First trip to Roatan in March

[scubakate]

Depending on flights, we're debating between a 10 or 14 day trip to Roatan. Part of us would like to stay at Coco View Resort, but another part of us would like to stay closer to the shops, restaurants and bars near West End, but not right in the middle of the action. I've also been thinking about maybe doing 7 days at Coco View, then 3 or 4 nights in West End. We'd like to stay somewhere close to the dive shop we use since we are planning on diving every day except for maybe one day off to tour the island. From what I've read, there are quite a few places that offer dive packages with their room rates. Anybody have any recommendations for our situation? Dive shops or other places to stay? Think this is a good/bad idea? Should we just stay one place the whole time and just take a taxi into town for a night if needed?

 

[scrane]

Splash Inn is nice. Chillies Hotel is nice, but a little more primitive. Chillies is very inexpensive. Splash Inn and Chillies' Native Sons dive operators are both very good.As far as Coco View goes, I think it all comes down to all inclusive vs a little more independence.

 

[KevinG58]

If you are planning on going into town several times during your stay, I'd stay at West End and dive with one of the ops over there. I can't personally recommend anyplace (I'm a CCV and RHR diver) but others will chime in soon.

Coco View is a fantastic place for a dedicated dive vacation. But taxiing between CCV and West End takes up time, I think it's about 45(?) minutes each way. You have to ride a boat from CCV to mainland, and vice versa. All manageable, but time & logistics... It is supposed to be a vacation, right?

If you are diving, and diving some more, and only touring the island / visiting West End on your no-fly day, CCV is an excellent option. RHR is good, and slightly less money, but even further from West End with its own boat ride to / from mainland.

 

[Doc]

It depends on what you mean by "we're planning on diving every day".

At CCV you'll easily be able to do 5 a day.

Anywhere else, certainly at any West Day-Dive Op, you're going to have to hump along to get 3 in a day.

Your thought of splitting up the trip is interesting and a nice dichotomy, but the quantity and proximity of diving at CCV is the huge draw and major distinction- if you wanted a "dive vacation", you can log 27 a week, many do.

Spending a few days West End will be a different experience, this is where most people go for a "vacation with some diving". The norm for a week in West End is a "10 dive package".

 

[scrane]

Last October I split my diving between Splash Inn and Native Sons and ended up with 39 boat dives over 14 days. I personally enjoy the diversity encountered in independent travel.

 

[robint]

Cocoview fills up months in advance, and March is popular. If you are really interested in staying there, you might want to check to see if there are any rooms available.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I've rarely ever done fewer than 3 dives a day and kore often 4-5 a day, out of West End. I too prefer the independence of choice, especially when it comes to meal times. I stay at Sunbreeze Inn because it is well run and has a kitchenette. I generally stay in a studio but if I were a couple, would much prefer the one bedroom. No view of the sea but has other delights like hummingbirds! Price is right too, nicely in the budget range includes air-con,satellite TV and the kitchenette.

There are some very nice places to stay in West End if you're willing to pay more.

 

[diving4ever]

I'm a huge CCV fan and would highly reccomend staying there. That said, on our next trip we're going for two weeks and we're spending one on the West side of the Island. Likely cocolobo; and we'll dive with one of thier three partner dive shops. The diving is a little different and the experience is very different...so why not explore both

 

[involution]

I've enjoyed diving with Coconut Tree in West End. They also offer Cabins or Dorm rooms (not sure on discounts). The cabins and dorms are really well cared for

They do a 2 tank morning dive, a 1pm and 2:30pm single tank dive.

Native Sons, and Sun Divers are some other places I'd suggest looking into

 

[diversteve]

If your only plan is to go into "town" i.e. the West End once - a taxi would be pretty expensive. The west end to the airport is $25 and CCV is farther. Plus most of the cabs are small 4-door Nissan Sentra's so you'll need two. It might be cheaper to ask CCV to get you a van driver - we used one to move our group around all week at $10pp/ride.

Another option to consider is Anthony's Key. It is 3 dives/day plus an average shore dive and a 2nd muck dive in the channel but I think they extended the BOGO into 2016 so might be a more reasonable option. I think two night dives are included also. From there the West End is a 10min. or less cab ride.

If you want to do days in the West End 4 dives/day is doable - we did it 3 of 6 days. Coconut Tree has it on their schedule: http://www.coconuttreedivers.com/diving/schedule.html We also did the shark and dolphin dives (opposite ends of the island) plus a morning at Barefoot Cay diving Mary's Place and the Prince Albert off CCV - 22 dives total. Travel time limited those to one more dive in the afternoon and once a night dive. Somehow we squeezed in an afternoon of walking around the West End also - at least my friends did, I didn't get past Sundowner's bar...

And as long as we're comparing apples to oranges - every other CCV boat dive is a drop-off back near the resort on one of the walls or the wreck. Every dive near the West End was a different site. It helps that the West End Wall is just off the bay as there's 3-4 different named sites on it.

Now places to stay - "not right in the middle of the action." - this map shows it better than I can describe. But I'll make some comments. Notice the bars around the water taxi dock - Nova/Booty etc. - that's the noisest part. So since that's a consideration I wouldn't think Splash Inn would work.
http://www.roatan.net/Roatan-West-End-Map.pdf

Cocolobo is a nice option - I rent a house next door so have seen it in person. Inn of Last Resort actually advertises you don't hear town on their website - yet it's a five minute walk away. From our deck on a still nite I could hear the West End faintly. But usually the surf crashing against the ironshore obscures it. On that point both Seagrape and Half Moon Cabins have dive ops - HMC also one of the better restaurants in the area.

Or go west. Luna Beach Resort is quiet as it's a 10min. walk along the beach to the West End. Which you'll do for dinner since they don't serve it.

Here's an aerial also. http://www.coconuttreedivers.com/roatan.html

The three green roofed buildings in the foreground are Cocolobo. The dock in the middle of the bay is Coconut Tree's and the condos on the other point are Coral Vista - some of those are on vrbo.com also and they're 4 bedrooms. Around that point the brown building out in the water is probably Fosters bar. Allmost at the very end you can see a big brown building on the beach - I believe that's Luna Beach Resort.

have a good trip whatever you decide.