My partner and I were on Roatan for 18 days this Mar-Apr, and here's a quite detailed trip report (I'm kind of nerdy in this regard...)
Arrival –
• Flying Continental, left Toronto at 6:00 am, connected in Houston, and arrived in Roatan by 12:30 pm local time
• Airport is very small, cleared customs quickly (we were at the front of the line) and grabbed our luggage
• Walked outside of the airport gates, and started walking toward Coxen Hole (left out the gates). Cabbie #1 came by in about 1.5 minutes and asked for $15 to West End. We offered $10 and he refused, Cabbie #2 came by 30 seconds later and took the $10. Apparently, an even cheaper way is to cab it to Coxen Hole, exit the cab and get in the next cab or mini-bus to West End. At this point, however, $10 was good enough for us. I think if you get a cab from the actual airport it is about $25 so the 1.5 minute walked saved us $15.
• Cab into West End was about 15 minutes, and we got dropped off in front of our lodging
Accommodations –
Posada Arco Iris, West End - http://www.roatanposada.com/
• Stayed our first week and a bit at Posada Acro Iris on Half Moon Bay in West End
• We got a studio room with cooking facilities for about $40 a night (no tax if you pay cash, 10% discount for 7 or more days)
• As we arrived during Semana Santa we had reserved our room here (by paying an $80 deposit on paypal) a month earlier. We normally don’t book ahead, but was glad we did as it was fully booked the whole time we were there (even after Semana Santa)
• Hot water, fans (there are A/C units available for $10 extra I think), patio with hammock, fridge and cooking facilities / dishes, pots, utensils were all included. Importantly, Arco Iris has a dependable generator so when the power is out (which it is almost everyday for at least a few hours), you still get hot water, and a fridge that works
• Arco Iris is located in a quiet area of town, has a beach out front with chairs/kayaks for guests, a great (but pricey) restaurant downstairs, free internet, and most rooms face a nice jungley courtyard area
• Woody’s groceries (next door) was the best in West End in my opinion for selection and prices of food staples for cooking. The only thing we brought with us was some seasoning for cooking seafood and we managed to get everything else we needed from there
Sante Wellness Centre, First Bight - http://www.santewellnesscenter.com/
• My partner is in to fly fishing, and had planned a day trip with Mango Creek Lodge located in Port Royal (east end of island). I thought this was a good excuse to book myself into a spa for a day!
• Grabbed a cab from West End around lunch and negotiated a $20 ride to Sante (located near Oak Ridge, accessible by boat from the Parrot Tree Planation)
• We were originally going to rent a car to explore the East of the island, but it worked out to be cheaper to take cabs
• Took about 35-40 minutes to get there, and after being dropped off at the dock of the marina at Parrot Tree, we buzzed Sante from a post they have on the dock. Leon, the owner of Sante, was over to get us in about 5 minutes
• Sante has three rooms available for overnight guests, and the cost is $95 / night including breakfast
• We stayed in the garden room, all rooms have A/C, TV with cable and DVDs, fridges stocked with water, juice, coffee and tea, plenty of fresh towels, robes and complementary bug spray and sun screen
• Grounds are beautiful, and there is a small pool to cool off in, a hot tub overlooking the ocean (amazing at night), garden paths, kayaks / snorkelling off shore, and access to Parrot Tree Plantation facilities (i.e. swimming lagoon, etc.)
• Angela and Leon were great hosts and made us feel very comfortable in their home. They have a whole bunch of parrots as pets, as well as a few great dogs
• We had dinner here two nights – shrimp and grilled wahoo which were quite good – about $14 per person
• Mike fished the flats around the grounds and caught the biggest bonefish of the trip
• I got a spa package of a one-hour aromatherapy massage, European facial, lymphatic drainage of lower limbs, eye treatment and paraffin wax hand treatment for about $130 I think (my bday present to myself!)
Paya Bay Resort, Paya Bay - http://www.payabay.com/
• From Sante, we arranged a cab to Paya Bay for $25, and it took about 35-40 minutes to get there (Paya Bay is located on the North East side of the island)
• Paya Bay has the most beautiful grounds I have ever encountered – an amazing private beach, great walking trails, a secret cove (great place for sunsets), etc. Absolutely stunning place
• Rooms are great – ours was perched on a cliff overlooking the ocean with a little balcony, fluffy beach towels, A/C, a fridge, TV with cable and DVD, complementary water / coffee / tea, and nice hot water in the bathroom
• The McNab family (owners) and their staff do a FANTASTIC job of making sure you are well taken care of – we were treated to boat rides, special dinners, rides arranged, etc.
• Room was $130 per night (including tax) and we opted to get meals a la carte (the all inclusive option that didn’t include booze was $120 pp) which was a good choice
• Food is great here - fresh, good portions, nice variety but a little pricey (but reasonable considering the remote location)
• We absolutely loved the “Bucket-O’-Beer” you could get for $12 – 6 beers on ice in a bucket to take to the beach
• Mike also took a day trip flats fishing (booked through Paya Bay) and fished around the grounds
• This was a splurge for us but we felt it was worth it in the end!
Posada Las Orchideas, West End - http://www.posadalasorquideas.com/
• At the end of our trip we stayed 4 nights here (same owners as Arco Iris)
• This hotel is located away from the main village (about a 5-6 minute walk) in the North end of town
• Accommodations very nice, clean and comfortable. This is a newer building than Arco Iris, however, the patios are not as private (i.e. there are set in a row on each floor). There is a nice dock area though and other bonuses of this location. You still get the use of the beach chairs and kayaks at Arco Iris as well as free internet.
• We paid $40 for a standard room with a fridge and fans
As an aside, I heard great things about Mariposa, and we would have stayed there but it was full…
Diving -
• Did a bit of research on dive shops before heading to Roatan, and decided on Reef Gliders for our Open Water Certification
• We were not disappointed in our choice as the class sizes are small (no more than 4) – we were in a class of two, and the instructors and dive masters are friendly, very professional and extremely safety-oriented (being a lifeguard, this is something that was extremely important to me)
• We paid $250 each for the course which took us about 3.5 days to complete, then $10 each for marine park fees, and $30 for our manual (which we can share as we will at the same address)
• We chose to stay on with Reef Gliders to dive for the remainder of our trip and did about 15 additional fund dives with them ($25 / dive). They also have lodging packages available that are quite reasonable.
• The shop was very accommodating to us – letting us switch around dives in regard to weather, letting us choose the dive sites, etc.
• We would definitely recommend this shop to others, and when we return to Roatan we will dive with them again
• They offered a wide variety of speciality classes, speciality dives, and always always small dive groups
Food –
• We opted to cook the majority of our breakfasts, and some lunches and dinners ourselves which saved a wack of money and allowed us to splurge on dinners out. Woody’s groceries is the cheapest in West End, and if you are going to be around for a bit a cab into Coxen hole to go to HB Warren is worth it (WAYYY cheaper)
• Rudy’s – near Fosters. Great for breakfast – Banana Pancakes for $3.50, great smoothies and decent coffee.
• The Bakery #2 – near Sundowners. Good, filling breakfasts but pricey. Great French toast and “egg subs” for around $5.
• Pizza place beside the bakery is good for a cheap lunch.
• Argentinian Grill – Half Moon Bay - expensive but good. Nice for a change from seafood – go for the “big meat” they have here. (around $14 for beef tenderloin with salads, bread and sides)
• The Gallery – good, cheap pastas, curry and other food for lunch or dinner (~$4 for fresh pesto pasta).
• Rostisserie Chicken – at Georphie’s - the best deal for good, filling food. ¼ chicken dinner with three sides for $5. Quesadillas are decent but very cheesy. We often split one ¼ chicken with no sides ($3.50), and one with sides and this was more than enough for two.
• Eagle Ray’s bar and grill – nice patio out over the water. Fish and chips to die for ($10).
• Valerie’s Place – just south of main intersection - kind of pricey, but killer homemade meals. Try the short-ribs with three sides for $8. Also, some fantastic frozen drinks.
• Cannibal Café – very filling tacos and burritos that are decent enough ($4 for taco, can’t remember price of burritos)
• Pura Vida – decent pizza’s here – about $12 for a medium and we have enough for lunch the next day.
• Pinnochio’s – some very creative meal options here like: honey ginger lobster, mango avocado shrimp, lobster and gorgonzola pasta, etc. Between $10-20 a meal but worth it. Some very creative drink options here as well
• Lady selling plates of food beside Woody’s groceries – very good, filling and cheap meals (i.e. bbq chicken with sides for $3)
• The little stand across from Sundowners has great smoothies and good baleadas / empanda’s
• Black truck parked in front of the mini super / Roatan water sports area with coolers in the back has great seafood to buy - $5 for a pound of jumbo shrimp, $8 for a pound of lobster tails
• Fruits and veggies from the couple of trucks parked along the main drag
Activities and other stuff –
• Primary purpose of our trip was diving, with a little beach, fly fishing and beer drinking to mix it up with. We were not disappointed. For more fly fishing info just pm me and I will pass you along to the “fisherman”
• We're in our late 20s, and although we still like to party a bit, we are not into the whole Cancun / Cabo / Ibizia party scenes. Roatan fit us perfectly... a couple low key bars for early evening but the option to go and dance if you need to later on in the night. Some bars have decent live music throughout the week.
• The beach in West End (at Half Moon Bay) is pretty nice, usually not very crowded, and great snorkelling right off shore (walk to the south end of the beach where the church is along the water as far as you can and slip in there). There are lost of little biting “no see ums” but they are scared off by insect repellent so are preventable.
• West Bay beach ($2.50 water taxi ride) is gorgeous and a typical “dream Caribbean” beach. However, it’s a bit more developed and less rustic than West End – decide for yourself which you prefer
• The walk from West End to West Bay (about 25 minutes) along the beach is fun (but maybe not on a super hot day)
• We walked from West End to Sandy Bay along the main road but this was not a very exciting walk, and frankly kind of dangerous because of the narrow shoulders (we cabbed it back for 25 lmps / $1.50)
• Many people rented scooters for about $20 for 24 hours (I have a brutal fear of those things so we did not)
• Lots and lots of sunset watching – great views from Sundowners (who have some good Happy hour specials between 4 – 7 pm)
• Although food was not as cheap as elsewhere in South / Central America, the diving is cheap, snorkelling and beach are free, people are friendly and helpful, transportation is easy and cheap, and the lodging is quite reasonable you can do Roatan on a moderate budget – unlike the other more traditional Caribbean diving destinations
Cheers!
