Recommended C American dives based upon these requirements

[maize2112]

WOW - this board is awesome. Thanks much for the great insights!

I think I'm leaning toward Roatan and deciding which part of the island to stay/dive on.
- Is there a part of the island that has the best dives close by? Or are there great dives all around the island?
- Are there a couple absolutely must dive sites?
- How touristy is West End? I found a nice out of the way place in Half Moon Bay a little walk from town. But I'm still wondering if I'll be next to a McDonalds or Hard Rock Cafe. Have the locals completely abandoned this area?

All thoughts/insights are appreciated!

 

[buton]

mmm why central america? where are you flying from?

 

[chillyinCanada]

maize, sorry but you made me laugh. You can feel very confident you aren't going to be anywhere near a MacDonald's or anything resembling home. West End makes San Miguel look like New York City. You'll love it, that is unless, you want New York. But again, I'm cautioning you. Check the flights carefully, as they may not be convenient to your schedule. May I ask the name of this little place you found on Halfmoon Bay?

 

[diving4ever]

- Is there a part of the island that has the best dives close by? Or are there great dives all around the island?
All thoughts/insights are appreciated!

You can dive several parts of the Island. The west end is probably the most affordable choice and the dive sites are great. That said, I prefer the South; its mostly AI dive resorts with very little nightlife...but the macro-life is great and the resorts are quiet and peaceful.

 

[maize2112]

LOL - thanks ChillyinCanada for the SanMiguel reference - that's helpful. We stayed at south end of SM but rarely ventured into town preferring to explore the rest of the island, got to know several Mexican families, shared meals with our new friends, etc. Sounds like with a little intentionality, the same kind of exploration/adventure can be had in WestEnd.

Looks like we'll have 7 days there (including day of travel each way). We're flying out of Chicago... likely via Houston so it looks like there are some flights that match our schedule.

Considering "Half Moon Resort" and "Cocolobo" in Half Moon Bay. They seem relaxed, decent but not fancy and out of the way w/o being too far from things. Any feedback on either? Or other recommendations?

I've heard great things about "Scuba Roatan" dive shop. However, most of their reviews are from beginner divers so I just want to make sure we aren't stuck going to beginner dives sites. Also - their prices include gear (we own our own gear) and it's $40/dive. ( $30 if you buy 10 dives) That sounds reasonable but wondering what other dive shops charge without providing gear.

Great tip on seeing more macro on South side of island. I'm assuming that I could get down there fairly easily for a dive one day? (Taxi?)

 

[Lorenzoid]

West End, Roatan sounds like a good fit for you. But I sure wouldn't say there's much "indigenous" culture in West End. You may have to seek it out elsewhere on Roatan. West End may be small and laid back, but it's still a lot of divers and shops and small restaurants and bars catering to divers. However, consider taking the ferry from Roatan to the mainland and spending a few days there. Places that offer a combination of good diving and Latin American culture are hard to find. The above-mentioned Corn Islands have been on my wish list for a while.

My wife and I just returned from Panama, where we dived Coiba Island. It's more primitive than Roatan--in fact the entire island is a nature preserve with no development (yet). It's on the Pacific side, so it's not warm, blue Caribbean water. However, factoring in the journey there and back to Panama City in a rental car, we were able to enjoy a more local experience than we would have gotten at the major Caribbean dive destinations.

 

[buton]

Dominican republic specially bayahibe small village , not McDonalds or any chain restaurant. You might be able to fly to the romana or punta cana. Bayahibe diving is not bad

 

[chillyinCanada]

Maize, I'm not able to advise you on your particular acco choices other than to say that I've been over to Halfmoon Bay Cabins for snorkelling a few times. The don't have a sandy beach area. The restaurant used to get good reviews not sure about lately. Have not heard anything about Scuba Roatan. Native Sons has a very good rep, as do a few others that I would recommend but they are closest to your chosen accommodation.

I also don't know your ability to connect with the populace and so will trust that you can make it happen. I've been fortunate over the years to have been able to befriend Roatanians that showed me and my friends around, taken to street festival in Coxen Hole, etc. Do be cautious though. One turned out to be a benign drug dealer. That said through him I met his cousin, the judge. One just never knows but then perhaps that is the sort of cultural experiences you seek. By that I mean, a culture wherein cousins accept one another's, ah, erm, foibles. It should be noted that the drug dealer claims he no longer does such things, which is of no nevermind to me as I now avoid him.

Do take a tour of the island, lunch at Punta Gorda. Do keep in mind that majority of the local population are exceedingly poor.

I hope you have a wonderful trip!

 

[gb_williams]

BTW - The historical culture of the Bay Islands is not Spanish, it's English. The Bay Islands were colonized by British "expats." Spanish has been the official language of the Bay Islands for less than a decade.

You're missing one other location. It's where many Costa Rican expats go to dive. Panama.

If you're looking for "culture" and you're planning to go between September and the end of November, you might look into Portobelo or Nombre de Dios, Panama. That time period is when you can dive the barrier reef ... the same barrier reef that starts on the Yucatan in Mexico and goes as far as Colombia (which is spelled with an "o" not a "u").

Portobelo offers a lot of landside history ... main Spanish port in the western hemisphere ... 1/3 of the world's riches in the 1600s went through the custom's house, which you can still see ... sacked by Henry Morgan in 1668 (you can walk through the forts) ... burial place of Sir Francis Drake, who died of dysentery while trying to capture Portobelo. If you come during this time period, you can get out to the wall where the viz is pretty good and you can see large pelagics, turtles and the usual Caribbean creatures.

Caribbean Jimmy's is the dive op at Nombre de Dios. His culture is more southern Alabama than Panamanian. But, he still has monkeys on the loose. Nombre de Dios is the western hemisphere's oldest, continuously habitated port. Columbus scutled the Niña, here. There are lots of 16th century wrecks in the bay.

Portobelo is a 90 minute drive from the airport of Panama City. Nombre de Dios is another 40 minutes beyond Portobelo. Portobelo has the better restaurants. El Torre is one of my favorite restaurants in all of Panama. Los Cañones is excellent and right next door to Scubapanama.

 

[Karle01]

West End on Roatan fulfills most of what you are looking for. There are plenty of shops to dive with, maybe check out Roatan Divers is a PADI dive resort located in West End, Roatan, in the Bay Islands of Honduras. We focus on top-quality service, personal attention, safety, comfort and environmental responsibility. for small boutique style dive shop with great service and brand new gear.. They also have a onsite media centre. There are plenty of choices for accomodation, fitting most budgets, in West End. Roatan as a whole is great, with lots of fun both underwater and on land.