If you think Cocoview is nice, check out Anthony's Key Resort. Nicer boats, nicer accommodations and a (very) small beach. Plus a pool. They're going to primarily dive the north side sites which can be a little deeper and if possible "darker" - it's like the sun doesn't shine as much on that side. Probably see more larger pelagics at some sites there than the south side. Turtles everywhere, grouper, some barracuda. Macro is more on the southside.
Also there's the Dolphin Dives at AKR. The Cocoview "dolphin dive" is where they're going to take you anyway. Your g/f could do that dive after certification, it's 60' deep, a huge sandy area (for the dolphins safety) and just 5mins. off the resort. You normally get 3 dolphins who will at first frolic around, make a few close passes etc. until the trainer calls them in for petting, photos etc. There's also a snorkel option.
The shark dive everyone promotes is off the airport and run by one operator. Every resort books it - they don't accept private reservations. Would be too much for your g/f - there's a protocol for dealing with the currents there. It's about the least invasive "canned" shark dive I've ever seen - mostly just sharks milling around and they're fed near the end of the dive once.
Currently due to reservation system snafu AKR is underbooked. So they're offering 2 for 1. Makes it much more attractive than CCV IMO. Unless you want to shore dive because AKR's is marginal.
Anthony's Key Resort - Roatan - Honduras
Tire of the AI food/experience? The West End is 5mins. away by cab. Shops, restaurants, beach bars, nightlife etc. in that area - the most on Roatan. Half Moon Bay is just an avg. beach though. The nicest one is 2 miles farther west in West Bay. If a pool is important some nicer resorts are there also - check out Infinity Bay. the Mayan Princess or Bananarama for examples at different price points. Cocoview by location is about 45mins. away. IIRC they schedule one shopping/beach trip over there on demand.
Even nicer and All-Inclusive is Barefoot Caye. They'll dive many of the same sites as Cocoview and have both a beach and a pool as well. Plus a Spa and an excellent restaurant. Also all the villas/lofts are very upscale, flat screens, full gourmet kitchens etc. French Harbor about a 5min. drive away has most of the larger food stores on Roatan - you can find anything there like you would in a large market anywhere. It's a smaller resort so has a smaller dive operation - I believe only 2 boats. They advertise valet diving and they really mean it. Their larger boat is nice also, has a nice wide swim-step that floarts in the water or just above it.
BFC is a lot more expensive than the others but you get what you pay for. The lofts are a more affordable option, they're above the dive shop yet have the same level of amenities. BFC is also behind a barrier reef so the "lagoon" is too shallow to dive - the DM told me it's 16'. But they do their cert classes off the palapa there - a dock takes you over the ironshore at waters edge.
Roatan Island Resort
Wifi at some of the resorts can be spotty except in certain areas so verify that if it's of importance. In some areas power is still spotty so many of the better resorts have backup generators. Even some of the private villas do.
Cocoview has the best shore diving though. Another point not so obvious is that AKR and BFC do 3
different dives per day whereas every 2nd boat dive at CCV is a drop-off/swim in dive from their two sites - Newmans Wall or the Prince Albert wreck. Which would be a good beginner wreck also - I believe the top is at about 35'.
It's all in what you're looking for but I find AI resorts like any of these to be a little insulating. CCV/AKR have an airport shuttle and handle your luggage, you never have to leave the resort all week. Personally I think there's more to Roatan than that. We stay in the West End, there's everything from hostels to probably the nicest resort on Roatan - Xbalanque there. There's also at least a dozen (probably more) dive operators in the West End. Some use pangas - small open boats - so that limits the diver count to about 8-10 automatically.
There's also other properties along both the north/south coasts farther east. I've never been there but Luna Beach Resort has interested me also. Smaller property mid-way between the West End and West Bay. Pool, on-site dive op. and decent snorkeling off their beach. Downside is they don't serve dinner on-site so that's a 10min. walk to the West End or a short water taxi ride to West Bay. The taxis run till a little after dark, you can get cabs in the West End till very late. IDK about West Bay but it's advised not to walk the road between them at night - there have been some robberies.
The issue for some is access, some of them are pretty far removed from much of anything. It's not the best idea in the world to drive on Roatan either - liability if you hit something can quickly escalate.
Also if at all possible, try to possibly fly to a US hub city first - or somewhere you can fly directly to Roatan from. San Pedro Sula is unsafe, it's recommended that if transiting thru there you don't leave the airport at all. There are regular short flights to Roatan from there as well. Mainland Honduras is the murder capital of the world, Roatan and Utila are relatively untouched by it. And the Honduras Govt. put special programs/personnel in place in 2014 to ensure they stay that way - tourism $$ are important to them.
Doc will probably give the opposing point of view pro-Cocoview. He knows it better than just about anyone else on SB so is IMO the
best person to do so. He probably knows AKR better than I do also, I've only used the facilities there a couple of days.
It really just depends on what you're looking for.
I moved this thread to the Bay Islands forum for a more targeted response.
