Roatan fishing villages tour: Punta Gorda, Oak Ridge & mangroves

Punta Gorda and Oak Ridge: the villages most visitors miss

A private guided tour of Roatan's fishing villages on the east side of the island, combining a land visit to Punta Gorda with a traditional cayuco boat ride through Oak Ridge and mangrove channels. The tour includes round-trip private transfer from your hotel, a live guide in English or Spanish, water taxi and mangrove tour fees, and stops for photos at local landmarks and a family-owned restaurant. Duration runs 3 to 5 hours depending on how long you linger.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit fishing villages and cayuco tour

• Stop for photos at Isery pirate boat
• Visit Punta Gorda village
• Visit Oak Ridge village
• Board traditional cayuco boat
• View Oak Ridge wooden houses on stilts
• Travel through mangrove tunnels to Jonesville
• Dock at Hole in the Wall restaurant

The experience

Punta Gorda sits on the northern coast with about 150 families of Garifuna people: descendants of African slaves who arrived in Roatán from St. Vincent in 1797 after the British exiled them following a failed rebellion. Your guide walks you through the village to learn how the community has held onto its traditions and fishing heritage. You'll also stop at the Isery pirate boat attraction for photos before heading to the southern coast, where the real shift in the day happens: you board a traditional cayuco and leave the roads behind.

Oak Ridge is only reachable by water, which is why locals call it the Venice of Roatán. From the cayuco you pass brightly painted wooden houses built on stilts and learn that family-owned fishing companies here remain the second-biggest industry on the island. The boat then winds through mangrove tunnels toward Jonesville, a passage that feels removed from the rest of the island. The journey ends at Hole in the Wall restaurant, a working local hangout where boaters stop between trips. You can grab lunch there if you want, though food and drinks are on your own.

Your guide handles the route and timing, and the private transfer means you're picked up from your hotel and returned there without coordinating meeting points or schedules. The whole outing runs between three and five hours depending on how long you spend in each village and whether you eat at the restaurant.

What’s included

• Visit to Punta Gorda Garifuna village with guide.
• traditional cayuco boat ride through Oak Ridge and mangrove tunnels.
• water taxi and mangrove tour fees.
• photos at the Isery pirate boat and Oak Ridge viewpoint.
• stop at Vagunda restaurant.
• round-trip private hotel transfer.
• live guide in English or Spanish.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 15 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Roatan Five Stars Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to see how Roatan's fishing communities actually live, away from the resort side of the island. The private transfer and guide mean you're not renting a car or finding your own way to the villages, and the cayuco ride is the only way to reach Oak Ridge. It's not an optional add-on, it's how the village works.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 12 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Punta Gorda like when we get there?

Punta Gorda is a working Garifuna fishing village of roughly 150 families on Roatan's north coast. Your guide leads you through the village to see how the community lives and works, and explains the history of the Garifuna people who settled there in 1797 after being exiled from St. Vincent by the British.

How do we get to Oak Ridge if there are no roads?

You board a traditional cayuco, a wooden boat, at the southern coast and ride it directly to Oak Ridge. The village sits on the water and is only accessible by boat, which is why it has earned the nickname Venice of Roatán. The same cayuco takes you through mangrove tunnels toward Jonesville and then to Hole in the Wall restaurant.

What happens during the mangrove tunnel part of the tour?

After leaving Oak Ridge, your cayuco winds through mangrove channels on the way to Jonesville. It's a quiet passage through the trees that feels separate from the busier parts of the island, and it gives you a sense of how the landscape changes as you move around Roatan's coast.

Is lunch included, or do we need to bring our own food?

Lunch is not included in the tour price. The cayuco stops at Hole in the Wall restaurant, a local spot where boaters eat and rest, and you can order food and drinks there if you want. The stop gives you a chance to eat, but it's optional and at your own cost.

Do we need to arrange our own way to the starting point?

No, round-trip private transfer from your hotel is included. Your driver picks you up, takes you to Punta Gorda to meet your guide, and brings you back to your hotel at the end of the tour.