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Two kilometres southwest of West End, towards the extreme western tip of Roatan, is the stunning white-sand beach of WEST BAY , fringed by coconut palms and washed by crystal-clear waters. The beach's tranquillity has been mildly disrupted by a rash of cabana and hotel construction, but provided you avoid the sandflies by sunbathing on the jetties, it's still a sublime place to relax and enjoy the Caribbean. There's decent snorkelling at the southern end of the beach too, though the once pristine reef has suffered in recent years from increasing river run-off and the close attentions of unsupervised day-trippers. From West End, it's a pleasant 45-minute stroll south along the beach and over a few rock outcrops; alternatively you can take one of the small launches that leave Foster's Restaurant regularly - the last one returns around 7pm (9pm in high season). A dirt road also runs here: from West End, head up the road to Coxen Hole and take the first turning on the right. If you want to stay , the Swiss-owned Bananarama (tel 992 9679, www.roatanet.com/bananarama ; US$25-40) has comfortable little wood cabins with mosquito nets and 24-hour hot water, while for something really luxurious, head for the Canadian-owned Island Pearl Resort (tel 991 1858, www.roatanpearl.com ; US$100 and over), which boasts stunning two-storey houses equipped with kitchens and hot tubs plus a gourmet restaurant set in a spacious beachside plot. Both hotels have good in-house dive schools.
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