Roatan resort for snorkelers?

[xyz99]

We are thinking about a 1 week trip to Roatan next winter. We are not divers, but love snorkeling, so we are looking for a resort with a good reef and lots of fish, where we can snorkel from shore.

If this was the main requirement, which resort would you choose for a week? We like Coco View, but are afraid it caters mostly to divers.

Not interested in night life, but we like some comfort. Also, nice grounds for early morning photography (flowers, birds, etc) would be nice.
Thank you

 

[Doc]

If this was the main requirement, which resort would you choose for a week? We like Coco View, but are afraid it caters mostly to divers.

CCV has large groups of snorkelers several times a year. Yes, it is a dive resort, and the dive sites along the South side do break in 5 to 20fsw. So, there is plenty to do at most dive sites for snorkelers. It's best to ask the Dive Ops Manager which boat's dive site is best for you on any given day, then ask to come aboard.

The real trick at CCV is the shore dive/snorkel. Why would anyone want to do that over and over? A lot of us old time divers do exactly that.

Now, I think that snorkeling stuff is a lot of work, but quite often in the "Front Yard" shore dive at CCV, I am sharing space with avid snorkelers. I dive shallow, usually in the same areas that you tube suckers inhabit. Many weeks, I find no reason to get on a boat- I just wander into the water at the shore.

CCV has the best shore dive access on Roatan. FI is about a four minute surface swim farther away, but watch out for their ski boats and wave runners as you cross over the channel on the way to the shallow CCV Front Yard.

The Dive Shop staff is extremely well versed in the naturalist perspective and are available to train or answer your critter questions.

Snorkeling... If this was the main requirement...

Yes, I would send you to CCV, as long as you meant what you said right there. Not much else going on except for divers... and snorkelers!

 

[xyz99]

Roatanman,
Thanks a lot. I had no idea we could tag along the diving boat trips and just snorkel where they dive, that sounds wonderful.
We are also considering getting scuba certifications, but I am a little claustrophobic, thus afraid to try it. Although I am sure I would love it…
Generally, how early would we need to book for a bungalow? Thanks

 

[Patrick_]

I can't comment on other resorts as I've only been to CCV. My wife is a snorkeler only and she had a ball and also got her share of napping and reading in the hammock in. Many of the boat dives are perfectly fine for snorkeling (just check with the divemaster of the boat ... pay the dive fees it's not much more so you get access to the boat) and the front reef is fantastic. Funny enough I would come back from a dive and on the boat she would tell me all the cool things she saw while snorkeling or back at the resort ... usually better than what I saw underwater at 60ft which frankly was irritating.

You say you might be interested in diving ... can't think of a better place to learn they have a full shop and can accomodate you. You could settle on a scuba experience before even committing to certification. If after the experience dive it's not for you call it a day and stick with the snorkeling rest of the trip.

To the others comment though there is nothing ... really nothing to do at CCV but snorkel or dive unless you take a day off and go on a side trip/car rental/or charter and they offer plenty of those and take advantage of one for a break midtrip. It's like an isolated summer camp for adults. The good news is if diving/snorkeling is really your primary objective you will be too tired to do anything else anyway. If you are looking for more to your vacation every day you might be a little frustrated.


If you go there have the monkey lala and real coke out of a bottle.

CCV also has an internet board ... go there for anything you need to learn. We also got the island lecture from Doc while we were there he is an invaluable resource for CCV but also about the whole island in general.

Don't necessarilly rule out the west end and taking boats to snorkel but really even the west end isn't night life central. Roatan is a little sleepy IMO and that's just fine.

 

[diversteve]

What about Luna Beach Resort? Snorkel Map | Luna Beach Dive Resort

We saw several groups of snorkelers (different days) off the east side of Half Moon Bay also. Nice beach and a 5min. water taxi ride from Luna Beach for something different. Also many of the good restaurants are in the West End there.

edit: weather might be a factor on the north side in winter. I'd ask about it during when you're planning to go.

 

[xyz99]

I think we would like CCV, for the snorkeling, but we might miss the beach. We both enjoy a nice stroll on the beach at sunset…
Also, what I would miss is the vegetation and any nature (flowers, birds, insects, lizards) photo opportunities, the trip to the botanical garden, etc.. For this reason, Luna Beach looks nice, too.

I know that we would not like a big resort (Infinity Bay is out), but we are still exploring options for a smaller resort with good snorkeling from the shore. How is snorkeling at Anthony’s Key or Barefoot Cay?
We are considering a February trip, so given the winds, which side of the island is calmer in that period? Thanks

 

[Doc]

.... but we are still exploring options for a smaller resort with good snorkeling from the shore. How is snorkeling at Anthony’s Key or Barefoot Cay?

The North side resorts have no possibility of shore snorkeling (over a reef) because of geographical formation. The fringing reefs lie far offshore. (This ties in to your question about weather, below...) Anthony's Key (AKR) has, at one time in the recent past, completely dropped any reference to a "shore dive", although they now mention it on their website. Without exception, divers who have posted here discounted the existence of a viable shore dive there. AKR has a fabulous "muck dive", but this kind of diving is more of a night dive thing on SCUBA.

Look at Google Earth and see the terrain surrounding Barefoot Key (as well as the entire island). Note that around BFK, there is a superb "muck" dive/snorkel, but it's a real hump to the live reef, which, in that area, breaks fairly deep, in 35fsw or so.

We are considering a February trip, so given the winds, which side of the island is calmer in that period? Thanks

The short answer: Likely the South side will be calmer. The storms on Roatan are called "Northers" because the smash down from the North. This has caused a dramatic difference in the reef architecture over the long term... over the short term, a more than occasional Norther can shut down everything except South side resorts completely.

Not as good for snorkelers as the CCV/FI immediate area, is Reef House Resort (RHR) running a very close third. As land develops, as resorts are built, other real live shore dives will be offered on Roatan, but for right now, I've listed the few actual places where you step out of your room and into the reef.

 

[frontiernurse]

I've only been to Roatan once and stayed at Banarama which has a very special place in my heart. It is really comfortable and pretty and very inexpensive. It has a great beach in front, and if you walk 5 minutes to the left of the hotel to the end of the beach there is an amazing reef with tons of fish. I spent about 10 minutes chilling with a sea turtle in about 4 feet of water while he (she?) ate grass. I was usually alone there (maybe 1 or 2 other snorkelers) so the site isn't that well known. Down side... one day I went and visibility was only 4 feet. But I was there during the hurricane season (October) and it was a little rough. There is a dive shop at the hotel that will take snorkelers along with divers to dive spots. There are really nice reefs only 5 minutes boat ride from the hotel. When the weather on that side of the Island was bad we went to their dock on the south side so I dove every day I was there regardless of the crazy weather. It was so great! I really want to go back again when it isn't pouring every day.

 

[diversteve]

You're not going to be able to stroll very far along the beach at Barefoot Cay it's pretty small and the beach is only on the ocean side out in front of the villas. Watch the animation at the top of this webpage to see most (all?) of it - the third shot. And read about the snorkeling lower down on the page: Roatan resort | Small, Private Resort for Romantic Getaways to Roatan It does look like there might be good snorkeling east of the palapa on the beach side.

We spent a morning at the Cay, it seemed very pleasant. Breakfast was excellent. It was really quiet also. It would be a great place to learn to dive also - or you can do a Discover Dive to 40' max - it's one on one with the instructor.:

The Barefoot Difference In Scuba Instruction

* You set the pace as you learn each new skill. We won't move on until you're perfectly comfortable!
* You receive individual attention from expert PADI certified instructors
* You'll be in a small group of no more than 4 people, usually just you or your family or friends.

They also run small group trips of 8 or less after you're certified. Which is nice for those first couple of dives.

The beach at AKR is really small also. I've heard similar stories about the dive/snorkel there not being all that great. It's not a great shot - but I believe this is the entire beach on the Key:
Active Resorts Adventures in Roatan | Anthony's Key Resort - Snorkeling Package from Anthony's Key Resort

And most of their snorkeling trips seem to be by boat elsewhere: http://www.anthonyskey.com/en/activities/snorkeling.html - except with the Dolphins.

 

[Shawnda]

You may get a better response by posing this question on Trip Advisor. Its mostly diving fans on here.