Highly recommended: Eco Tour

[desert_bloom]

Our group of 12 just returned from cruising the Western Caribbean on the Norwegian Sea. The cruise was just great, with Roatan being the best port of call.

We decided to "go it alone" and arrange a tour on our own.

We came across the Eco Tour of the Mangroves that is arranged by the Sante Day Spa. What a great choice that was!! This tour is really well organized and professional.

We were all met at the dock, and escorted to our van, which was air-conditioned.

The tour started with an overland journey, giving us a close look at the island. While we traveled, the guide told us about the island's culture, history, and wildlife. We stopped for photos at breathtaking view points and to admire the lush tropical scenery.

Our first stop was in Oakridge. The guide said Oakridge is also known as the "Venice of the Caribbean" since all the houses are built on stilts over the water and everyone gets around in small boats. We sure didn't notice any traffic jams here!! A very pretty place.

Once in Oakridge, we took a 45 minute boat ride through the mangove tunnels. We learned the tunnels were built by early indians for protected transportation. We saw a variety of marine birds.

After this, we had a cool drink at a waterside cafe, before proceeding to our next stop, the hike.

The hike was in a lush forested area along a bay. Here you can see a variety of mangroves and island wildlife. The hike lasted around 20 minutes, was on a flat, well groomed trail, and shaded for most of it.

On the return trip we stopped at a view point where more pics were taken, and where we did some shopping.

 

We all felt the tour was fun, and informative too. We now understand how important the mangroves are to the ecology of this island.

 

Also, considering the amount of time we spent on the tour, how much of the island we saw, and the effort made by the guides, we all felt the $45 (per person) was well spent!!

 

A definite thumbs up.

 

If you want to contact the tour operators, here is the email address: sante@globalnet.hn

Or better yet, visit their website. Look at their Eco Tour page for details: www.santewellnesscenter.com

 

Happy sailing.

 

Desert-Bloom