Route 1-Port Royal Harbor

Approximate Time: 2-3 hours

Difficulty: Easy-Medium

Guide Required?: No, but useful for knowing the history

Things to Bring: Sunscreen, snorkel mask and fins, sturdy shoes (for walking on islands)

Description: Mango Creek Lodge itself lies at the western end of Port Royal on Roatan. Once the home of ruthless pirates and buccaneers, the area offers a plethora of historic landmarks that come to life as you leisurely paddle along the many cays and pristine reef. On this route, you can literally leave from your cabana porch and spend a couple of hours exploring the remains and ruins of a once bustling pirate harbor.

Setting off from the lodge, you can head west along the shoreline with the steep mountains of the Port Royal Nature Preserve rising above you on your right. At the westernmost side of the port, tangled mangroves line the shore and wading birds such as herons are seen stalking the shallow water looking for a meal.

From this far corner of the harbor, you can head east towards Lime Key. This vantage offers view of the tallest peaks on the island to your left, and on a clear day, the peaks of the mainland mountains thirty miles away on your right.

After passing by Lime Key, you can follow the inside edge of the reef towards the south side of the Cow and Calf Islands. These small but spectacular limestone formations come straight out of the water and are reminiscent of the days of Henry Morgan and other notorious pirate captains. The Cow Island consists of two distinct columns that were at one time home to a powerful cannon meant to guard the main entrance of the port. Looking up from the water at this solid rock tower, it's not hard to imagine renegade pirates crawling all over the jagged rock tangled with palms and vines. If you like, bring along a sturdy pair of shoes to have a look at the island for yourself. But keep an eye out for stashed loot- a chest full of silver and gold is rumored to have been found buried inside one of the many cracks less than half a century ago.

Heading due east from the Cow and Calf, you follow the colorful section of reef known as the Horseshoe. This is arguably some of the best snorkeling on the island and is a favorite of many of the guests at Mango Creek. Feel free to pack your snorkeling gear onto the back of your kayak so that you can anchor you boat and have a look at the brilliant coral heads and giant see fans. The cut in the reef on the western end of Fort Key served as the port's main entrance for centuries. When the Spanish came in 1782 to oust the English bandits from the harbor, the English sank their only boat in the middle of this shallow entrance, hoping to keep the Spanish from entering the harbor. Ballast stones and a few wooden beams from this and several other shipwrecks can been seen while snorkeling in Port Royal.

The next stop on this route is Fort Key. The white sand beaches along most of the western shore are dotted with ruins of the various forts and other buildings that have stood at the entrance of this perfect harbor. The oldest of these can be seen from the water- a small section of 7-8 foot high wall is all that remains of the original English fort built on the island. The island itself is now private (rumored to be the exclusive vacation home of the former president of Honduras), but anything of interest can be seen from your kayak.

After looking at the ruins, you can work your way back into the port and around the north side of Fort Key. From here, you can see the eastern edge of the harbor, along with a tiny mangrove key known as Careening Cay. In between the two islands, the wreck of a small metal boat comes a few feet out of the water at the edge of the reef. Locals say the ship belonged to a German treasure hunter who was diving one of the nearby pirate shipwrecks. According to some, the treasure hunter's boat sank as a result of disturbing the cursed pirate ships. The eerie, rusted metal contrasted against the bright blue water adds beauty and mystery to the ominous wreck.

Careening Key, at the easternmost shore of Port Royal, consists of little more than some sand and a few mangroves. However, it was a significant location for sailors in the port. On the northern edge of Careening Cay, ships were dragged up onto shore and tilted to one side so that their bottoms could be scrapped clean of barnacles and other things that might slow the ship down.

Turning around and heading west back towards Mango Creek, you can paddle along the northern shore of Port Royal where old pirate encampments were once found all over the surrounding area. Giant trenches dug into the side of one hill are still visible and once housed three giant cannons able to fire clear across the entire port. These hills were also full of temporary pirate camps during the peak of piracy in the Western Caribbean, with an operating cooperage on the shoreline doing the important task of making barrels. 

One final pass by the Cow and Calf and you're back to your cabana at Mango Creek. This route is a great way to spend a morning or afternoon, and is a leisurely paddle with plenty of places for snorkel breaks. Plus, since you never leave the protection of the reef, you can do it comfortably in almost any weather conditions. Knowing some of the history of the area before heading out is what makes the trip truly interesting. Consider taking a guide along with you to point out important places and be sure to take a look at the "History" page in the eco-adventures section of our website for more about Port Royal.