2025: Roatan | Five and No Moss

From January 4th to the 11th, we traded the freezing Denver winter for the humid, vibrant jungle of Roatan, Honduras. I’d originally heard of Roatan back in my diving classes—it’s legendary in the scuba world—but beyond that, we went in blind. Turns out, it’s one of the easiest Caribbean escapes from the Rockies: a direct United flight on Saturdays gets you from snow to sand in just four hours.

Boarding the direct flight to Roatan — Trading parkas for swimsuits: Boarding the direct bird from Denver.

The Mud & The Machine

We picked up our rental from Avis, expecting a rugged island vehicle. Instead, we got the “Chery”—a Chinese SUV that looked the part but lacked the heart. It was underpowered and famously met its match on the final stretch to our Airbnb. The road was a mud-slicked disaster, and we spent a stressful prelude to paradise stuck deep in the muck. It wasn’t the arrival we planned, but it certainly woke us up.

Patching up the muddy road in Roatan — The Chery vs. The Mud. The Mud won (briefly).

Jungle Luxury

Once we conquered the driveway, the VRBO made us forget the struggle. It was a stunning perch with ocean views, a pool deck that became our sunset ritual, and modern comforts like UV-filtered water (a huge plus here).

But the real amenity wasn’t the pool or the view—it was Juana. We hired her as our private chef for the week, and she completely stole the show. Authentic, incredible meals appeared every day. Lobster, steak, local specialties—it was a game-changer. For Kara especially, not having to think about “what’s for dinner” turned this into a real vacation.

Juana's amazing lobster and steak dinner — Juana’s masterpiece: Surf and turf, Roatan style.

Sunset from the VRBO in Roatan — Sunset views from the deck—the best way to end the day.

Sloths, Snorkels, and Ziplines

We didn’t just sit by the pool. Roatan is wild in the best way.

Bodden Tours: We got up close and personal with the locals—specifically the sloths and capuchin monkeys. Holding a sloth is exactly as therapeutic as it looks.
West End Boat Day: We chartered a private boat to explore the West End. The snorkeling here is world-class; the reef is right there, teeming with life.
Pirates of the Caribbean Zipline: Kara and the kids flew through the jungle canopy. High speed, high altitude, high fun.
Arch’s Iguana & Marine Park: A Jurassic Park moment. Hundreds of iguanas roaming freely, and some of them are ancient dinosaurs.
Dockside Fishing: The kids spent hours hand-fishing right off our VRBO dock. Simple, old-school fun.

New best friends at Bodden Tours.

Petting an old iguana at Arch's in Roatan — Meeting the elders at Arch’s Iguana Park.

Boat ride to snorkel in Roatan — West End boat day.

Hand fishing from the VRBO dock in Roatan — Sunset hand fishing off the dock.

Peaks & Pits

The Peak: The sheer ease of it. Four hours from Denver to the Caribbean is unbeatable. And Juana—she was the MVP of the trip. The food was spectacular, but the relaxation she provided was the real gift.

The Pit: The Mud Incident. Getting the Chery stuck in deep mud on arrival was a stressful start, but looking back, it just added to the adventure (and gave us a good story).