4 caverns · down to 40 m (131 ft) · 4 suitable for an intro team
Cave diving in Roatán
- Caverns4
- Max depth40 m (131 ft)
- Water temperature25–29 °C (77–84 °F)
- Dive centres4
Diving and fills
Dive here with
1 more who guide here
Fills nearby
- Roatan Divers (West End)Air and nitrox (USD 8 per tank)
- Splash Inn Dive Resort (West End)Air; nitrox on request
Why come here
Roatán has no cave diving in the usual sense: on the reef walls you dive caverns, tunnels, swim-throughs and crevices, nearly all with daylight in reach. These are boat dives with a local dive centre, most from West End, in the Roatán Marine Park, where boats use moorings instead of anchoring. The water is 25–29 °C, with the best visibility in the dry season from March to September. Several sites go deep, to around 40 m, and call for a Deep specialty and good buoyancy; bring a torch.
Don't miss
- Hole in the Wall (Roatán): a sand chute through the reef with shallow rock full of holes, nicknamed 'Swiss cheese'; the deep part goes to ~40 m and the tunnel only comes out at ~30 m, so only with a Deep specialty.
- Bears Den (Roatán): a cavern for advanced divers through a particularly narrow, long chute, with more swim-throughs, volcanic tunnels and canyons outside it.
- Spooky Channel (Sandy Bay): an old river gorge, once a waterfall, linking the lagoon to the outer reef, its deep part lying in dim light like a Gothic cathedral.
- Mary's Place (Roatán): Roatán's best-known dive site: a fissure that probably formed in an ancient earthquake, with swim-throughs that need good buoyancy.
On a rest day
- West Bay Beach: The beach at the island's western tip, where in the southern part of the bay the reef lies close enough to snorkel from the shore.
- Carambola Botanical Gardens: Trails through protected forest with orchids, spice plants and fruit trees up to the top of Carambola Mountain, with a view of Utila on clear days.
All 4 caverns
| Site | Max depth | Type | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bears Den (Roatán)Entry or dive feeBackmount · Cavern | 15 m (49 ft) | Backmount | Cavern |
| Hole in the Wall (Roatán)Entry or dive feeBackmount · Open water / no overhead | 40 m (131 ft) | Backmount | Open water / no overhead |
| Mary's Place (Roatán)Entry or dive feeBackmount · Open water / no overhead | 37 m (121 ft) | Backmount | Open water / no overhead |
| Spooky Channel (Sandy Bay)Entry or dive feeBackmount · Open water / no overhead | 29 m (95 ft) | Backmount | Open water / no overhead |
Certification requirements, configurations and trimix depths are estimates for planning. Always check them locally and dive within your training.
Dive centres and fill stations
4 dive centres, fill stations and instructors
CoCo View Resort (French Cay)
French Cay, Roatán
Guided dives: Mary's Place (Roatán)
Dive resort on the south coast; by its own account most dive sites are within a 10-minute boat ride. Names Mary's Place, with its deep crevices through the plateau, among its most popular sites. Nitrox, courses and rental are not on its dive-site page: ask.
Roatan Divers (West End)
West End, Roatán
Air and nitrox (USD 8 per tank)
Ask (reachable 7:45 am–4:30 pm)
Training: Sidemount, Trimix · PADI
Guided dives: Hole in the Wall (Roatán), Bears Den (Roatán), Spooky Channel (Sandy Bay)
Rental: Gear is included in the dive price; torch USD 5 and dive computer USD 5 per dive (per its own website).
Calls itself Roatán's only PADI Tec centre: Tec 40, 45 and 50 (with trimix options), in doubles or technical sidemount, and a sidemount specialty. Lists Hole in the Wall, Canyon Reef and Bears Den among the swim-throughs for Advanced divers; the deep part of Hole in the Wall only with a Deep specialty (to 40 m) or as a tec diver. Sells the Roatan Marine Park's day tickets and yearly bracelets.
Splash Inn Dive Resort (West End)
Main Street, West End, Roatán
Air; nitrox on request
Ask
Guided dives: Hole in the Wall (Roatán), Bears Den (Roatán), Spooky Channel (Sandy Bay)
Rental: Mares rental gear; a torch is included on the night dive (per its own website).
Dive resort with its own dock in West End, opposite the Roatan Marine Park. Describes the Hole in the Wall tunnel, the Bears Den cavern and Spooky Channel on its own website. Courses from PADI Open Water to Divemaster, with nitrox; no cavern or tec courses. Runs its own airport transfer.
Sun Divers (West End)
Half Moon Bay, West End, Roatán
Guided dives: Hole in the Wall (Roatán), Spooky Channel (Sandy Bay), Bears Den (Roatán), Mary's Place (Roatán)
Rental: Full and shorty 3 mm wetsuits (per its own website).
PADI centre in Half Moon Bay (West End); Roatán's first PADI Eco Dive Center. Dives Hole in the Wall, Spooky Channel and Bears Den, and with a north wind also Mary's Place on the south coast (only with Advanced Open Water or a PADI Deep adventure dive, after a check-out dive). Offers nitrox dives and the PADI Enriched Air course; which gases it fills is not stated: ask.
Order: partners first, clearly marked as partner; then dive centres by distance from West End and independent instructors by name. Not a recommendation: check what they offer yourself.
On this list, or should you be? Get a free partner card →Where to stay
Find a place near West End
Villages that work well as a base for the caves in this region. Find a place for your team:
- West EndBooking.com ↗
The links to Booking.com are affiliate links: if you book through one, DiveTripPlanner earns a small commission. You pay the same.
Practical info: rules, fills and emergency numbers
Emergencies
- 911 (the national emergency system, 24 hours a day). Chamber: Cornerstone Medical Services at Anthony's Key Resort in Sandy Bay, Monday to Saturday 8 am–5 pm and Sunday 8 am–noon, part of DAN's network. Have your dive centre check that it works and what happens outside those hours.
Access and rules
- Roatan Marine Park: the sites lie in the Bay Islands national marine park; anchoring on the reef is banned there and boats use moorings. The park asks a voluntary fee of USD 10, for which you get a bracelet or token (at the park in West End and at dive centres).
Gas and fills
- Gas: air and nitrox at the centres in West End (Roatan Divers USD 8 per tank, Splash Inn on request). Roatan Divers runs PADI Tec courses with trimix options; whether it fills trimix for visitors is not on its website: ask.
Water and season
- Water: per PADI 25–29 °C; best visibility in the dry season from March to September. Visibility in Spooky Channel depends strongly on tide and current.
Getting around
- Travel: Juan Manuel Gálvez airport (RTB) near Coxen Hole, a short drive from West End; some dive resorts arrange the transfer. Don't fly within 24 hours after diving.
Good to know
- Read this first: Roatán has no cave diving in the usual sense. On the reef walls you dive caverns, tunnels, swim-throughs and crevices, such as the sand chute of Hole in the Wall, the Bears Den cavern and Spooky Channel; nearly all with daylight in reach. They are boat dives with a local dive centre, most from West End. Bring a torch.
News
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