Roatán, Honduras – Dive Central!
Our Roatán Experience — 5 Weeks of Easy Living !
Roatan was a great place and we enjoyed it immensely. We stayed one week at West Bay, three weeks at Sea Grapes Resort, and 9 days at the Reef House.
The stays were as varied as they could be, and it we relished each of them.
Our Route & How We Got There
We flew in from Belize, and rented a cab for a 50 minute drive from the east to the west side of the island to stay at, surprise! West Bay. Then we moved about a third of the way up the island , still on the west side, to Sea Grapes. And finally, over to the east side and the totaly unique Reef House. Transport was easily available, so getting from one place to another was not a problem.
Where We Stayed
West Bay Colonial Hotel: As the name says, it is a colonial style. Very clean, nicely furnished, a pool inside the walls. It came with a complimentary breakfast served by some very nice ladies with big smiles. This hotel was about a 5 minute walk to the beach.
Sea Grapes Resort: so named for the sea grapes that grew naturally on the property. This was a 7 acre wonderment! When you wandered the property , you were surrounded by vegetation that was beautiful. And the meals were served in a thatched outdoor diner that had all kinds of character. And o so clean! We had a waterfront bungalow, and enjoyed the surf pounding on the metal coral, as they called it. The rock formations were quite spectacular.
Reef House: a mid level resort as far as the buildings went. Nothing fancy here, but right on the ocean on top of a reef! There were about a dozen houses there as well, and it was as laid back as could be. Great food, good prices, and snorkeling like you wouldn’t believe just off the main concrete pier.
What We Did
West Bay; a long beach was very nice, a very fancy resort was where we hung out for a couple of days, and snorkeled off of. Some nice restaurants all along the beach were sampled by us. There is a little town there, so some , but limited, shopping was available.
Sea Grapes Resort: this place was a gem in itself. A self-contained paradise. And just 10 minutes walk south along a paved road was the town of West End where you had lots of bars , restaurants, shopping and a couple of nice beaches to lounge on. We had a fav watering hole, although over three week we sampled a few.
Reef House: snorkeling! World class, not too far out. It was great and I will leave pics. Hanging out with the local expats. We went to two different bars on stilts over the water: The Hole in the Wall, and the …. . What a neat place. One local’s dog’s name was Marijuana lol, so that should give you an idea of the vibe . Fishing and nangrove outings were fantastic.
What Surprised Us
West Bay Beach : long, but very narrow in places. Locals spoke of erosion concerns. Met some folks from an arm’s length away back home!
Sea Grapes :the force of the three day storm we experienced. Sitting under our covered deck IMG_8548about a hundred yards away from the coastline and watching those waves pound away and blow up on the metal coral stone. Incredible power.
ReefHouse: Accessibility to snorkeling was phenomenal. We swam with sharks and huge manta rays (have great vids of those). And the laid back vibe. Keith the main man/manager was a great host, bartender, and chief bottle washer! Went on some great outings fishing, touring mangroves, and going to the bars on stilts over the ocean.
Getting Around
Airport to to West Bay by taxi.
Up the west side to Sea Grapes , taxi once again. We walked to West End from Sea Grapes.
Food & What Things Cost
[Restaurants, local food, drinks, groceries, typical costs, value.]
Mobility & Accessibility
All easy. Shan’s new knee wasn’t an issue here. Road system is good, paved, and good drivers to hire. Helpful folks; their first language is English.
What We’d Do Differently
Not much, if anything. It was nice to experience three totally different stays in different locations. Probably would have stayed an extra week at the Reef House. It was just so enjoyable and easy. People there were great.
Was Roatán Worth It?
One of our favorite places. Absolutely recommend it.
Quick Tips From Our Trip
At the Reef House you can get the locals to take you fishing. Don’t miss it. Ask for Walter, the guide. He grew up there and knows the reefs. We caught our supper!
Take an underwater camera of some sort and swim with the nurse sharks and manta rays. Incredible!
Use West Bay as your hang out time on the beach. It is pretty laid back. It was windy so the sand was stirred up a bit for snorkeling, but it was nice anyways.
Sea Grapes: go there for a couple of days just to enjoy the grounds. A mini park that is immaculately maintained.
More Moments From Roatán
We’ll add more of our own short videos and photos here as we build out our Roatán travel experience.
Next stop on our Central America journey: Costa Rica.