Roatan, Utila, Belize, or Cozumel?

[uminchu]

Hi everyone!

I've looked at about a million websites and been running up and down the forum like crazy, and i'm not finding exactly what i want. So, i thought i'd just ask!

My wife and I are divers, two of our friends are not. They said they wanted to go to Mexico or the Caribbean for a vacation. Of course, i immediately thought SWEET... I CAN DIVE!!! They came snorkeling with me once and loved it, and i think i could talk them into a discovery dive or something...

I've done some looking and i've honed in on Roatan, Utila, Belize, or Cozumel. Cozumel is the easiest and cheapest to get to, but not cheapest to stay. Utila has whalesharks in Feb (shivers of excited), Roatan looks cool... and Belize is... well Belize. I've never been to any... but i'm dying to!

So, to keep everyone happy i am looking for a resort that has:
1. Dive Packages- on site sweet dive shop (including a house reef, unlimited shore diving - and good for snorkeling)
2. A beach for sun worshipping (either on site, or next door)
3. Topside adventures so my friends don't get board.
4. It doesn't break my bank account. I'd love to get AI (including booze) for around (preferably less) than $1000 for two divers.


Thanks for any advice.

Sidenote if you know any awesome places to stay with everything above and a kitchen without AI... I'd love to know that too...

Sorry... i talk too much!

 

[diversteve]

My subjective opinions on Utila and Roatan.

Your non-dive friends will be bored to tears the second day on Utila. Unless they just like playing on the beach at one of the better AI's - which btw aren't walking distance into town. And only take guests into town a couple times a week via boat. The only one that I know that has a pool is Laguna Beach. Triple your budget also.

Not that town is much either - a few stores, some bars, under a dozen restaurants and lots of backpackers. There are more affordable resorts there but no shore diving as you're in the harbor.

If your friends are snorkelers, the whale shark trips are pretty cool. We snorkeled with 6 over two days one week last spring.

The peak of the Whaleshark season there is March-April not February also.

Can you get to Utila from Seattle in one day? We left PHX. at 5AM and arrived there at 5PM after a CO flight through Houston to Roatan followed by 2 ferry rides. And it was a tight connection on Roatan to the ferry - we made it by 1/2 hr.

Our other option was a series of flights including a redeye to Newark and 2-3 connections to Utila that would've got us there at 4PM the next day. For us that was $1100 r/t 3 mos. in advance.

Roatan has more to do. There's AI's in West Bay that have nice beaches on-site or close by. Nearer to the West End is more on ironshore but Half Moon Bay is a nice local beach a few mins. walk from most places there.

Anthony's Key has a beach on the Key but we only went by it in a boat so not sure how nice it is. Your friends might like the dolphin encounter snorkel.

If you stay at an AI, inquire about how far it is to anything else. Cocoview and FIBR are within 1/2 mile of French Harbour (not exactly a sprawling metropolis) and 10mins. to Coxen Hole - the big locals town - it's where the cruise ships arrive. Anthony's Key is by itself, the closest thing is the West End about 10mins. by cab. West Bay is fairly nice but most people go to the West End for nightlife - it's just about too far to walk - like 2-3 miles.

On Roatan there's other things to do, a couple native villages, shops/restaurants/bars in the West End, Zip-lining etc. Some interesting diving also, the AKR dolphins, the Waihuka shark dives, Spooky Channel on the North side, a bunch of good sites around Cocoview etc.

You're going to have a tough time finding an AI for $500 pp since you're going in High Season. Cocoview is about 1100pp/wk, Anthony's Key is closer to $1400-1600pp if you want A/C (you do!!)

What you might consider is one of the budget hotels in the West End and eating out cheaply. There's also some condos on/near Half Moon Bay - one is waterfront, the other 2mins. walk to the beach - that would be reasonable, they're newer and have full kitchens. http://www.bayislandsdiver.com/ has some options.
Roatan Vacation Rentals - VRBO® Vacation Rentals - Roatan Honduras Lodging

Thought about Curacao? The diving is the same as Bonaire and it's easier to get to. There used to be a late morning CO flight out of MIA that you might be able to meet.

Anything around Willemsted is 10-30 mins. drive from really good diving. Almost all of the resorts have their own on-site diveops and a dive off their property, nearer town it's a longer swim out, at places like Habitat Curacao, the reef starts 75' offshore. But Habitat would be too isolated for the non-divers.

Non-diving things to do: shopping in the touristy downtown, a dozen casinos, good restaurants, nice sandy beaches out near the West End. At some like Porto Marie, your friends could lounge on the beach while you dove the reef - it's one of the best dives on the island. There's an on-site operator there for tanks/lunch.

We rented an older 2BR/1BA condo with a full kitchen in Piscadera Bay Resort for under $500/wk - total not per person. Plus tax, cleaning deposit and an electricity surcharge.

Fully furnished with indoor/outdoor eating spaces and a view of the ocean (there's resorts in front of it) Some of the units were refurbished recently and pretty nice, #4 was as I recall - my friends stayed there. Piscadera Bay Resort fwiw, I rented Bungalow A as shown in the Photo Gallery. It had a nice yard and bbq area with views of the water from the deck. Furnishings were a little dated but it had a big dining table inside and complete kitchen. Most only had A/C in the bedrooms as is the custom there.

Curacao is pretty spread out so plan on renting a car/suv. A large foodstore is about 2 miles away and the SeaAquarium (tourist) area is about 20mins. drive.

Sorry... i talk too much!

so do I...lol.

 

[uminchu]

wow Diversteve! That's great information. I meant to say that my budget is $1000 pp/p week, not total. But i have been thinking more about getting a rental somewhere. I have found that you are exactly right, that the flight from Seattle is hard to Roatan. We'd probably be looking at a red eye to Houston, and then a flight to RTB the next day.

FYI thank you for your "subjective" opinion! That's why i ask questions... to get real peoples opinions who have been to places i want to go. Luckily, most people on here are opinionated...

I'll take a closer look into Curacao, i think the flights we quite a bit more expensive, but i'll check again. Flights into Cozumel are cheap... so, i think my wife is leaning that way... because less on flight, means more on Hotel... flights to roatan is about $750-850, belize is slightly cheaper, and Cozumel is just over $500... hmmmmm... a conundrum... I have about 15 dive magazines all around my computer... and about the same number of tabs open! My non-diver friends are also being useless...

Thanks again

 

[ramehrer]

A couple of additional thoughts for you IF you are still considering Roatan or Utila. I live on Utila but have been to Roatan many, many times. I agree with DiverSteve on almost all he says with a couple exceptions.

Roatan is a great place but it will be considerably more expensive than Utila. Utila Lodge is right in town and has AI for roughly $950.pp and we went there for years before we moved here.

Also, whether your friends would be bored to death would depend on what they are looking for on their vacation. We rent a house and apartments here and never has anyone said they were bored. In fact many are return visitors and only about 50% of our guests dive.

On Utila you can rent amazingly cool homes for $950 - $1,250 per week that are three bedroom & 3 bath with every convenience you could possibly wish for and right on the beach. A 10 dive package runs $250., tank rentals are $6.00 US and a good meal is about $6.00 US. Your friends would be able to snorkel off the beach, go fishing, hiking or biking, spend a day in the cays, etc. You would be hard pressed to spend $1,000. per person!

You might check out VRBO is Vacation Rentals By Owner or Destination Utila | Utila Vacation Rental Properties & Management | DestinationUtila.com and I think you and your friends might be very pleasantly surprised!

 

[uminchu]

also great advice! I'm looking on VRBO now... i've used them when i stayed in Hawaii.

On Utila, is there supermarkets and liquor stores that have reasonable prices? I guess there must be, but you never know. I've been places where everything is super expensive because it's off the beaten track.

 

[Aeolus]

Have I got some news for you! Fantasy Island on Roatan is offering a GREAT package. A full week, including A/C room, 3 meals/day, 3 dive/day, unlimited shore dives, 1 night dive (boat) and beverages (incl local beer and liquor). All of this for only $879 per double occupancy, not each. The only catch is that it must be booked by Aug 31 and used by Oct 20 (I think). I am trying to set up something for the week of Sept 19, but I do not have a buddy for this one. Send me a PM if yopu need more info. Thanks.

 

[rajohn]

I've been to all three and my recommendation is Cozumel hands down. Not only is it less expensive, but it has everything you asked for. Great snorkeling for your non-diver friends, lots of very good restaurants and bars if you're so inclined, a great supermarket, etc, etc. As for the diving, I think Cozumel is better, but that's definitely a personal preference. I will say that even after the hurricanes a few years back, I was never disappointed in the abundance, color, and variety of life on the reefs there. You can dive the deep dives or shallow dives (my preference due to my love of underwater photography and the lighting being much better in shallow water).There's something for everyone. There's also a lot of side trips you can take to the mainland which offer spectacular days such as Tulum, Chichen Itza, underwater gardens, etc. You can also go Cenote diving on the mainland and travel for miles underground in perfectly clear water. The visibility in the water around Cozumel is unbeatable most of the time. As I said, I've been to all three and I don't think it's even a contest. Another thing to consider on Roatan is the famous no-see-um bugs. They are horrible and if you miss even a spot on your body with DEET, you'll be very sorry. I can't tell you how many guests where I stayed {Cocoview) were covered in red bites. Some people even got sick from being so covered in bites. I understand there may be some times in the year they're not so bad but when we were there they were terrible. I personally will never go back to Roatan. There is also the matter of political instability to consider right now in Honduras. There is only one airport to get out from on Roatan and it does not have bad weather equipment. We sat in the airport for almost three days after our trip was over and couldn't get off Roatan. The diving was good, but in my opinion not as good as Cozumel.
Just my two cents.

 

[uminchu]

Rajohn,

Thanks so much for your two cents. We are leaning towards Cozumel for a lot of the reasons you have suggested! (thought the bug info is new)... We are thinking about staying in a Villa a little south, and cooking for ourselves or going out to eat. Where have you stayed in Cozumel? Where is the great snorkeling? Is it near somewhere we can stay which has a beach?

Thanks again!

 

[rajohn]

As we are somewhat on a budget we stay at the Hotel Barracuda. It's on the ocean right downtown. Our dive boat picks us up right at the Hotels dock. It's a hotel favored by divers but not much in the way of luxury, it's pretty basic. The good thing is it's only a few blocks away from the middle of town. We walk everywhere. There are a lot of good restaurants downtown, even a Pizza Hut (or Round Table or something like that, I forget) and a McDonalds. As far as snorkeling, just about anywhere along the shore will get you some good experiences and of course there is the National Park Chankanab (not sure of the spelling there) which has great snorkeling right off the beach. I've actually taken a cab a little ways out of town, gotten out and just snorkeled along the beach until I was tired or thirsty and then gotten out and had snacks and drinks at one of the little bars scattered all up and down the shore. When you get tired you just climb out, go to a bar and have some chips, guacamole and beer and call a cab to take you back to your hotel. I don't know what your budget is but there are hotels all up and down the beach in every category from cheap like the Barracuda to luxurious and expensive. You can also do as you're thinking and rent a private residence. There is a great supermarket on the south end of town. It is very modern and has everything you want. In short, you can just about have anything you want on Cozumel. As a humorous note, don't take traveler's checks snorkeling with you, water voids them and you can't get them replaced quickly (guess how I know this).

 

[uminchu]

rajohn.... hahahahaha... maybe you could start a new patent... waterproof traveler's checks. I can see it being huge!

We are not in the luxurious category, but if we are not going AI (which isn't really my style)... We'd like to have a full kitchen and maybe a BBQ. We'll probably end up eating out a fair bit, but i like to save money and get healthier food sometimes (only sometimes). If you remember any great restaurants (i'm sorry Pizza Hut and McDonald's are not in this category ) Please let me know!
We have plenty of time to figure it all out as we are still in the planning stages!

Thanks for the info, experiences, and laughs!