It’s Springtime in Paradise!
While many of you have still been struggling under several feet of snow and frigid temperatures, Roatan has been showing off her gorgeous springtime beauty lately. Full branches of blossoming bougainvillea hang along the roadside, wafting their lovely scent through the light breezes. Sunshine fills our days with warmth but the humidity stays at bay for now. Bright, vibrant greens flow down each hillside as the jungle shows off its post-rainy season glow. Mangoes, bananas, and cashews will all be ripening soon, so we will be plucking them off the trees around our homes to enjoy a fresh midday snack.
Springtime in paradise truly is remarkable.
This is also a busy time for the island; with tourists still fleeing their winter blues back home for brighter hues from their beach chairs. Hotels are buzzing and dive boats are filled with grinning guests. Many of our regular snowbirds are here still, enjoying another month away from the bitter northern cold as they frolic in the calm lagoons around the island. Springtime is a perfect time to be in Roatan. We hope you are reading this from your lounge chair by the beach with a cold drink in hand. And if not, don’t worry; we’ll save you a seat.
Rental Property Highlights
Whether you’ve been to Roatan before or you’re searching for a new vacation spot, Roatan Life Vacation Rentals has the most extensive inventory available for you. We offer short- and long-term rentals, just in case you decide one week isn’t enough! You wouldn’t be alone either; we frequently have guests vacation here and book a second trip before even leaving the island.
With such a variety of rental properties within our purview, we can accommodate every type of visitor to Roatan. Here are a few highlights from our inventory:
Special Semana Santa Savings! Last-Minute Availability on West Bay Beach!
Coral Sands #2 is a 3-bedroom, 2nd floor condo directly on West Bay Beach. There was a last minute cancellation so it is now open for Semana Santa week. Book now at the previous link to enjoy this unbelievable location right on West Bay Beach! Rate is $3,500 + tax for the week.
Special of the Month! 10% off any booking for Seahorse 104 at the Lawson Beach Club
This corner unit boasts a private wraparound pool and a prime beachfront location. It features two master bedrooms, both with king-size beds, and a third bedroom with two queen beds. Adding in four baths, this is the largest unit at the Lawson Beach Club.
Take 10% off any booking with the code 10OFF until the end of April: http://rentals.roatanlifevacationrentals.com/index.php?method=unitShow&type=xml&format=html&reservation_unitId=S104
A new unit we would like to welcome to our rental inventory is Turtle Crossing #7. This is a 3-bedroom home in the quiet enclave of Turtle Crossing, located just over the hill from West Bay Beach. Great views and breezes with a large community pool make this a perfect retreat at a reasonable rate. The current owners just took possession and are making many updates right now so it will be in perfect condition for your future booking:
Coral Vista consists of five luxury homes built on the point of Half Moon Bay in West End. Each home features the same 4-bedroom, 4-bath layout, plus a private plunge pool, high-speed internet, a backup generator, and much more. Be sure to book these possible options in advance as they do fill up during the busy times! If your group is not large enough to need all 4 bedrooms we offer lower rates for 2 bedrooms as well. There is often last-minute availability in slower seasons and the owners will do 20% off for bookings less than 60 days in advance for available units. Inquire with us to help get a great deal on these homes. Here is a link to Coral Vista #3 so you can review one of these properties.
Concierge Corner
What better way to celebrate your visit to Roatan than by enjoying its array of water activities? Beautiful sunny days are here to stay, so jump in with any of these fun activities our concierge service has to offer. Remember to book ahead of time as most of these activities are limited to small groups and you don’t want to miss out!
One of the most popular experiences Roatan offers includes a magical encounter with Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins. A trainer will describe the dolphins’ characteristics, anatomy, and behaviors, and will give you the opportunity to touch, to kiss, and to play with a member of this friendly family of marine mammals. The price is $69.00 per person. Ages 3-13 must be accompanied by a paying adult or guardian while in the water. Children under 3 years of age are free of charge and may participate while being held by a paying adult. Contact us to make your reservations for you!
If you prefer to snorkel or swim with these wonderful dolphins, we can book that experience for you, too. Let us handle the logistics of making your reservation and coordinating transportation from your condo. You just need to get ready for the experience of a lifetime!
If you love being underwater, Hammerhead Dive Center (HDC) is one of the newest dive centers on the island. Conveniently located at Foster’s Beach in West Bay, they offer a wide range of water activities including snorkel trips, diving, all dive courses (including an introductory half-day course), jet ski rentals, snuba, and night dive/snorkel activities. They are a full valet dive shop, meaning they take care of all of the gear so you can relax and enjoy your vacation. With two private hot water showers and private lockers for each guest, plus an upstairs veranda and lounge right over the ocean, HDC offers an unparalleled experience for their guests. Priding themselves on their high level of service, HDC boasts a very professional staff of local islanders who know this beautiful reef and its resident marine life like no one else. You are guaranteed to receive a true island experience with Hammerhead Dive Center. Let us know which activities you want to book with HDC and we will take care of the details for you.
Any activities that you book through Roatan Life Concierge can be charged directly to your rental unit. You will receive a voucher for your excursion and you pay later! This is especially convenient so that you do not have to carry around large amounts of cash or use your credit card at multiple locations.
It is our policy to never mark-up the excursion cost; you will always pay the same price as if you walked up and booked on your own. At the end of your stay, you just let us know how you would like to settle up: cash, credit card, or a mixture of both.
Welcome to Roatan! We hope you enjoy your stay!
Real Estate Highlights
Once you’ve had a taste of Roatan, you may find it’s hard to stay away. We frequently have our rental guests contact us again – this time to tour properties. If you find you’re thinking about a vacation home in paradise, or even a permanent move away from the hustle and bustle back home, we are happy to help. Many of us have made that same decision and we know exactly how you feel. Roatan just makes you feel like you’re home.
Luckily, Roatan’s real estate market enjoys incredible variety in style, location, and price. To give you a small taste of what’s available, here are three property options currently on the market:
If your goal is luxury custom-home living in Roatan’s premier resort community, then look no further than Willows Green at Pristine Bay: http://www.roatanlife.com/Willows-Green-home-at-Pristine-Bay-765
One of the best deals on oceanfront land we have seen is this ½-acre lot on Gibson Bight. This lot is in a protected bay and has a beach frontage. Perfect for a boater and/or beach lover: http://www.roatanlife.com/50-acre-on-Gibson-Bight-Roatan-648
A highly motivated seller is willing to move this unit now below market! Pineapple Villas is one of the nicest, most well maintained developments in Roatan and this first floor unit is priced to sell at distress levels. If a secure, 2-bedroom condo with proven rental history, pool area, and ocean views sounds like a good fit to you, make an offer. Pineapple Villas Unit 411 is listed at $175,000 but accepting offers: http://www.roatanlife.com/Pineapple-Villa-Unit-411-729
What’s Happening in Roatan This Month?
Each month we share upcoming events and celebrations so you know what to expect during your stay. This is what’s coming up for events in April:
Sunday, March 29th-Sunday, April 5th
Semana Santa, or Holy Week, is the week starting on Palm Sunday and ending on Easter Sunday. In Latin America, many people take this opportunity to enjoy the extra long weekend off of school and work with their families and friends. Roatan experiences quite a busy week as holidaymakers arrive to celebrate. While the beaches may seem more crowded and the bars a bit louder, there are plenty of options for activities and events throughout the week so you can choose to partake in the revelry or to escape it for seclusion. West End and West Bay will see a large increase in tourists, so if you’re ready for some fun, hang around for lots of live music, drink specials, and tons of entertainment. If quiet serenity is more your style, take advantage of our concierge services to enjoy other parts of the island as well. And of course, it’s always quiet underwater! Check out our Concierge Corner for advice on water activities this month. Roatan has so much to offer to each and every guest – be sure to take advantage!
Saturday, April 4th
Extreme Roatan returns to the island with a new challenge and a day of fun! If you’ve seen Tough Mudders or Spartan Races, you have an idea of what this entails: an obstacle course and mud run around Roatan’s beautiful terrain. Blue Harbor Tropical Arboretum hosts this bi-annual event for tourists and locals alike. Participants can walk, run, or scramble up and down the hills offering stunning views, all while encountering obstacles like mud pits and tire piles. With persistence and a lot of laughter, you might just make it through this 4.5km course to grab your free t-shirt and free beer at the end. Register at www.extremeroatan.com/registration to participate in this fun and unique event!
Sunday, April 12th
Carnival celebration is an annual event marking the anniversary of the arrival of the Garifuna in Punta Gorda. Head to Punta Gorda on the East End of the island for a full day of celebrations including traditional dance, music, and food.
Tuesday, April 14th
Pan American Day is a National Holiday in Honduras, though most celebrating will occur at schools through plays or parades. It is a celebration of the unity of South and Central America and is observed throughout the region.
Wednesday, April 22nd
This date marks the Annexation of the Bay Islands by Honduras, which is observed on the Bay Islands only. While you might not notice too much celebrating happening on this day, you could see banks and some municipal offices closed so keep it in mind with your trip planning.
Expats in Paradise
Each month we highlight an expat or expat couple who made the move to paradise. Some live here part-time, some full-time; some bought a home, others have built one. The options are infinite but the people are real! This month, we’re checking in with Greg and Cris Buscetto from Braselton, Georgia. Here’s what Greg has to say about their Roatan experience…
“The home we bought in Roatan is just east of Lawson Rock, about a half mile down Mud Hole Road in Blue Harbor. We purchased it in September of 2011 and stay here part-time since I am semi-retired. We are hoping in a few years to make it here part of the year for 4-6 months.
“Quite honestly, Roatan Life made the experience of buying a house AWESOME. We stayed in a condo in West End that was for sale and knew very quickly that it just wasn’t for us. Steve Hasz and Mike Carter did a great job finding about 12-15 homes to look at in July of 2011 and we narrowed it down to two: Roatan Casa (which we purchased) and Pristine Bay.
“We had looked all over the Caribbean for a second home. We loved Grand Cayman but just couldn’t afford the prices and we didn’t feel comfortable with the hurricane profile (once every 5-7 years versus Roatan which is once every 25+ years). Our daughter and I love to scuba dive so the 200+ sites around the island are great and we have 5-7 within sight of our back porch. What we love most about living in Roatan is the people. Everyone is friendly to the expats! It’s also affordable for an island and we have found anything we have wanted from good restaurants, to great beaches, to an awesome dive shop – Barb and John at Reef Gliders are the best.
“We have Roatan Life manage the property for us even though we don’t rent the property out. They do an excellent job – the experience with them over the last four years has been fantastic. We have friends who own properties in Florida and in Turks and they complain all the time. Gene and Tyrone have always answered our calls every time, no matter when or what time it is, and they come immediately to make it right. It’s simply a great Team. Cris and I always say our experience is a direct reflection of the Team at Roatan Life.“
