It may be hard to pull yourself away from the beach in Roatan, but you may find it worth it to explore inland to check out its jungle and wildlife. Nature parks in Roatan, such as Gumbalimba Park are a lot of fun and even educational.

Have you ever held a monkey?

Roatan has lots of them and you can even get an up and close encounter and have one sit on your head… yes that’s right, your head! Lol.

Get a chance to take pictures with the monkeys during tours at Gumbalimba.

The monkey got too comfortable!

Taking pictures with the monkey was my favorite part of the tour!
The trainers entice the monkeys with peanuts so that they will come to people. The monkeys are very clever and the monkeys will steal your bag or any food and drinks you may be holding!

For that reason, we were told to put our belongings in a locker before entering. (Gumbalimba provides lockers for free). They can even open Cola bottles so no drinks are allowed in the park.

Monkeys are so cute, yet sneaky!

Macaws are Roatan’s National Bird

Roatan Wildlife

As you walk through the park, a tour guide will teach you about the wildlife of Roatan and history of Roatan.
The Macaws are the national bird of Honduras. You can get a chance to take a picture with these beautiful birds as they perch on your arm.

I learned that the female and male birds can only be discerned apart by blood tests. Once they find a mate, they mate for life. True soul mates and love birds! Awwwwww!

Iguanas

Iguanas roam the park and are often found crossing the walkways. Black Iguanas are native to Central America and can also be found in Mexico. You will see lots of black iguanas around the park in addition to other species.

Say Hi!

Insectorium

I am not a fan of bugs but I opted in to check out the insectarium. The butterflies on exhibit were the most interesting to me as they show butterfly species from all over the world.

Butterflies from all over the world are on exhibit at the Insectorium

Roatan History

The end of the tour at Gumbalimba leads to a man made cave with drawings on the wall where the tour guides will shed light on Roatan’s history – including its topography, nearby islands, Honduras, its colonization, slavery and more. This was a very important aspect of the tour that gave me more insight into Roatan’s past.

Man made cave at Gumbalimba.

Cost and How To Get To The Park

Gumbalimba Park is close to West Bay and they have vans that will pick up from most hotels or pick up spots on the island. Many of the tour booths that you will see in town will arrange to pick up for you.

The admission to the nature park is $30. Ziplining and nature park is $55 total.
The zipline is a blast and I recommend zipling in Roatan to fly through the jungle – you can learn more about it in my post here.

Gumbalimba also has its own beach and pool so feel free to spend more time here once you are done with the park tour. They may also arrange excursions although I did not take advantage of that option.
Questions about traveling to Roatan? Leave a comment below and I will help!

Want a Sneak Peak of Gumbalimba Park? Check Out the Video from the tour – click below:

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More posts and videos to help you plan your trip to Roatan