blue harbor tropical arboretum

We visited the blue harbour arboretum last week and we were blown away by the many varieties of fruits and fruit trees and other species of vegetationand food such as cashew trees and the hydroponic lettuce that is grown in this spot. This is good news for sustainable development on the island.It is about a 45 minute drive from West Bay. You will need to get a taxis or taxi van if there are more than four of you. We had a driver at 15.00 each and 17.00 to explore the grounds. It may seem expensive but for us was worth it when you see the possibilities for locally sourced food and possibly an export crop re cashews.After your tour you are given a plate of the different fruit to test. Also you can buy drinks and smoothies made with the local fruit. The staff are warm and welcoming. You can also choose a guided tour if you want. You get to meet and feed the whistling duck and many other birds. You can purchase a bag of food for a dollar so kids and adults can enjoy feedingthe birds and the fish.

Very nice spot. We did the self guided tour. Most plants and trees are clearly marked. If you are staying on the island, be sure to buy their fresh lettuce and herbs.....yum!

What a beautiful place! Excellent tour guides and spaces. A relaxing few hours spent off the cruise ship. Had the place to ourselves. Just do it! We did both the arboretum and the hydroponic garden. Very interesting.

My wife and I visited in Jan 2015. The tour of the property was definitely interesting. We learned about the history of the gardens, the owners, the plants and trees, etc. The best part was the freshly cut fruits and jam at the end of the tour! Highly recommended!

We did a self-guided tour but our taxi driver walked with us. The plants are labeled with names. The greenhouse area is like Eden with a little waterfall. We also had the opportunity to see a few caged animals. The unexpected finale was a plate of different fruits to try and the miracle berry (Stevia). Very relaxing and nice way to see things up close. We visited for about an hour but you could spend much longer if you really examined everything.

I made the mistake of not wearing proper shoes -- make sure you wear either hiking sandals or tennis shoes. This place was beautiful and very serene. The little gift shop/ café located outside was lovely. I actually took one of the most peaceful naps sitting at a table there while my boyfriend continued to walk around. The gardens and grounds are full of lush vegetation and wildlife. One of the workers even gave us a plantain off a bunch that had fallen to the ground. Lots of birders there as well.

Our tour guide from Bodden Tours brought us here and we got to wander through the arboretum and look at all the beautiful gardens. Then we got to taste some of the local tropical fruit.

We are "do it yourself" people and seldom take tours. We took a taxi and just showed up. Most everyone else takes their advertised tours which is by tourist van. There were no tours that day (tours are extra $ after the entrance fee which was high in my opinion and should have included it but oh well) so we had the place to ourselves! Orville, a very nice well English spoken young man (why he had two new smart phones in his hands is beyond me). We walked into the hydroponic green house which was gorgeous. I have never seen lettuce so beautiful and so clean. I wanted to pick it and eat it right there! Then we walked the area of perfectly groomed plants. There is a nice aboratorium and also a room with a few rodent type animals. There is a little very clean spot of seats and tables and jams and coffee for sale. Orville brought us a sample dish of local fruits and jam with a few crackers. This is a bit out of the way, so taxi's probably do not just show up. Orville called one for us. I would say no more than two hours is enough. Even less time is fine. The downsize is getting there and back, one drives by the local huge dump which was heart breaking, seeing people pick thru trash.

If you love tropical flora and fauna, you will love this tour. We booked round trip transportation from Mahogany Bay and tours of the arboretum online for just $60 USD. Ana promptly picked us up at the predetermined time and drove us to the site, where Orville took over the duties as tour guide. He did a fantastic job. While escorting us around the property, he was picking a variety of tropical fruits which he later served us as a snack. The varieties of plants and trees was astounding. A true nature lovers rare find. I would highly recommend this adventure.

We were very pleased with our experience at Blue Harbor Tropical Arboretum. We have taken other tours similar to this one but were very pleased at the personal attention we received. The two most outstanding finds were the miracle berries and the whistling duck. If you are looking for a relaxing time at Roatan this is the place.

Beautifully layed out, very nice level walking paths. The entire place is absolutely spotless, all the trees and plants are clearly identified. The hydroponic houses full of many varieties of lettuce are a special treat. There is a snack and cold drink facility. Angel, our tour guide and general manager, is a wealth of information. The tropical plant pavilion, complete with waterfall, was my favorite spot! So many specimens all snugged in together and thriving. The orchids alone are worth the trip. An amazing project that is so worth the time for the education you can receive.

We loved learning about all the exotic fruiting plants in their collection. Orville was a terrific guide and very thorough, and we definitely had a lot of questions that he answered. I wish I had a pen and paper to write all the names of plants and fruits down. The matasabor was the best experience, thank you!!

This is a lovely botanical location. However, unless you really know your stuff, you must take the guided tour. We had an excellent tour guide and enjoyed munching on fruit picked straight from the trees as we walked around the beautiful grounds. Afterwards we tasted more tropical fruit and tried one of those crazy berries that changes all sour flavors to sweet (bizarre!). Recommended.

This was a great visit. We ended up taking a guided tour with Anna, who was extremely knowledgeable about the variety of trees and fruits. At the very least, kids would enjoy the tour seeing the ducks and chickens who follow you around the area of the conservatory waiting to be fed. One cute duck was "Daffy", a real ham. There is also a sanctuary with parrots, iguanas, turtle and a watusa, oh, and a squirrel from the mainland. At the end of the tour we were treated to a tasting of a variety of different fruits from the grounds. The staff was very friendly. It is worth the trip.

I highly recommend this beautiful tour. It is so interesting and the location is perfectly beautiful.