Advice please on where to stay

[CNYMAD]

We are thinking of planning a trip to Roatan February - March 2016. We have been trying to go someplace different once a year and Roatan sounds very nice.

We we would like a small valet type dive opportunity 2–3 dives a day, above average accommodations, no nightlife needed, waterfront or beachfront. Food included but if not easy access to restaurants.

Looking around it seem that Barefoot Cay might work? Thank you you for any recommendations!

 

[jrankney1]

Recommend Coconut Tree to dive with. Read their reviews on trip advisor. Stay at Posada las Orquides. Oceanside about 50-60 $ . Been there 5-6 times and love diving with a family (Gaynor and PJ own the shop)

 

[Cajuncru Diver]

From your description of the type of accommodations you are looking for I think that Barefoot Cay would be a good fit for you. Also you could look at the West Bay Beach area Henry Morgan, Infinity Bay, Mayan Princess, etc. Another alternative to check out, further away from the action but with the type of accommodations you specify is Media Luna Resort. If you want to go real upscale for Roatan check out Pristine Bay Resort

 

[diversteve]

And for real, real upscale - probably Xbalanque in the West End. They have their own beach. A luxury boutique resort in Roatan

I'm a fan of Barefoot. They really do offer valet diving. I almost had to fight with the DM to carry my gear from the parking lot to the boat. Small boats, small groups, our group of 7 was their business one morning since non-divers rent the villas there also. Gear was returned clean/dry while we had lunch. Mary's Place - one or Roatan's "signature" dives is five minutes off their dock. We also rode over with them to Cocoview and dove the Prince Albert. They do a lot of the better dives on the south side also. If you want to shark dive, it's conveniently nearby just off the airport.

Nice restaurant with an upstairs outdoor deck - great food. The pool is nice, the grounds are as nice as they look. If there's one downside it's that there's a small working harbor behind the resort so there's some industrial noise/traffic possible. If you did want to do some meals, all the villas/lofts have upscale kitchens and French Harbor a few minutes drive away is where most of the Roatan food stores are located - the others being in Coxen Hole mostly. If I was looking for a relaxing time with good diving on Roatan it would be high on my list.

You might look at Turquoise Bay also, they have a nicer small beach. It like Pristine Bay are a drive to other food options though - there's a few in Sandy Bay but mostly you'd drive west to the West End where many of the restaurants are if you tire of the on-site option.

West Bay has the nicest beach on Roatan - most of them in the West End don't have a lot of depth to the waterline.

The Posadas while nice don't qualify IMO as above average - either one. I've been over to Orquideas, we rent a house nearby. Cocolobo nearby is better but they don't have a beach. That area is the east side of Half Moon Bay in the West End - far enough away that you mostly won't hear the music but close enough to walk to the shops/restaurants. Some of the best of Roatan is there. While I totally disagree with these ratings, here's a pretty complete list. The top two IMO are Oolonthoo and Vintage Pearl. A friend is a foodie - she'd agree. 30 Best Roatan Restaurants on TripAdvisor - See 154 restaurants in Roatan, Honduras with 12,118 reviews

 

[CNYMAD]

Thank you! We ended up booking Xbalanque and Quailty Time Divers. Looking forward to our first time in Roatan.

 

[Doc]

Please post a report on the dive operation with pictures and daily schedules offered.

.... .. _[:]@ Happy bubbles!

 

[nicoleallenphoto]

Thank you! We ended up booking Xbalanque and Quailty Time Divers. Looking forward to our first time in Roatan.

Is that the Quality Time Divers with Marcos? If so, I met his wife, as she bartends at Sundowners, which was right next to our dive shop, Sun Divers. He was also really helpful with some of my questions on TripAdvisor before our trip. He seems like a good guy.

 

[CNYMAD]

Is that the Quality Time Divers with Marcos? If so, I met his wife, as she bartends at Sundowners, which was right next to our dive shop, Sun Divers. He was also really helpful with some of my questions on TripAdvisor before our trip. He seems like a good guy.

Yes, it is. They were highly recommend. I'll report back after our trip.

 

[CNYMAD]

We are back from a lovely week in Roatan. We didn't take photos but it is a beautiful island with very nice reefs, wall, good variety of dive sites, and lots of life. Quality Time is really first rate. They let you set your own schedule, we chose to go out each morning and a few afternoons and evenings. The service is totally personal and our small group had our own boat which took us wherever we asked and dive times were between 70-80 minutes. Briefings were informative and safety a priority. They picked us up at the dock and took us where we wanted for surface intervals. One day there was a big pod of dolphins hanging around which was really fun. We would highly recommend Quality Time Divers.

 

[Cajuncru Diver]

Glad to see you guys had a really enjoyable time and a great experience on the Island. Roatan has such a diverse number of options to choose from depending upon your preferences. We just love the Island and its culture; hope you will do as we do and plan a number of return trips!!