry fee (50 Lempira), but you get to use its lounges and facilities. The ‘beach’ is a shallow seagrass area, and you need to wander out on their dock to reach the deep water to swim, but the area is full of palm trees and it’s relaxing. 

Utila does have some paradise beaches, just not strictly on the island. Spending a day at Water Cay, a tiny offshore cay, is where you’ll find the real tropical paradise, but you have to pay a tour operator to get you there and back ($20 USD). 

Activities and things to do

Roatan

I would say Roatan has more traditional attractions than Utila. As I’ve said a few times though, so many of them are absolutely awful animal attractions that I urge you not to visit. (You can read more about what NOT to do in Roatan here). 

Excluding those, I would say the things to do in Roatan are pretty on par with the experiences you can have in Utila: 

• Go diving and/or snorkelling
• Visit West Bay Beach 
• Hang out on Half Moon Bay Beach and swim out to the iSoar Fun Boat
• Rent a car or ATV for the day and explore the eastern part of the island and Camp Bay Beach
• Stroll West End town and enjoy the local restaurants, bars and shops
• Eat sweets at the Roatan Chocolate Factory
• Watch an incredible sunset 
• Take a day trip to Cayos Cochinos

Utila

Many people wrongly assume there is nothing to do in Utila besides scuba diving, but we didn’t find this the case at all! In fact, we split our time almost equally between diving and exploring the island. 

So many people don’t see anything besides their dive school, the baleada shop and underwater, and it is a shame as Utila is a beautiful island with a lot of great things to do:

• Go scuba diving or snorkelling
• Spend the day on Water Cay
• Take the boat to Neptune’s Beach
• Rent an ATV to explore the island
• Swim and sun at Chepe’s Beach or Bando Beach
• Walk a rescue dog at Jasper’s Animal Shelter
• Enjoy an amazing Utila sunset
• Indulge at Utila Chocolate Co.

Restaurants

Roatan

There are some fantastic restaurants in West End. There is a nice mix of local and international cuisine. 

I would say most places trended towards the pricier end of the scale, but with a bit of research, we found some affordable places that were simply delicious, and not too pricey. 

All the menus here are in USD, so we were a bit alarmed at first, but once we converted it, I don’t think it was all that different from the prices we found in Utila. 

The best baleadas we ate in Honduras were from Roatan. I still dream about you Calelu’s!

Some of our highlights were: 

• Creole’s Rotisserie Chicken
• Calelu’s 
• Roatan Chocolate Factory
• Cafe Escondido
• Anthony’s Chicken

Utila

There are equally some great restaurants in Utila, with a mix of affordable local places and international options. 

After a week, we cycled through most of the places we could afford a few times, and despite there being cheaper options, we did splurge more than we usually would because there were some really good and unique options, like Thai and Italian. 

So although Utila can be cheaper for food, chances are you’ll spend just as much if not more, unless you want to eat baleadas for every meal. 

Our top choices were:

• La Casita
• The Pelican
• Josie’s Cafe
• RJ’s
• Mango Tango

Nightlife

Roatan

Nightlife in Roatan primarily happens in West End. From what we’d read and heard, we were bracing ourselves for noisy and sleepless nights, but we didn’t find this. 

I can’t give any firsthand experience of what the nightlife is like. I’m an early-to-bed, early-wake-up kinda gal. I think there is a fun but relatively low-key bar scene around the village. 

If you want to drink and party, you’ll find somewhere good any night of the week. However it wasn’t in our face as we had expected, and I was thankful for that. 

If you’re keen to party, here’s where you should be: 

• Frank’s Hideaway Bar 
• Blue Marlin 
• Sundowners
• Booty Bar

Utila

If you want to party, Utila is undoubtedly the place. The island has a weekly roster of events, ranging from Tequila Tuesdays to Karaoke Wednesdays.

It starts off pretty mild, but it can get seriously heavy if you want it to, and we saw plenty of dusty fellas still awake as we were getting up to go diving. 

Again, not being partiers we were worried how this would impact us. Especially as we need a lot of sleep after diving and for all the early wake-up calls. 

Although you can’t avoid the chatter and party energy of the island, you can still enjoy Utila if you don’t want to party. Something I think that helped a lot was where we stayed, which was on the eastern side of the bay. 

A lot of the major bars (Tranquila, Skid Row, La Cueva) are concentrated to the west of the ferry terminal. Every time we walked down this way we felt a different energy, and I can imagine I would be sharing a very different sentiment if we had been staying near here, with loud and sleepless nights. 

If you want to party in Utila, check out: 

• Tranquila 
• Treetanic Bar
• Skid Row 
• La Cueva

Final thoughts on Roatan vs Utila

No matter which island you choose, you will fall in love with Honduras’ Bay Islands. 

The laidback Caribbean vibes, stunning waters, spectacular scuba diving and epic sunsets can be enjoyed from either Roatan or Utila. 

If you’ve got the time, I strongly encourage you to visit both islands. Although there are a lot of similarities, each has its own unique identity and vibe, and you’ll appreciate different highlights in each. 

We were lucky to be able to enjoy both islands, but if you’ve got anything less than 5 days, I would suggest focusing on seeing one properly. 

• 👉🏼 Choose Roatan if… you’re a beach bum, a qualified diver and not the biggest party animal
• 👉🏼 Choose Utila if… you’re on a seriously tight budget, looking to get your PADI Open Water certificate and don’t mind a cheeky drink or ten

Now you know which Bay Island is right for you, you can start planning with our travel guides. Start here for Utila, or here for Roatan. 

MORE BAY ISLANDS POSTS

• West End Roatan Travel Guide: Paradise in Honduras
• 17 Things to Do in Roatan (+ Unethical Things NOT to Do)
• Complete Travel Guide to Utila Honduras: The Scuba Island
• 16 Best Things to Do in Utila, Honduras (Diving & More)