Roatan info needed

[mmmbelows]

Have to agree with Doc, West Bay sounds like what you're looking for. Stay at one of the places on the beach with a pool, you can do 2 or 3 boat dives a day, have a great beach to hang out at, snorkel if you want, chill if you want, party if you want, West End is just down the beach with restaurants, you're close enough to go over to Coxen if you want or just bum around West End/West Bay.

The West Bay area isn't a dive centric resort type of place, its a beach/pool resort type of place with good dive operations in house or third party dive shops to dive with and quick 5- 10 minute boat rides out to the dive sites.

 

[diversteve]

1. Where are most of the "good" dive sites located? Either side. I prefer the north but I'm a bigger stuff guy - I like rays, grouper, turtles etc. They're on the south side also but it's also much better macro diving.
And what dive operators go to these locations? Most do some/all of them. Generally the north side shops ride around to the south side once or twice and vice-versa. Both locations also go east some distance depending on where you stay.
2. Are there any locations with good beaches other than West Bay? Not especially. Sand Bay has a few areas but there's mostly residences/rental houses in that area - and Anthony's Key resort.
3. Is it necessary to get a rental vehicle or could we do without? There's really no way to qualify that without a location choice. You can walk around the West End pretty conveniently. Same with West Bay. It's 2 miles between them. At night you wouldn't want to walk it as the road dips inland and there's been a few robberies.
4. Is A/C necessary in October? I'm from Ohio so it's in the upper 50's to low 60's in October here. Probably not but you may want it to knock-down the humidity - esp. at night - October/November are the rainy season.
5. In terms of diving, what's the difference between the North and South side of the island? The south side tends to be shallower, lighter, more macro. 2 of the better known dives Mary's Place/Calvins Crack are on that side. On the north side you've got Spooky Channel, Hole in the Wall - or sites around the far west point (Texas, Bucho's etc.) a couple of wrecks - Odyssey and Aguila. Cocoview has a signature wreck also - the Prince Albert. Doc has an excellent description of the south side around Cocoview he posts in other threads asking the same question.
6. Is it easy enough to get to the West end from some more remote locations like Turquoise Bay or CocoView? Not really, both are pretty far east. Turquoise Bay:

We are 45 minutes from the tourist area of West End/West Bay which has a variety of bars and restaurants.

I honestly thought it was closer till just now - I've been by there on a diveboat. Cocoview is also on the south side.
I think so far from what I'm researching, and correct me if I'm wrong, what you guys are telling me is: The West End is pretty much out because there's really no beaches and it's mostly partying. Most of the partying is IN the West End. A few minutes away from the West End is going to be quieter. Luna Beach would be. Here's the West End (Half Moon Bay) Beach. As you can see it's not very wide - the roofs in the background are bordering the road. http://www.ronystours.com/images/we-beach2.jpg

West Bay is more "civilized" but it's where most of the tourist-y stuff is given that's where the cruise ships come in. Maybe I wasn't clear on that - the cruiseships all port on the south side. Mahogany Bay is the Carnival cruise port/complex and some of the other lines dock in Coxen Hole. All the beach excursions ride up to West Bay since it's the best beach. Also some of the resorts - like Bananarama - solicit cruise traffic actively to enjoy their beach.
Most of the good restaurants are in either West Bay or West End. Pretty much - as I mentioned previously, check the Trip Advisor link for locations.

To find the quietest/most relaxing locations you have to stay at one of the more remote hotels like Turquoise Bay or CocoView. Pretty much but there are a lot of resorts all over the island - most have a dive operator. You might see if Parrot Tree Plantation is somewhere you'd be interested in - from the beach/pool perspective - it would be quiet there also. It's about an hour east of the West End though.

One last thing, if you had to pick one place to stay that really does "have it all," wp[here would it be? I know that question is vague, but put in terms of my requests. This is assuming price didn't matter. What location/hotel gives you, or rather me, most of the things you could want?

On the south side my overwhelming favorite is Barefoot Cay - it's also near French Harbor. I rented a house in the West End but my choice if not would be Cocolobo but there's no beach there (next door to the house I rented so I walked over once) I don't have a West Bay choice as it's not for me.

 

[divergirl0609]

I stayed at The Reef House Resort with my dive club a few years back. Some of the best diving I have every experienced. It is all inclusive and the ladies there can cook! It is served family style and open air. We went in May. None of us went hungry. Three boat dives a day and unlimited shore diving. If your looking for a beach Roatan is not the place to go. But if your looking to dive dive dive look no further. Most caribbean accomodations for divers are not going to be 5 star resorts. They are accomodating divers. The rooms at the Reef House were clean, a/c, and tv. Beware of the sand flies as they can be nasty. Not much else to see in Roatan besides diving. There is a great shark dive that we did mid-week. That was an experience for my then 17 year old daughter. I would go back to The Reef House because even now I think it was a great place to stay and dive. It is also more affordable then some of the other places. As a side note I am one of the fortunate ones and live in Florida so I get to dive a lot! Good Luck and happy diving.

 

[lthomas132]

West Bay is not the big party place like West End can be. I would check out Infinity Bay (Roatan Resort and Luxury Roatan Hotel | Infinity Bay Spa and Beach Resort) at the far end of West Bay. Nice condos with pool, etc., several dive shops nearby. Or, check out these others: The 10 Best West Bay Hotels on TripAdvisor - Prices & Reviews for the Top Rated Accommodation in West Bay, Honduras. Turquoise Bay is all-inclusive and quite a ways from anything else. You would need a car rental here to venture out. Have fun!

 

[laurenceh]

nobody has mentioned the weather and although i assume you've checked it, i feel i need to. october, november and december are the wettest months of the year in the bay islands. having lived through five rainy seasons i can tell you that although you may get lucky and have very little rain, you're just as likely to get almost monsoon like rain day after day. statistically on any given day in october you have a 30-40% chance of rain, although thats lower than the 40-45% chance in november and december. as october is generally the start of the rainy season, the earlier in the month you go the better chance of dry weather you have.

 

[diver 85]

If only Inn of Last Resort were still open........

 

[KathyV]

nobody has mentioned the weather and although i assume you've checked it, i feel i need to. october, november and december are the wettest months of the year in the bay islands...

We did a trip to Roatan in October and the weather was awful. We didn't get to dive as much as we wanted and when we did dive the conditions and visibility were poor. When we went there in April the weather and diving were great.

OP, since these are your first ocean dives and your budget is limited; perhaps you should delay visiting Roatan until later - when you can go there at a better time of year for the weather and perhaps with a bigger budget.

The Florida Keys would be a great spot for your first ocean dives IMO. You can probably get a cheap flight to Miami, rent a car and drive to Key Largo. Florida is not cheap, but Rainbow Reef is a popular dive operator and they offer some economical dive/accommodation packages; see the link below. They also offer guided dives at no extra charge which would be nice for your first ocean dives. And there is much healthy sea life and beautiful reefs to enjoy in the Keys.

One more comment, we have been taking dive trips in Oct/Nov for many years to celebrate our anniversary, most of them in Florida, Bahamas, and Caribbean. We like the fact that it is the low season so prices are down and the destinations are not crowded and the water is very warm.

However, the hurricane season in Florida, Bahamas, and Caribbean runs from June to November (peaking in September) so there is an increased risk of bad weather in the fall. For the most part we have been lucky over the years, but we've had a few brushes with bad weather - Roatan in October was probably the worst. But we have had wonderful weather on many other trips - and there are no guarantees of good (or bad!) weather no matter what time of year you travel. Good luck!

Scuba Diving Florida Keys | Rainbow Reef Dive Center | Key Largo, FL

 

[MaizeNBlue88]

To be honest, I didn't even consider the weather. Now you guys have me looking it up and I don't think I like what I'm seeing. I'm starting to have second thoughts about going to Roatan. We planned on going October 17-24, which looks to me like the rainy season will be in full swing by then. I wasn't necessarily dead set on Roatan, just what my instructor said would be a good fit. My wife and I had also considered Bonaire and Curacao (among others), which I know have a little better weather. Florida wasn't really an option only because we've been to Florida countless times including spending a week in the Keys and snorkeling just last year. We both have time off that we need to use; this is the reason for the week that we chose to go on vacation.

If you guys had to pick a place to go from October 17-24, where would it be? This is assuming a preferable budget of $3000 for everything, including flight. Maybe an absolute MAX budget of $3500.

To give you an idea, flights from Detroit or Cleveland right now to Bonaire: $650, Curacao: $650, Roatan: $850, Bahamas: $475, Dominica: $775, St. Croix: $650, Turks & Caicos: $700, Cozumel: $525, Grand Cayman: $575, Belize: $550

Again, we're fairly new divers. I'll have my AOW here shortly, but still consider myself quite new. We just want to see LOTS of marine life and I hope to see some of the larger species; i.e. sharks, rays, etc.. The large marine life is optional considering my wife is still a bit skittish. But what better way to get her over her fear than to see these magnificent creatures first hand. If the diving is phenomenal in a particular location in your opinion, we can let some of our other "wants" slide. Hopefully you guys can provide enough advice to make us finally make up our minds and just book a trip. If you guys in all honesty think Roatan is still the way to go, then just say so. You know what I'm looking for, just give your honest opinion.

 

[diver 85]

OP,.......Head to Dominica--BEST diving in the Caribbean---IMO....... --& topside----it has anywhere else in the Caribbean beat,~?? 100 to 1.......Google it, (it's where Pirates of the Caribbean Part 2 & 3 were filmed......)


EDIT.....: you can go 18/6 there & not 'take everything' in.......

 

[mmmbelows]

To be honest, I didn't even consider the weather. Now you guys have me looking it up and I don't think I like what I'm seeing. I'm starting to have second thoughts about going to Roatan. We planned on going October 17-24, which looks to me like the rainy season will be in full swing by then. I wasn't necessarily dead set on Roatan, just what my instructor said would be a good fit. My wife and I had also considered Bonaire and Curacao (among others), which I know have a little better weather. Florida wasn't really an option only because we've been to Florida countless times including spending a week in the Keys and snorkeling just last year. We both have time off that we need to use; this is the reason for the week that we chose to go on vacation.

If you guys had to pick a place to go from October 17-24, where would it be? This is assuming a preferable budget of $3000 for everything, including flight. Maybe an absolute MAX budget of $3500.

To give you an idea, flights from Detroit or Cleveland right now to Bonaire: $650, Curacao: $650, Roatan: $850, Bahamas: $475, Dominica: $775, St. Croix: $650, Turks & Caicos: $700, Cozumel: $525, Grand Cayman: $575, Belize: $550

Again, we're fairly new divers. I'll have my AOW here shortly, but still consider myself quite new. We just want to see LOTS of marine life and I hope to see some of the larger species; i.e. sharks, rays, etc.. The large marine life is optional considering my wife is still a bit skittish. But what better way to get her over her fear than to see these magnificent creatures first hand. If the diving is phenomenal in a particular location in your opinion, we can let some of our other "wants" slide. Hopefully you guys can provide enough advice to make us finally make up our minds and just book a trip. If you guys in all honesty think Roatan is still the way to go, then just say so. You know what I'm looking for, just give your honest opinion.

In regard to Roatan - late October is better than November. However, I've been there many times in November and had great vacations. I'm not going to guarantee you will have perfect weather, as it's the rainy season, but rainy in the tropics means it typically rains once a day, and then you have nice weather in the morning or afternoon... in Roatan if you're staying on the west bay area and they see a bunch of back to back bad weather days coming they will move the diving to the south side, so there are plenty of options. To think you're going to be sitting in your room staring out at rain all day for a week is probably not going to ever happen, but it is the rainy season and that is why rates are better and you can get more bang for your buck that time of year. I would not cancel a trip to Roatan in late october, but that's up to you.

That said a simple solution for you is just to go to Florida, the weather is going to be stabler and it's a lot more fishy than Roatan. The northern keys are super fishy, the southern keys are known for their wreck diving and the diving along the south east coast starting from Miami and going north is just as good but different and known more for sharks. I prefer the diving in Jupiter Florida over the diving in Roatan, however Roatan gives you that gilligans island experience.