Ocean Connections Backpacker's Guide
Getting to Roatan
Roatan is easily accessible from mainland Honduras, most travelers take the route from Guatemala to mainland Honduras and then make the short hop across to the Bay Islands. The ferry to Roatan leaves from La Ceiba twice a day (10am and 4pm) and costs a mere $25. The crossing now takes only an hour and a half with the introduction of the new fast ferry, although seasickness is not uncommon amongst fellow ferry goers!
If you don’t fancy watching people throw up or are just plain in a hurry, flights from La Ceiba airport take little over 15 minutes and cost around $45 with SOSA or TACA airlines. Tickets for these flights can be purchased from the office at the airport before departure and the flights leave on a regular basis between 6.30am and 3.30pm. There are also flights from Tegucigalpa, which cost around the $110 mark and is a common point of entry for travelers following the South to North Central American route.
Getting to West End
Once you reach the airport or the ferry port your best bet is getting a taxi directly to West End. Unfortunately you are going to be subjected to tourist prices, like most ports and airports and the 10 minute journey from Coxen Hole will cost around $15. If you’re feeling like a challenge you can walk out of the airport and try and flag a cab or collectivo on the road which will be cheaper but most of the time the effort outweighs the benefit, especially in the Caribbean heat!
Budget Accommodation
West End has many options for budget accommodation, we have listed some of the popular hostels.
- Valeries - one of the original backpacker places in the West End. Unfortunately it has not been improved for a long time and although is probably your cheapest option, it is definitely a case of ‘you get what you pay for’! If you want to save money and just need a bed, this is the place to go; beds start from $5 for a dorm.
- Chillies Hostel – clean, budget accommodation starting from $18 per room.
- Dolphin Motel - kind of dingy $25 hotel rooms. No kitchen.
- Sea Breeze Inn - If you're with a group of three or four a really good deal. High quality units with hot water, cable TV and optional air conditioning. Sizes range from studios to one bedroom apartments with kitchen facilities and start at $25 per room. We offer accommodation and dive packages with Seabreeze Inn.
- Posada Arca Iris – clean, private rooms with refrigerators, hot water, balconies and fans. Prices start form $30 for a single room.
- Casa Calico – good quality accommodation with hot water, balconies with some units having sea views and kitchen facilities. They also offer free use of their kayaks and wireless internet. Prices start at approx. $25 per person based on two sharing.
- Milkas Place – a place run by a nice, Spanish speaking family. Hostel style place with two rooms sharing a small kitchen/dining area and a bathroom. Good situation just set back from the main road in West End. This is a good budget option with prices starting from $15 for a double room with two double beds.
- Mariposa Lodge – set just behind Milkas, this is more upscale place with rooms arranged by a well-kept kitchen/dining area. Prices start at around $26 for a double room.
- Georphis Hideaway - Private Cabins and dorm style housing. Rooms and cabins range from $15 to $45 per night.
- Tina's backpacker Hostel - A new hostel in West End, rooms range from $10 to $30 per night. Has kitchen facilities.
- West End Inn - Also know as the Pink Palace, a three story hotel with rooms that sleep 2 to 6 people. The rooms come with cable TV, air conditioning and hot water. A good deal if you are with a large group.
Wherever you do decide to stay make sure to have access to a kitchen, eating out in West End can be cheap but your options are limited and most people find they want to cook themselves after a few nights of baleadas.
Eating on a budget
If you’re looking for a budget meal, your best bet is Rotisserie Chicken which serves excellent chicken, good portions and don’t forget to order a brownie sundae for desert. If you’re looking for a good old pizza or a burger; Pura Vida serves massive pizzas (don’t try and order one each!) and Rick’s cafe, Sundowners beach bar have some of the best burgers in town. A new restaurant called the Shark Cave recently opened and has good deals on sandwiches, wraps and pizza.
If you’re looking for a more oriental flavor, Franks Thai and Vietnamese has just relocated to a lovely spot above West End Divers and serves very tasty food for good prices. There is also a new Thai restaurant in WesT End, a little pricey but high quality food.
If you want to save money in West End but don’t have the facilities to cook the way forward is street food. There are barbeques, baleadas and tostados a plenty for as little as $1 although the choice gets considerably more limited once the sun goes down.
Nightlife in Roatan
West End definitely has a good social life! The small size of the town means there is a general pattern in the way people structure their nights out. Sundowners is a lovely beach bar almost opposite Woody’s grocery store and serves some fantastic cocktails as well as all the essential hard spirits and beer. The happy hour here is between 4 – 7 and this is the place where most people start their drinking. Sundowners closes at 10pm and people tend to drift down the road to Blue Channel, The Purple Turtle and Rick's. All located within 30 seconds of each other, Blue Channel and Rick's are restaurant/bars which offer live music on certain nights of the week and are nice places to relax and enjoy the Caribbean ambience. However, most people who are just on a mission to get plastered and have a laugh, end up at some point in the night at The Purple Turtle, a small bar with a lot of attitude and for some reason no toilets, but right on the sea front.
If you are out on a Sunday or Wednesday night; Lands End at the North of West End hosts live music and open mike nights. These nights are always busy and entertaining and the bar itself is set beautifully next to a pool and looking out over the iron shore to the sea.
Shopping in West End
The West End is the place to find bars, diving, hostels etc but it is also the most touristy place on the island due to the infrastructure provided and its proximity to the beautiful beach of West Bay. Because of this, there are quite a few shops selling clothes, bikinis and other items aimed at travelers and tourists, but unfortunately they are priced accordingly as well. The best bet for buying clothes and even groceries is taking a taxi or collectivo trip to Coxen Hole or French Harbor. These larger towns on Roatan offer cheaper prices and better selections.
Buying groceries in West End is easy. Woody’s is the largest shop at the North end of town, and there are smaller shops dotted along the road that sell the essentials. Fruit and vegetable trucks with fresh produce cruise the streets everyday and the prices are pretty reasonable although its best to ask how much each item is so you know the price isn't’t just being made up at the end.
Internet Access
There are a few Internet shops in the West End and its best to shop for the best offer as prices can be as much as $8 per hour. Barefoot Charlie’s opposite Fosters Bar has a good deal on prepaid unlimited accounts which you can purchase to last as little as a week or up to one month.
Banks and ATM's
West End has three cash points within a couple of minutes walk of each other; one at the Dolphin Hotel, one at the shark cave and one outside Coconut Tree. These ATM's work intermittently and it is never a guarantee that you will be able to get money out so plan in advance; if you see it working grab the chance to use it! Coxen Hole has more reliable ATM's and a bank where you can exchange travelers’ cheques although some of the shops in West End will also do this for you if they have enough cash available.
Fun Diving
Our philosophy is that small groups, experienced Divemasters and going the extra mile to different sites are the equation for smiles on a divers face. We love diving too (so much we chose it for our lifestyle) and enjoy finding new sites and identifying the myriad of reef inhabitants.
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Learn to Dive
Ocean Connections offers a variety of beginner recreational diving courses varying from half day discovery dives to the full PADI open water diver course. No matter your length of stay on Roatan we have a course to fit in your vacation. |
Internships
Whether you want to achieve the Master Scuba Diver rating or 'Go Pro' and become a PADI Instructor or Divemaster we have created an all inclusive Internship program to make sure you have the most fun in the best learning environment, here in beautiful West End, Roatan.
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