As its name would suggest, Sandy Bay has plenty of beach right in front of town, but the water is somewhat muddy and not totally clean, making it not as nice for sunbathing as West End or West Bay. The waters around Sandy Bay and Anthony’s Key Resort (AKR) were the first established section of the Roatan Marine Park, created in 1989, and the snorkeling and diving are superb. Snorkelers can paddle out anywhere that’s convenient across a couple hundred meters of shallow water, much of it blanketed in sea grass, to the edge of the reef.

Finding a passage out across the shallow reef can be tricky—the best plan is to ask locals to point out the channels used by boats, marked by buoys. The steep coral and rock cliffs and formations on the ocean side of the reef are dramatic and great fun to explore with a snorkel and fins. When swimming, keep a sharp eye out for boat traffic.

The dive shops at AKR and Blue Bahia will take nonguest divers, for slightly higher rates than at West End. Most West End dive shops will set up trips out to Sandy Bay dive sites on request.