rought African slaves to the islands. The Island Caribs defended their islands but lost much of their territory. In 1635, two Spanish ships bringing slaves to the West Indies were shipwrecked near St. Vincent. The slaves on board escaped and took refuge with the Island Caribs. The Africans adopted the language and culture of their hosts, and intermarriages brought a new culture; the Garifuna.
In 1797, Britain (the ruling power at the time) exiled the Garifuna to the island of Roatan and although some dispersed along the mainland coast from Belize to Nicaragua, many stayed behind to live on the beautiful island of Roatan.
Today, Islanders speak predominantly English with a strong island accent, and part of the attraction of the Bay Islands is their authentic island culture that still manifests itself in its people, their language and the architecture of their towns.
The Garifuna people exist today as they did back then. They will welcome you warmly into their community, speak to you in their native tongue and delight you with their music and dance – it is in their music and dance that you will find evidence of their African heritage.
All these cultures have brought their own mix of art and culture to the islands
- The climate in Honduras varies between the mountainous interior and the coastal lowlands and between the Pacific and Caribbean coasts.
- The average temperature in Roatan year round is about 80º F, or 28º Celsius with the trade winds providing a gentle breeze. The relative humidity averages 72%.
- From March until October, the weather in Roatan can be compared to that of Florida; lots of sun with occasional showers. During the rest of the year it will rain more often but rain rarely compromises the diving.
- The weather on the islands varies between tropical sunny days and the wet seasons. The wettest months are from September / October to January / February.
- The tourist season on the Caribbean coast is between December and April, during the U.S. winter.
- The average water temperature for the Bay Islands is approximately 29°C, or 84°F