NEW FORUM USER HERE - Resort opinions in West End, Roatan

Greetings forum users,

My wife and are open water certified with a couple hundred dives each. We are planning a May - July trip to Roatan and have pretty much decided to stay in West End.

I'm soliciting input on resorts & dive shops there. As a point of reference we enjoyed Ramon's Village in Belize and Buddy Dive in Bonaire. For a trip heavy on the diving we like:

- casual accommodations with a/c, cable, wifi, kitchenette
- resort pool, restaurant/bar
- easy dive shop/boat access
- walking/golf cart distance to local restaurants/bars/stores

Based on the above, we have been looking at Sea Grape, Half Moon Bay, and Cocolobo. All seem to be what we would enjoy, but it will be our first time in Roatan so we're looking for opinions and reviews of these places and any others y'all (yes, we are in Texas) might suggest.

Thanks for your advice!

TxScubaDood

I wasn't aware that Half Moon Resort has a pool. We walked by there daily but I've never been on the grounds.

We stayed at a house just north of there on the same point - next door to Cocolobo. (CL's Google Maps location is wrong - it's just NE of Half Moon Cabins on the same point as SeaGrape). It's about a 5 min. walk to the middle of the West End from that area. So close that we walked our gear over to Coconut Tree Divers the first day.

I walked over to Cocolobo one day since we'd also considered it - it's as nice as it looks on their website. I would rank it one of the top five properties in the West End. fwiw, if you stay there Coconut Tree Divers or Reef Gliders are closer than West End Divers which is on the next bay past Half Moon Bay.

The only other place that I could think of that has everything on your list is Luna Beach Resort. But it's about as far west as you can get and still be in the West End. About a 10-15min. walk back along the beach. Or the water taxi picks up there as well. One difference is they have a beach, the other properties you're looking at are on short ironshore cliffs. It's more of an AI resort like Buddy Dive. Not sure if there's a kitchenette unless you rent one of the bigger hillside villas.

If you plan to do a little light cooking, Woody's is the local West End market. There's a small one in the Coconut Tree building also. The really large, well stocked markets are in French Harbor or Coxen Hole. Fresh fish and produce is available from street trucks in the West End. It's nice looking stuff.

Thanks, Steve. I don't know if Half Moon has a pool. I just noticed the place while looking at a West End map so I included it as a possibility.

We did think Cocolobo looked nice in web pics we've seen. Looking forward to our first visit to Roatan. Thanks for the information!

TxScubaDood

Resorts: Cocolobo and Seagrape have pools.


Condos: Coral Vista and Villas del Playa have pools.


Pretty much everything in West End is within a 15 minute walk: dive shops, restaurants, bars, stores.

If you can make do without a pool, take a look at The Beach House on Halfmoon Bay. Lovely place, good location.

We stayed in one of the bigger "hillside villas" at Luna Beach a few years ago. That place was gorgeous. The pool was a little lacking (as most in West End are), but more than enough. Between that, the easy-to-access beach, and the little ranchitos they had scattered around with hammocks and tables/chairs it was a really relaxing place to be. Our routine would be to walk TO West End, do whatever, and then either walk back or just water-taxi it if we had shopping with us or we were stuffed or it was just too hot.

I am looking at going back, and the resorts listed are ones I'm looking in to as well. But if you're willing to give up the pool, then Splash Inn and Foster's West End seem to be VERY centrally located. I'm all about diving, so I'm looking at those seriously....but my wife may want a pool. We'll see where we end up

Just returned from a week at Cocolobo. Very nice, accommodating hostess/manager Krys. Picked us up from airport which was great. Upon arrival got an overview of the layout and services. Krys is interacting each morning to answer all questions and make recommendations. She is a former DM at west end divers and is knowledgable of all goings on on the island. She puts up a daily note of special meals, parties and events all around the island.
Breakfast each morning was included,and consisted of fruit,yogurt cereal and coffee each morning plus a hot plate of the day. Eggs one day, pancakes the next etc. all delicious. No other meals are served or offered. There is a central bar in the main public area and it is tended a few hours during the afternoon. Other times you can help/ serve yourself and just write it down on the honor system.
The room was large and comfortable. I was on the first floor and had a great ocean view and a hammock on my porch. The porch and hammock is for just your room,but it is open and connected to the adjacent room which is part of the same building. Not right on top of each other like in a big hotel but not fully "private" either . The pool is small but sufficient and there are a few lounge chairs around. It's got a super ocean view as well. Wifi was available by the common area only and didn't extend to the rooms. The small tv worked fine and had lots of channels. The shower was clean and there were plenty of towels. There is a fresh 5 gallon water jug outside each bungalow and a pitcher in your fridge that yu can fill up as needed.

Cocolobo is around a 5-8 minute walk from the center part of town. There are closer dive shops but I walked to west end divers with my equipment twice and it was longish but do able. Wouldn't want to lug my gear each day but you don't have to. The dive shop takes care of it for you and set it up each morning. I'm pretty lazy when it comes to walks and it wasn't bad,but it is not right in the center of things either. If you are lazy like me and plan on going back and forth from the room to town and back several times a day, it might not be ideal. I typically was out for the whole day and walked back in the evening. I did come back a few evenings and went back out but I found a couple of places on the nearer side of town that I kept to so I didn't have a long walk home.
I did look at some of the more central hotel options and some were less expensive but none as complete in terms of quality and service. I am a former large hotel worker and currently in the hospitality industry as a venue owner and I say nice job Krys and Heidi and congrats to the owners. You've got a very solid place there. I'm glad I chose Cocolobo and would and will stay there again! Thanks all.


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