Does Roatán Get Sargassum?
Bay Islands · Honduras
Roatán does get sargassum, and 2026 has been an exceptional year. West Bay Beach was temporarily closed in February 2026 after a mass arrival covered nearly a kilometer of shoreline, and roughly 300,000 cubic meters were hauled off West Bay alone that winter. Historically the seaweed shows up from late March through April and again in August and September, so the February 2026 event caught residents off guard. Cleanup crews are aggressive - West Bay was reported about 90 percent clear within days - and the island's north-shore and lagoon-side beaches plus the offshore dive sites are far less affected than West Bay and the south side.
Sargassum in Roatán by month
What to know before you book
- •Roatán's normal pattern per Honduran press is arrivals from late March into April, and again during August and September. The February 2026 inundation was described locally as a surprise and out of season.
- •West Bay Beach is the most exposed and most consequential spot, since it is the island's main tourist beach. It was closed temporarily in February 2026, with the shoreline covered for nearly a kilometer.
- •Other affected areas in 2026 included West End, Punta Gorda, Brick Bay, the Parrot Tree marina at Second Bight and the south side. Brick Bay residents dealt with decomposing seaweed for more than six weeks.
- •Cleanup response on Roatán is fast and organized - municipal crews, hotel brigades and volunteers (including tourists) rake and bury the seaweed. West Bay went from closed to roughly 90 percent cleared within days in February 2026.
- •Diving and snorkeling on the Mesoamerican reef off Roatán is largely unaffected because boats run to offshore sites past the shoreline accumulation. Sargassum mats do cut light to reef and seagrass by up to 75 percent while they sit, though.
- •Rotting sargassum emits hydrogen sulfide - the rotten-egg smell - which can bother people with asthma or respiratory sensitivity. Rooms directly on an affected beach are the ones to avoid during a heavy arrival.
- •Alternative beaches promoted by the Roatán Tourism Bureau during heavy weeks include Pristine Bay, Little French Key, Turquoise Bay, Anthony's Key and Las Palmas.
Last checked · Sources: Infobae Honduras - West Bay temporarily closed over sargassum, Feb 2026, Paya Magazine - The Sargassum Conundrum (Roatán), Apr 2026, Tiempo.hn - West Bay 90 percent cleared, Feb 2026, La Prensa (Honduras) - Roatán beaches recover turquoise color after sargassum removal, 2026, Roatán Tourism Bureau - beaches to visit during sargassum, USF Optical Oceanography Lab, Sargassum Outlook 2026 Bulletin
All-inclusive resorts in Roatán
Villa on Dunbar Rock
Adults Only · $$$
Anthony's Key Resort
Family · $$$
Infinity Bay Spa & Beach Resort
Family · $$$
Henry Morgan Beach Resort
Family · $$$ est.
Fantasy Island Beach Resort, Dive & Marina
Family · $$$ est.
Margaritaville Island Reserve Roatan
Family · $$$ est.