Before you get to a place, it's hard to know what it will be like.  Roatan is long and thin, with several different communities on the island.  On the west side, there's West Bay, which has one of the most beautiful beaches on the island: lovely white sand and turquoise blue water.  Unfortunately, West Bay is pretty developed, so there's also tons of lounge chairs lining the beach, filled with lots of tourists (including tons of cruise ship guests during the week), and beach vendors, plying their bracelets, sunglasses and massages- they're very persistent.  Many inclusive resorts are along this stretch of beach.  It's worth a visit, especially on the weekend, when the cruise ships aren't in, but might not be your scene if you're looking for 'the real Roatan'.

The next area along is West End.  Many travelers love West End.  It's a short street that's lined with bars, restaurants, dive shops and gift shops, and has a mix of budget to mid-range accommodations.  It is a very touristy area as well, but also has residential areas.  Friday night is 'the' night to go out in West End, staying lively until about 2am.  West End is more budget friendly than West Bay, but several of the restaurants will still put a considerable dent in your wallet.  If you're looking for economical eats, try Rotisserie Chicken, El Boske, Cannibal Cafe, or one of the street vendors.  West End also has a beach, Half Moon Bay, which is smaller than West Bay, but is a very nice beach, with some areas of sandy bottom, and others with turtle grass.

Next, we arrive to Sandy Bay, home sweet home.  Sandy Bay is a spread-out neighbourhood, which is mainly residential, but also has a few resorts, such as Tranquil Seas, Blue Bahia, Anthony's Key (with dolphin experiences), as well as the botanical gardens, a few restaurants, and several non-profits.  If you're looking for an area where there are more locals than tourists, where you'll get to feel the real pace of life, where you can take a walk on the beach and no one will try to sell you sunglasses or DVDs, Sandy Bay could be the spot for you.  A 5 min drive from West End, it's easy enough to get there if you'd like a night out, but far enough away that you won't even notice on the days that a cruise ship is in port.  Octopus Divers is located in Sandy Bay, so if you'd like to do some diving, or learn to dive, there's an option in walking distance (and they offer special pricing for hostel guests).  There are also several very cheap comedores to sample local food (most of these places look like they're in someone's house, and in many cases, they might be!), as well as restaurants such as Blue Bahia's Beach Grill, The Blue Parrot and the restaurant at Lawson Rock.  If you'd like to do volunteering, Care4Communities is a great choice, offering English classes and kids sports in the area called La Colonia, or head a little further east to Partners in Education Roatan, where you can help with homework time, or read to kids in the library.  If you've got a medical background, Cinica Esperanza's health care clinic is an amazing place to donate your time.
The Sandy Bay beach is great for taking long walks, and there's amazing snorkeling about a 200 meter swim out.  In the shallows, the turtle grass makes wading not quite as enjoyable, but is environmentally important, as it is home to many juvenile fish.

As we journey east, we arrive at Coxen Hole, our 'metropolis'.  Coxen Hole is where the municipality is, as well as the post office, several grocery stores, banks, hardware stores, the public hospital, many schools and the market.  For most visitors, the market is a bit disappointing- it's not big or colourful like some markets are, and produce can easily be purchased on one of the pick up trucks that drive around selling it from the back, but you might like to wander through town to see what's there.  If you'd like to do some clothes shopping, there are many reasonably priced second-hand stores.  There is also a cruise ship dock in Coxen Hole, the Port of Roatan, and the airport is located just east of Coxen Hole
On the south side of the island, just before Coxen Hole (Sandy Bay is on the north, so over the hill from it) are the areas of Flowers Bay and Gravel Bay.  These areas are mainly residential, and are worth a drive through them.  

From Coxen Hole, it's about a 15 min drive to French Harbour.  Along the way, you'll pass the dock for the ferry, which runs twice daily between Roatan and La Ceiba, on the mainland of Honduras.  Just next to the ferry is the 2nd cruise ship terminal, Mahogany Bay.  Past that, you'll go through the area of Los Fuertes, past RECO (the island's power company, which is run on diesel generators), passing by the mall, and then arriving at French Harbour.  French Harbour has a grocery store and several banks, and is the main point of departure for fishing, shrimping and lobster boats. A few minutes east of French Harbour is French Cay, home to the iguana farm, a good stop on your tour of the island.

The paved road continues to just past the community of Oakridge.  Oakridge is a picturesque town, with its houses on stilts over the water.  It is the departure point if you'd like to do a tour through the mangroves.  The mangroves form natural channels, and you can take a scenic boat ride through them.

The dirt road can be bumpy and windy as you venture to the east-most point of the road, Camp Bay, but it's worth the drive.  By car, it's about a 1 1/2 hour drive to reach Camp Bay from Sandy Bay, so you should plan to make a day of your explorations.  Sandy Bay has a beautiful, long beach, and there's very few people ever there, so chances are, you'll have the beach to yourself.  There's a cute little bar/restaurant called La Sirena that makes a great stop for lunch, it's right over the water.  If you're interested in trying kite surfing, just before Camp Bay, near Paya Bay, kite surfing lessons are offered.

For many new visitors to Roatan, figuring out how to get around can be a bit daunting.  Transportation on the island can be very inexpensive and efficient, but can also be very overpriced, if you don't know the way the system works.  Here's a quick guide to help make things easier.  For buses and taxis, make sure you have small bills, as most drivers don't have change for a 500 lemp note (if that's all you have, let the driver know before you get in, so he can plan a stop to get change).

Taxis on Roatan are white, with a black and yellow number on the side.  Taxis offer 2 different types of pricing, collectivo and expresso.
Collectivo taxis charge per person, with the taxi being shared by various people, and drive set routes.  The first route is between West End and Coxen Hole, so if you're staying in Sandy Bay, you'd take a taxi on this route.  To get a taxi, you'd just go to the main road, go to the correct side of the road for the direction that you'll be heading, and lift up your hand as one is passing by.  If a taxi stops for you, it's implied that it is collectivo, but if you ask too many questions and they think that you don't know about the collectivo service, then they'll quote you expresso pricing (more about that in a moment).  To get the collectivo fare, just get in, and let the taxi know when to stop, get out, and pay your fare, no questions for fare confirmation needed.  The set collectivo rates are only during the day, from early morning (taxis start running by about 5:30) until about 7pm.  The rate at the time of writing is 30 lemp (about $1.50) per person to go from Sandy Bay to West End, and 40 lemp ($2) per person to go from Sandy Bay to Coxen Hole.  In Coxen Hole, you can specify where you'd like to be dropped off (such as 'supermercado Eldons', or el mercado).  If you are going somewhere along the way that is off of the main road (for example, if you want to get dropped off right outside of the hostel, because you're carrying a lot), there is a surcharge to take you there, about 5-15 lemp, depending how much off the road it is, and if you're in a taxi that has someone heading off the main road, you'll be along for the ride for this detour.  If you're leaving West End, there are taxis usually waiting at the entrance to West End that want a higher expresso fare.  If you'd like a collectivo taxi, just wait until there's a taxi that's departing from West End, and flag them down.  In Coxen Hole, some of the taxis that are at the grocery store would like a higher expresso fare.  If you'd like a collectivo taxi, check with the taxi driver, or if you don't have much to carry, walk back down to the main road to flag one down.
Coxen Hole to French Harbour is the next route.  I don't know the pricing off the top of my head, but the rates will be similar (probably around 45 lemp all the way to French Harbour).  The airport, even though it's just outside of Coxen Hole, is technically on this next route, so you'll have to pay for that distance as well (the minimum collectivo fare is 25 lemp, so Coxen Hole to the airport would be 25 lemp).  If you're planning to go from Sandy Bay up to French Harbour or somewhere along the way (like the ferry), this is two separate routes, so to get collectivo pricing, you'd need to switch taxis in Coxen Hole.  To go all the way in one taxi would be an expresso trip, and the price would need to be agreed upon with the driver before getting in.
Expresso trips are any direct taxi rides: usually you'll have the taxi to yourself, but if there was already someone in when you flagged the taxi, then they'd stay in until their drop off point.  Expresso trips would be, for example, going to West Bay, going to the ferry, but could also be somewhere on the collectivo route if you just wanted to get there without picking up anyone else, or if you didn't know about the collectivo service.  The same taxi provides both types of pricing.  There are no meters, expresso fares should be agreed upon before getting in the taxi.  Typically Sandy Bay to West Bay might be $10, for example.  If you wanted an expresso trip to the ferry, but you don't mind if the driver stops for others along the way, it'll be cheaper, maybe 100 lemp ($5).
In the evening, taxi rates go up.  There's still the option for a shared taxi, but there's not fixed rates, so you should agree on the pricing before getting in.  The later it gets, the more expensive it is.  A taxi at 9pm from West End to Sandy Bay might be 40 or 50 lemp per person, and a taxi for the same route at 1 in the morning might be 100 lemp per person (sometimes a little cheaper if there are several of you, but never back as low as daytime pricing, no  matter if the taxi is completely full, as the taxi driver can be waiting a long time between fares).  Even though the rates are more expensive at night, they're normally reasonable- if there's a taxi that gives a high pricing, just flag them on and wait for the next one.  Taxi rates are way, way cheaper than in North America, unless you're taking an expresso taxi and haven't negotiated well (by the cruise ship ports, all the taxis want high pricing, and airport and ferry parking lots are also pretty high, usually $15-$25 to Sandy Bay: we can arrange a pick up, including a grocery store stop, for $15 when you arrive if you'd prefer).

Buses on Roatan are vans, and they follow similar routes to the collectivo taxis (but will not go down side roads, or drop you at a specific destination in Coxen Hole, their route ends at the mercado).  They run about every 15 min, starting around 6pm and finishing by 7pm.  On board, there's a driver, and usually an assistant that opens and closes the door, and sometimes collects the payments.  The bus is a bit slower that a collectivo taxi, as it stops more frequently, and is sometimes pretty crowded, but is a relatively efficient way to get around.  The cost from Sandy Bay to West End is currently 18 lemp, and around 20 or 25 to Coxen Hole.

Many visitors love the freedom of exploring Roatan on their own, with a rental scooter or car.  There's just one main road, so it's pretty hard to get lost, and there's just one lane of traffic in each direction, no traffic lights anywhere on the island.
Scooters are about $30/day, and there are several scooter rental places in West End.  If renting a scooter, I'd recommend staying on the main paved road (on the dirt road at the far east end of the island, as well as the dirt road that goes out to Palmetto Bay, there have occasionally been hold-ups to people on scooters, so it's not worth the risk).  Also, make sure you're driving cautiously, not overtaking on curves in the road, as scooter accidents can be very severe.  That being said, it's a wonderful sensation to venture around the island on a scooter, so enjoy!
Car rentals start at about $35/day, with the cheapest options being offered from KIA, Econo and Dollar, which are all by the airport.  Car rental agencies will put a freeze on a certain amount on your card (I think around $1000) to hold for any potential damages to the vehicle, so you'll need to make sure your card can support that, and there's usually a minimum age (either 21 or 25, can't remember).  Sharing a car with a few other hostel guests can make renting a car a very economical way to see the island.  We've got maps of Roatan at the hostell, so make sure to ask us some good spots to stop on your tour.  You're welcome to leave the car parked in our driveway.

No matter how you choose to do it, get out an explore the island!  Roatan is incredibly beautiful, lush and hilly, with lots of great spots to check out.

For me, part of traveling is pleasing my taste buds.  Different food that I've eaten when I've been someplace new stays with me for far longer than many other experiences while I'm away.  Many years later, I still remember the spinach, cheese and corn pies from Shakespeare Pies in Manly, Australia, mudslides in Grand Cayman, crab cakes in Maryland, pupusas in El Salvador, and more recently, pao de queijo in Brazil and arepas in Colombia.  What food memories does Honduras, and specifically Roatan, offer?  All over Honduras, you can get baleadas.  Tasty and filling, it's just a flour tortilla folded in half, and inside is refried beans, a salty cheese and mantequilla (sour cream).  You can also get them with scrambled eggs, or with chicken or beef.  Baleadas are sold on just about every street.  Another common one is pastelitos, which are half-moons of fried dough stuffed with a mixture of beef and rice, or sometimes fish and rice or chicken and rice.  
One of my favourite dishes on Roatan is tapado.  It's a delicious seafood stew made with a coconut milk broth, lots of root vegetables like yucca, malanga and potato, as well as flour dumplings, and is the perfect combination of savoury, a bit of spice and a little sweet.  Unfortunately, it's not a dish that any restaurants serve- it's usually cooked outside on a huge pot and shared with family and friends.  Fortunately, my neighbour Sherwin makes a great tapado, so we've had him prepare one a few times for a meal with everyone from the hostel, so that everyone could try this great dish.

One of my favourite spots to take friends visiting us is Gumbalimba Park.  There's a zipline, as well the park, with monkeys and parrots.  The cost of the zipline is $45 (there are at least 6 zipline companies on Roatan, and they range from $45-$65: if you're looking for the scariest, that would be Caribe Sky).  The park entrance is $30, I think, but there's a combo special of park and zipline for $55.  My kids love the zipline: they first tried it at 4 and 6 years of age (strapped to a guide).  I'm not such a fan of the zipline, but hanging out with the monkeys in the park is lots of fun.