Tabyana Beach and Gumbalimba Shore Excursion
Cruise port stops at Mahogany Bay, Roatan Island, Honduras offer many shore excursion options. I opted to try an excursion that would offer a bit more than just a beach break, but I still wanted a little time to put my toes in the sand. The Tabyana Beach and Gumbalimba Park shore excursion looked like it would fit the bill.
Our day began with a downpour, but the tour was still on. This was a large group excursion in a large charter bus. We took a thirty minute ride to Gumbalimba Park and gathered in a covered area to wait out the rain. Rain or shine, this tour will go on, so be sure to pack a rain jacket. We were able to get a few trash bags to cover our heads, but the concession area ran out of them soon after.
The first part of our tour brought the group through a few caves for an introduction on the culture of Roatan. Following this section of the tour, we walked a good ways across a hanging bridge and across stone steps into a jungle area. This is where we encountered macaws and monkeys. When the monkeys hear the tour coming through, the swarm down on the group, coming from all areas in trees. A few of the monkeys will just jump on your shoulder or head, so if you are not comfortable with this, then you may want to skip this part of the tour.
After the Gumbalimba Park tour was over, the group loaded into the bus to head towards Tabyana Beach. Fortunately the rain had stopped by then. Our lunch was included in the tour, and we were encouraged to eat before another group arrived. The lunch consisted of BBQ chicken, local style rice and beans, and a few other items. Lemonade was included. After our lunch, I headed to the cash bar for a fru-fru beach drink before claiming a beach chair.
The beach itself is gorgeous, with sand similar to the Northwest coast of Florida. It’s a resort style beach, with rows of chairs and options to rent snorkel gear and kayaks. There is a small coral reef about 35 feet off the beach.
I would recommend this shore excursion for a first time visit to Roatan. At the time of our excursion, lunch was included, but now lunch is an extra free. The drinks were a bit pricey, but strong. At around $80 per person it’s an excursion to put on your shortlist. In future, I will opt for the Tabyana Beach excursion without Gumbalimba Park, only because Gumbalimba isn’t someplace I need to experience again.
Special thanks to Princess Cruises who provided this cruise excursion.
