Planning first trip to Roatan

[Vic K]

Hello All,

Hopeful to get vaccinated in next couple of months and being able to travel again. I am planning for our first trip to roatan in July. I know it will be HOT there and we are ok with it. Hopefully the diving will be good. Going through lot of posts here and have narrowed it down to staying near west end or west bay. Also looking at Roatan Divers as they look like a nice valet dive op.
Some info I could not get through the posts and was hoping someone could shed some light on. Where do you get the currency exchanged? I understand that you can use usd at most places, but while travelling I like to use local currency. Are there some safe ATM's around where you will not get skimmed? Any places convert usd to local currency? Also I see that water taxi stops after certain time between west bay and west end. Is it safe to use scooters in the evening/night? Any harassment from local police like in cozumel? or do you suggest just take a cab every time. Any information will be really helpful.

 

[scrane]

I had my card hacked at an unguarded ATM in West End years ago. Since then I walk over to the gas station (where a full time guard is posted) to get money. Since West Bay is more civilized it is probably easier to find a safe ATM there.

 

[jmcgilroy]

I was in West End in November for 2 weeks. ATM's looked sketchy...I never used one. Everyone takes US dollars but most will give you local currency as change back. I never had any problem with being fleeced on the exchange rate. As "Scrane" said above the gas station ATM did have a guard posted and would be my first choice.

As for traveling...the roads and lighting conditions are not great. Roatan might not be a "third world" country but it's 2-7/8". I don't think it's a safe as some people claim it to be. A local (expat) was showing off his recent bullet wound after a home invasion robbery on one of my dives and my local driver was telling me of several recent attacks. I understand your comment about Cozumel (or ANY Mexican) police and I didn't see any of this in Roatan...at least they've got that going for them.

It is a great dive location, the reefs are in good shape with lots of vertical canyons and swim throughs. Visibility was still good despite a hurricane that just missed us (twice) so I think you'll enjoy that part.

PM if you want the driver's contact info.

 

[KatieMac]

A couple of things
1) having a vaccine does not currently grant you entry to Honduras. They still require a negative covid test. It is the MOST common question asked on the Facebook Roatan Discussion Group.
2) West End vs West Bay will depend on the vibe you like. West Bay is a more touristy with the stunning beach and some all inclusives. But it doesn't have a ton of shops and restaurants outside of the individual resorts and is more beach culture than dive culture. West End is much more laid back and "hippie" if you will - more a dive culture, but pretty much a la carte.
3) Use American cash. Pretty much everywhere (including street food vendors) accept it and you will generally get limps as change. I wouldn't rely on ATMs because even if safe, they are often EMPTY.
4) water taxis stop at night because they don't have lights. We generally just use taxis to go everywhere. Agree on a price before you get in the car. They may try to charge you per person - agree on a flat rate. There is also a bus that goes between West End, Sandy Bay, Coxen Hole etc. It costs a buck.

As for safety, as a women, I doubt I would walk outside of town alone at night. And I would rather support locals by taking a taxi rather than renting a scooter. But really, when we go, we mostly stay in West End.

As for dive shops, Roatan Divers was sold a year or two ago to someone else. I haven't heard good or bad reviews since that time. But seriously, I can't think of a bad dive shop in West End. I have my preferences - mostly because of vibe rather than quality. For example, I find Coconut Tree a much more a party atmosphere than I am looking for. But I would dive with them if there weren't other options. Figure out where you are staying then find a dive shop that is close and convenient and offers the services you need (e.g. nitrox, rentals, courses etc)

 

[scrane]

As stated, West End has a more "Hippie" atmosphere with multiple shops and restaurants and bars situated on the unpaved seaside road. Small beaches with with lots of local people with their dogs and kids. There is a party atmosphere, but it does not offend my teetotaling sensibilities. I've gone over to West Bay a couple of times on the water taxi and have seen nothing but large sparkling AI resort hotels. Not my cup of teetotaling . Nice groomed beach, though.
Neither has the vibe of San Miguel de Cozumel. In comparison SM is a big city with a lot of traffic.

 

[Diesel_Diver]

If you just want to go and dive,dive, dive look up CoCoview resort. They even include your transportation to and from the airport. The diving is quite nice, reefs are healthy lots of fish when we were there 2 years ago.

 

[KatieMac]

If you just want to go and dive,dive, dive look up CoCoview resort. They even include your transportation to and from the airport. The diving is quite nice, reefs are healthy lots of fish when we were there 2 years ago.

Sure - if all you want to do is dive, CocoView is a great place. The diving there is high quality as is the dive shop.

But if you like to go into the village daily after 2 tanks, this is not the place. If you want to do something besides dive/snorkel and lay on the hammock, this may not be the place.

 

[Diesel_Diver]

Sure - if all you want to do is dive, CocoView is a great place. The diving there is high quality as is the dive shop.

But if you like to go into the village daily after 2 tanks, this is not the place. If you want to do something besides dive/snorkel and lay on the hammock, this

Sure - if all you want to do is dive, CocoView is a great place. The diving there is high quality as is the dive shop.

But if you like to go into the village daily after 2 tanks, this is not the place. If you want to do something besides dive/snorkel and lay on the hammock, this may not be the place.

Which was why I put if you want to Dive,dive,dive in there lol. Yes it’s isolated if you want to roam around town there are lots of places better suited.

 

[Vic K]

A couple of things
1) having a vaccine does not currently grant you entry to Honduras. They still require a negative covid test. It is the MOST common question asked on the Facebook Roatan Discussion Group.
2) West End vs West Bay will depend on the vibe you like. West Bay is a more touristy with the stunning beach and some all inclusives. But it doesn't have a ton of shops and restaurants outside of the individual resorts and is more beach culture than dive culture. West End is much more laid back and "hippie" if you will - more a dive culture, but pretty much a la carte.
3) Use American cash. Pretty much everywhere (including street food vendors) accept it and you will generally get limps as change. I wouldn't rely on ATMs because even if safe, they are often EMPTY.
4) water taxis stop at night because they don't have lights. We generally just use taxis to go everywhere. Agree on a price before you get in the car. They may try to charge you per person - agree on a flat rate. There is also a bus that goes between West End, Sandy Bay, Coxen Hole etc. It costs a buck.

As for safety, as a women, I doubt I would walk outside of town alone at night. And I would rather support locals by taking a taxi rather than renting a scooter. But really, when we go, we mostly stay in West End.

As for dive shops, Roatan Divers was sold a year or two ago to someone else. I haven't heard good or bad reviews since that time. But seriously, I can't think of a bad dive shop in West End. I have my preferences - mostly because of vibe rather than quality. For example, I find Coconut Tree a much more a party atmosphere than I am looking for. But I would dive with them if there weren't other options. Figure out where you are staying then find a dive shop that is close and convenient and offers the services you need (e.g. nitrox, rentals, courses etc)

@KatieMac Thank you so much for indepth answers. I think west end is what makes sense for us after reading a lot on this forum. We like a little life after diving and love walking around and trying different restaurants and bars too. Guess need to find a hotel near west end which should have a safe to carry all the cash. If you have any other recommendation for a dive shop, would love to hear it. Thank you again for the info.

 

[KatieMac]

@KatieMac Thank you so much for indepth answers. I think west end is what makes sense for us after reading a lot on this forum. We like a little life after diving and love walking around and trying different restaurants and bars too. Guess need to find a hotel near west end which should have a safe to carry all the cash. If you have any other recommendation for a dive shop, would love to hear it. Thank you again for the info.

I stay at Lost Paradise. When the cruise ships were coming pre-pandemic, it was nice because it's just beyond the edge of the village. But it's still close to everything - the whole village is about 1 mile long. No safe in the room but they have a safe in the office where you can store valuables.

But there are lots of great places in West End. Regardless of what they look like on the outside, they are very clean and comfortable - no need to spend $200+ a night.

Again, no bad dive shops there that I can think of. I dive with Island Diving but I would recommend just about any of them. West End Divers is a good shop too. I think they tend to have more divers on the boat though. I prefer only a few on the boat. Splash Inn has a good dive shop - Roatan Divers too, Native Sons, Sun Divers, Coconut Tree and others. I would figure out where you are staying first, then choose a dive shop close by. You may want to see how full their dive boats are though.

I do have a few recommendations for food though. You can eat very economically in West End.
- make sure to seek out Creole Chicken.
- don't worry about eating the food from the street vendors. It is very good - we eat street food often
- baleada's are great for breakfast and lunch - and quite cheap
- splurge at least one day on a breakfast sandwich from Bean Crazy. It's not far down from the traffic circle.