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It's only a week out of every year! The beach fills with beach goers, families and partiers alike. Vendors flock to sell their wares. BBQ stands, beer gardens and more! It's a big change for us that live here and really, it's a nice change! Watch the action as I tour the beach!
Tents and beer stands… check! Tourists and souvenirs… check! Garbages and porta potys… check! First Aid stands and lifeguards… check! Looks like plans are taking shape here in West Bay for the Island's busiest time of the year!
This is it! The biggest holiday in Latin America! Easter Week! Holy Week! Semana Sante! Today marks the beginning of a holiday week here on Roatan! Many from all over Central America flock to Roatan's beaches… and West Bay will be packed by weeks end! I'll give you an update daily so you can see how the crowds progress. The big day is Good Friday. Then, by Sunday night… they all go bye bye!
With Easter just around the corner, Roatan is going to start filling up early next week. Hotels and local flights/ferries are going to be packed. And if you're anywhere near Toronto, Canada… jump in on this $99 fare to Roatan, round trip, plus taxes. Easter or Semana Sante (Holy Week) as the Latinos call it, will be a big party on West Bay Beach! Come on down and join the fun!
Amidst the dust, eclectic buildings, water trucks and music one can see the pure beauty of West End, albeit "rustic beauty" however. This funky little village is home to Rastafarians, backpackers, tourists and locals alike who fit into the Bohemian lifestyle. It bustles, hustles, bobs and weaves with the tide, the weather and the time of day. West End is a great place to visit, dine, shop or dive. Now you can see for yourself what so many love about Roatan...
Buying a 'ready to occupy' home or condo on an emerging tropical island is one thing… having one built while you're 2,000 miles away is a completely different story! See how Americans, Tom and Julie - who first discovered Roatan during a cruise - made the decision to invest in their dream and build a home South of the Border!
Today is a fantastic day on the beach on Roatan! Wish you were here. No, really! I strolled along and took in all the sites and sounds of West Bay this morning. It's 89º here with 61% humidity and there's water activities, kids, beach vendors and tourists everywhere! I stopped along the way to have a coffee with the proud new owner, Pamela, of Caribbean Creamery and ended up at Infinity Bay Resort! Come along and enjoy the views….
If you're like me.. you're extremely attached to your pets! I absolutely adore my dogs! Where I go… they go! Now just how difficult is it to bring in your beloved into the Bay Islands? Does Roatan have different laws than the rest of Honduras? What about other pets? I'll explain the latest restrictions here...
Sometimes you need to find a special item that you're sure is so obscure… it CAN'T possibly be found on Roatan! I mean, come on…. this little 3rd world island? I'm building 4 tables for my deck and found some awesome long and skinny screws to fasten the table top to the legs in my bodega (translation=storage room). I don't know where they came from but they worked beautifully… that is, until I ran out of them. Now the hunt for more.. IS ON!
Rumor has it that Delta is offering a SUPER deal from ANYWHERE in the lower 48 (USA). Also, if you are near Pittsburgh… there's an incredible price on travel to Roatan… Learn more in this week's Top Pick!!
Sometimes it takes people years to decide to invest in the Bay Islands…. and sometimes it takes only hours! In Tim and Renee's case, vacationing here from the cold Canadian winters was a chance for them to get the "feel" of Roatan and settle into the lifestyle before buying a vacation/retirement home. And yes! They are faithful BuyRoatan.com followers and now… Roatan's newest property owners! Watch their story…
They don't come much better than this… 0.176 Acre level building lot just steps from the 84º Caribbean waters. White sand, private community, spectacular sunsets… and it could be yours! I just listed this 'one of a kind' piece of 'white gold' for $289,000 USD!! Similar lots have sold for far more and this one will be no exception as prices continue to rise on our awakening island. Try Cayman Islands for instance. You couldn't touch this lot under $1.5M there… Check it out!
Sure, buying veggies out of the back of a pickup in front of your house is a real neat way to shop, but Roatan now has other alternatives… like the newly opened Megaplaza, located in French Harbour. Ever expanding, this commercial strip mall features shops and services that make look familiar to you! Take a tour with me...
With more than 14 DIRECT flights to Roatan now each week… travelers have their pick of the day they want to come to the Islands! Check out my Top Pick this week for vacations to the Bay Islands...
So if you're born and raised on a tropical Island such as Roatan and live your entire life there… what happens when you are teleported into another culture? What do you miss? What don't you miss? What about life in the Caribbean? What was/is it like? Listen to Jayson (11) and Grady (9) talk about their Island home...
Taking technology for granted is something everyone of us has done, is doing right now, or will do in the future. And stepping off Roatan brings the picture ever clearer on just how primitive our systems are down here… not that we're complaining, but sometimes it sure is nice to see how the 1st world lives.
Out of the box is the best way to describe some of the building ideas here… eclectic, fun, different and funky are words I've often heard people say about some of the designs and decorating here on Roatan. Take a look at this hotel…. definitely "outside of the box" and in my opinion… FUN FUN FUN!!
Turning on the tap and getting hot and cold water. Most of us take that for granted. Those living in rural areas may not. Drilled wells and pressure systems are the norm in those areas and they are here on Caribbean islands like Roatan as well. If you're planning a move here, you'll need to know how our water works...
Many people ask me all the time… "When is the best time to come to Roatan?" Well… here's my answer for all of you...
Back when the Roatan airport was nothing but a dirt runway with a bamboo shack as the terminal. Back when there was one dirt road on the island running east to west. Back when there were only 4 dive resorts on the entire island. Back when there were no cruise ships, no direct flights, no fire department and only 12 policemen holding down the fort here…. But these 2 guys saw something. They built their dream. And they are still around today doing what they love to do…. Meet Pasquale and Gaetano - West Bay's original entrepreneurs and true Roatanian pioneers!
As most tourist destinations have to offer, Roatan boasts dozens, if not hundreds of local restaurants, bars and snack bars geared more to the evening crowd after the sun sets into the Caribbean! French, Italian, American, Spanish and Island cuisines are available here on the Island and when it comes to freshness, Roatan's seafood is second to none! Dining out is a favorite pastime here. Sharing a meal with friends is always enjoyable and a great place to swap stories of the past weeks.
Tonight, 4 of my blog followers from Connecticut - Dave, Lori, Vin and Robin, join me for dinner at a great little bar/restaurant that serves only "tapas"…
Even though there are set back regulations governing how close you can build to Roatan's high water line, many locals (and sometimes Gringos) disregard the 82-foot rule and often 'pay the price'. Storm surges bring in higher than normal wave action which literally 'moves' the sand from one side of the beach to another. This undermines the beachfront and often washes away foundations, palm trees and other structures. The setback regulation is there FOR A REASON! Come on people! Protect our beaches, will ya?
I would have never believed it if I hadn't seen it, shot it, and heard it myself! A real Air Show over West Bay Beach! Pretty cool too. There was WWII looking bi-planes and fighters blowing smoke, doing loops, stalling, and swooping a few hundred feet past my home! Watch this...
