IslandGallery

They are very different experiences though what you can do at both is similar.

Same:

-You can lay out on the beach at both

-You can swim in nice water at both

-You can use showers and bathrooms at both

-You can walk around quite a bit at both

Different:

-Since you are on Norwegian you will arrive Coxen Hole, so Tabyana will be closer for you to get to than LFK

-Tabyana is a bus ride, LFK is a bus ride and then go over on a boat

-Tabyana is part of West Bay Beach so it is a super long natural white sand beach (the beach we are famous for) whereas LFK is an island and the beach is not the same, there are some nice beach areas on LFK but it is not quite the same

-There is much better snorkeling easily available off Tabyana than LFK where you could theoretically just swim out and snorkel but to actually see real reef and sea life you would probably need to do their "tour" or go out by boat out further

-LFK has animals- a little zoo type thing where you can see a rescued Lion, some lion cubs, birds, pumas, monkeys, etc. Tabyana does not have any of that.

-Tabyana is on West Bay Beach which is long and covered with resorts so you can walk around that area whereas LFK is self contained because it is an island.

-LFK has a lot of different little areas and vignettes so you can be in the bustling area where everyone is hanging out, listening to music, etc. or where people are all swimming or paddle boarding or you can walk around and find a more quiet spot.

-LFK is a little more diverse in terms of the landscape- there are open bars, bars you sit in the water, covered areas to eat, areas in the sun to sit, a pizza oven, different food options, different areas where you can get in the water, etc. whereas Tabyana is a more traditional caribbean beach experience.

To be clear, I have posted this on other threads, Tabyana is just a name. It is not an actual beach. Beaches in Honduras are public, all beaches! Tabyana is simple the name for the area of property behind the tree line at that PART of West Bay Beach. The beach you will swim from is West Bay Beach, just like people with day passes at Infinity Bay, Mayan Princess, Bananarama, etc. They are all ON West Bay Beach and that is the name of the beach. Tabyaba is just a name they use for cruise ship excursions for that private property behind the beach where their facilities are.

So, in the end, the experiences are different. If you want the amazing traditional Caribbean white sand beach that stretches for ages and has great snorkeling right off shore, West Bay beach is the place. If you want a more varied experience with lots of little different things to do and places to check out, LFK is the place. Let me know if you have questions.

To be clear, the beach that someone is referring to that is right near the Coxen Hole Port is not really the beach you are thinking of when you think of Roatan. The port is on the south side of the island, the beach is therefore a different kind of sand and a much different water and experience. If you want the typical Caribbean beach, you will want to be elsewhere.

Simply go out, get a taxi- agree BEFORE getting inside on the price and confirm the price three times! Have them take you to West End or West Bay. West End if you ALSO want to walk around, shop, etc. It is more of a village with a nice beach. If you want to just do the beach, West Bay is the beach we are famous for. they can take you to Beacher's as someone said- easy, you can buy food and/or drinks and use their chairs.

West Bay is further than West End so the taxi rate will be higher to get there.

WEST END:

Shade is available at Sundowners, though it is not a ton- there are some palms there to provide shade. At Argentinian Grill/Posada Arco Iris, they have some palm coverage too if you are paying to use their chairs which I think is $5 per chair.

Down the beach at Palapa Pappa's they have chairs and umbrellas but the beach there isn't as fun, if you have kids, there is more activity closer to the entrance of west end. If you have kids- an easy spot it the Gelato place, Costa Ducle which is just next to the Baptist Church, you can buy ice cream and sit on their back patio, park your crap and then just use the beach which is a kind of nice little part of Half Moon Bay that isn't as crowded and while there are a lot of vendors harassing people just BEFORE that area, it isn't as bad down that far. Depending on the age of your kids, it might be a nice spot to chill out. They have a big bench swing, plenty of sand to play in, nice snorkeling straight in front of you. There is a restaurant just down from there- DIX that you could eat at - they have kid options. There are plenty of restaurants if you walk out to the street (like 15 steps) a Mexican place across the street called Cannibal Cafe, we are located across the street ;) The street is safe to walk up and down, lots of little shops if you want to take a break from the sun, but honestly, you could play in the sand and in the water, and then sit on the patio or just up under a coconut tree, there would be plenty of shade as the patio is covered. It is not a fancy spot but would be a bit more quiet.

WEST BAY: Any of the resorts have shade if you are doing a pass though on a busy cruise ship day, umbrellas are not always easy to come by because you have all teh people staying at the resort plus cruise shippers wanting umbrellas. Infinity Bay doesn't have much shade by palms, though they have umbrellas. they also have tables with umbrellas inside their little picket fence if you want to park at at table with the kids- or by the pool with an umbrella over a table is easier than finding on on the beach if you have a day pass I would say.

Mayan has umbrellas, but again, you have lots of people wanting them, Bananarama, etc. all the same. Beacher's restaurant usually has enough and if they have more in back they will bring one out and dig the hole and put it in for you right where you want it. Beacher's has food kids will eat- chicken fingers, etc. and it's a nice area of the beach if you want to lay out, play in the sand and water. If you want more snorkeling than the other side of the beach is better. Feel free to let me know if you have any specific questions, I am happy to help.

The mixed plate that is probably included in what you are getting is as follows (with some variation):

rice & beans

Chicken

Beef

Lobster

Shrimp

Cole Slaw

Salsa

Yucca Chips

It's a good meal with nice local accents. If your kids don't eat that- then you could just order them regular food. Ours usually eats the chicken fingers and fries and sometimes they have burgers as well, and the pizza is an option too.

The VIP lounge is an upstairs sort-of outdoor living room. You climb the stairs and at the top is an open air room with rocking chairs, a table and benches, lounge chairs, it is not very big but there are usually not many people up there if any. The whole front of the room is open towards the water so you look out at the water. Down on the ground level is a little cove area with beach chairs, a pizza oven, tables, swimming area, etc.

Hi guys, I have a few questions:

1))Which part of the beach is the nicest?

2) How much will it cost me from the pier (Norwegian CL) to the nicest part of the beach? and by ?(bus? taxi?) and how far if i have to take any of these transportation?

 

Thanks for your input!

1. West Bay Beach is the beach we are known for- white sand, beautiful water, it is all nice. In my opinion, further down the beach is nicest IF you just want to lay out and swim. This would be the OPPOSITE direction from the resorts and "Tabyana" because the other end of the beach (towards west end) is a bit quieter. Make no mistake, there are hundreds of people on the beach on a cruise ship day but it can be quieter at the other end. Beacher's is a locally owned restaurant that allows you to use their chairs if you are buying food/drinks and the beach is lovely and they have a shower and bathrooms. The food is pretty good too. A driver can take you there if you want to go on your own. If you want more of a day pass experience than the previous poster is correct Banarama or any of the others are fine, it's all walkable.

2. transport varies, it shouldn't be too much- in a taxi just agree before getting in. the rates are actually set but it's easy to con a visitor. It will take about 20-25 minutes on a busy cruise ship day to get from the Coxen hHole port to west bay.

Heading to Punta Gorda if you've never been can be a great experience that is off the beaten path a little more. The Blue Harbor is great if you like that sort of experience. Shark Dive, depending on if you're a diver and how long/what time you are in port. The Arch family iguana farm, photography course (if you like photography), a trip by boat to some of the other islands that are part of the bay islands- like cayos cochinos, pigeon cay, etc.

Hello. The last cruise I went on was over 20 years ago! We live on a Caribbean island that is a cruise port. We are thinking about cruising FROM here to the US (this is not my question, I know the details and requirements for this special arrangement).

Here are some questions (keeping in mind we would likely cruise with Norwegian though Carnival and Royal are also options from our port).

1. It says taxes and so forth are not included in the rates- what kind of taxes should we be considering, as in how much additional cost will there be?

2. What about tipping, I know it is customary and we would be happy to tip, but there seems to be ways to do so in advance? Is this via credit card at a certain rate to avoid tipping in cash? Is tipping in cash also okay? Who all do you tip and how much? Trying to figure out how much money ON TOP of the cost of the fare we should plan on?

3. We have a 3.5 year old who would be with us. Anything specific any moms out there want to share that is useful for having a small child with you?

4. Anything we should know about using the ship while in port (since we will likely be on the ship doing stuff more than some others because we are from a port). Anything that you can't do while in port? Is it nice to use the ship while others are off ship?

5. What about at the final port? In the US- is it easy to get a taxi like an airport? Are there hotels nearby? Anything tricky we should know about this part of the trip? Hard to get a hotel? Expensive?

6. Any tips about an inside cabin? We would definitely be going for cheapest option because this is more of a mode of transportation for us, not really a vacation so any advice about inside staterooms?

Thanks so much!

You are correct, unfortunately, most of the experiences are exploited animals. And several "preserve" facilities are much more $-driven than conservation or protection driven.

Why don't you take your kiddos on the glass-bottom boat? There are several, a couple in West End and one in West Bay. The bottom of the boat is underwater and you go downstairs and sit on a bench and there are large picture-windows on each side of you, the boat cruises out into the bay by the reef and you can see coral and fish and sometimes turtles or other sea life, all in its natural habitat. This is great for kids and especially for people who don't dive or snorkel. If you do snorkel then that would be a a great option too.

Iguana Farm

Dolphin Encounter/Swim

Cultural Tours

Shopping in West End

Discover Scuba

Food & Drink (anywhere)

Granted, this is the Caribbean so water anything is sort of implied but there's plenty to do if that's not your thing. West End allows for easy walking up and down the one main road and you can shop, eat, drink, etc. If others in your party want to swim, Half Moon Bay is right there too so some can easily swim or snorkel there while others shop.

In West End, Creole's Rotisserie Chicken is best, it's a local's place and nothing fancy but great chicken and a funky fun experience. Splash Inn is more of a regular restaurant with a large menu including sea food. But there are tons of places up and down the street including street food if you like.

There are bars in West End too that you can just pop into and hang out for a while if that's what you're looking for.

lol "approved cab companies" we wish! I'm just joking, the cab set up here is a little different, there are just taxis, not a bunch of different companies. They are all white with a yellow square on the side featuring their taxi number. Not all are registered/legit, unfortunately.

I am not sure how the organize it at the port in Coxen Hole, who the let in, I thought I had heard that it was only those with a specific client to pick up were allowed in, as opposed to those just looking for fares. The earlier poster is correct- you would need to make sure they were going to pick you up. You would want their cab number and phone number so someone could call for you.

The issue is that West Bay is far from where ANY cab would normally be. No cabs hang out in West Bay, it's not like other places where you can expect to just go out and hail a cab. In west bay the only cab you will hail is one that randomly happens to be passing having dropped someone off in the area. So, for any cab, coming to West Bay is considered a trip that's way it's a bit more expensive because, for example for a cab to take you to West Bay they need to drive you from Coxen Hole, drop you off and drive all the way back to Coxen Hole and then to pick you up they have to drive to get you and then drive you back, so what's a roundtrip to you is actually two round trips to them because their business is in Coxen Hole (or at least West End). So, you want to make sure you are sure the person is going to pick you back up again and set the time a bit conservative so in case they don't show you can make other arrangements. In a pinch, someone probably has a cab's number and can call someone but you don't want to be late to the ship so make round trip plans for sure.

They have showers and changing rooms and bathrooms. Like Infinity- they are pull string outside showers, to rinse off, nothing fancy but that's the same at both locations.

As for swimming and snorkeling, the areas are very different. With Infinity you are on the North side of the island West Bay beach faces the big reef structure (MesoAmerican) and it's right there straight out as you're noting.

At LFK it is a different side of the island and is not the same kind of set up. Theoretically you could swim out and see the reef (I think they also offer snorkel tours by boat where they boat you out a little ways). But depending on the day and the weather, there could be current or breaking waves that make it difficult to do so on your own. It will not be the same regardless. The water off the beach at LFK is clear and areas are sandy, other areas are rocky or have turtle grass. The environment was sort of created for excursions so it's not all naturally occurring like it would be in West Bay.

As for temperature it's kind of hard to tell. We've had a bizarre year for weather, our rainy season was sort of non-existant. It has the potential to be quite hot in May though there's always the possibility for weather. They have umbrellas and shaded areas but, yes everything is open air. Infinity is all open air as well but, correct, they do have a large pool.

It's really just a question of what you want to do.

Sundowner's is the only real bar on Half Moon Bay that also has it's own chairs and is in a good spot if you want to snorkel.

If you go down the road in West End what used to be Foster's (as mentioned by Guest 2000) is no longer that but a new place is there called Palapa Pappa's and they have chairs and umbrellas and beach however if you want to swim and snorkel you are better off in Half Moon Bay, whereas down that far down the road, that is no longer the bay.

Sundowner's is easy to get to , just a quick right when you get to the roundabout at the entrance to West End and it is on your left just past the Yellow place called the Beach House.

Sundowners has chairs and also serves food so you could hang there all day and eat and drink, swim, snorkel, etc. There are always taxis nearby in that area waiting for people. The prices actually are regulated but it's very easy to get ripped off when you don't know better. I would either take a taxi from port and just arrange with the driver to pick you up at a certain time (being conservative with time in case he doesn't show and you have to find another so you're not late to the ship) and then have him come get you. Of you could get dropped off at sundowner's and then talk to one of the taxis out front but early, before you actually need to leave and ask what he will charge you. If you don't like the price you can find someone else or say you will which will hlep your haggling.

Not unusual. Each establishment THINKS they own the beach and often acts that way. The tree line is the sort of unwritten rule, though there is an actual measurement rule. You will see flags in the sand marking the "line" at each resort where the public part ends and the private begins though even those lines are a bit over zealous.

You can use credit cards pretty much everywhere except small gift shops and tiny restaurants or street food. Most off the real stores in West End will accept cards. It is important to know that while it is actually not allowed for them to do so, many establishments pass the card usage charge from the business to the customer so in some places there is an additional percent for using the card. This is not to be confused with sales tax which is charged regardless of method of payment.

The one thing I will tell you NOT to do, however, is use your ATM card at an ATM machine in West End. WE have had a lot of problems in West End with card number theft and so forth. Several machines are big issues. The ATM at the airport is reliable and probably there are safe ones at the port though I am not sure. Best bet is to use cash or credit but not ATM.

Also very important to let your bank and card company know that your cards will be used in these countries because otherwise they will immediately cut your card off when they see transactions in honduras!

To the original poster-

 

 

get to a roundabout and you take a left and Sundowners is on your left just after the big yellow Beach House.

Sorry, correcting my post, I said Sundowners was to the left AND to the right at the roundabout in different parts o9f my post.

At the roundabout you take a RIGHT.

Okay, I understand you now. Yes, that is just the fence between the properties. No- Grand Roatan cannot keep you off the beach. That is public. The Vendors may just be there because they are NOT allowed to be in front of either property so they stay at the property line.

You can absolutely just walk down to the rock wall and go in the water. The issue is that the snorkeling there is pretty advanced. Unfortunately, most people that snorkel there are NOT so the area is VERY damaged. There are many small areas of reef, heads that stick up that you have to swim around and through. It's kind of tough if you don't knw what you're doing. There are places that you literally cannot turn around, there isn't room and so people DO turn around and stand up and kill tons of coral.

That whole area has some good spots so feel free to go anywhere in that range.

Enjoy!:)

yes, there are two ports, so that is why you are seeing conflicting times. The port you will be landing at is in Coxen Hole so it will take about 20-25 minutes to get to West Bay on a busy ship day.

With a child that age, personally I would go with Mayan Princess because the pool is very cool especially for kids. It's my son's favorite. It is nice too because the pool is designed into the landscaping so it sort of curves around and there are different areas. There is a very shallow area with a spraying fountain thing and then that dips off to about 4 feet. Then you go under a bridge and there is the main section with stairs on both sides and then it goes again to a little shallow area as well as to a a waterfall on rocks. On the other side of that is another small pool area, rocks kids can sit or walk on in the water and then a cool cave with a waterfall falling in front of the entrance you can swim through. If you are not that into snorkeling and are mainly going for the pool and the beach you could see what options they have. Other nearby day pass areas would be Infinity Bay as well, they have a large pool ,also with various areas, waterfalls, etc. and a swim up bar. You can order food at either place. These would be the best options if you are going for a pool experience that is cool for kids.

are you asking about when you were in the water? or on land? "tabyana" is only the property behind the beach, not the beach itself. No one owns beaches in Honduras, they are all public. They own the land behind the tree line. In between Tabyana's property and The cliff wall at the end of the beach is Grand Roatan Resort. Again, they don't own the beach either. If you were talking about on land, then yes, the resort's property would be in between.

If you are talking about in the water then I guess I would need more info. Where was this fence? On land? If you go out too far, you would be at the point. The point is where the current changes because you are going from one side of the island to the other. It is possible they were keeping people contained for safety reasons as going too far out can be dangerous. Also, the closer you go to the land on that side, the more intense the structure of the reeef and the more complicated it is to get around without killing the reef. Though that area has been already very badly damaged due to years of people standing on the reef.

If you are talking about the fenced off property that is on the actual cliff itself- with a grassy area facing the water, then yes, that is private property because it is not a beach, so back a distance from shore on the iron shore would be a privately owned piece of beach.

So here is the real deal. Tabyana is not an actual place. "Tabyana" is just a property behind the tree line in one area of West Bay Beach. West Bay Beach is our famous beach, long white sand beach, beautiful crystal waters, it's what you see the pictures of. ALL BEACHES in Honduras are public.

Where it gets tricky is with ACCESS to those beaches and beach chairs owned by individual resorts or excursions. So, as long as you can legitimately get to a beach without trespassing, that beach is public. So, what happens on West Bay Beach is the resorts all have their own beach chairs which they put a little ways back from the walking area and those belong to them so you have to pay or being staying there to use them. The same goes for some restaurants along the beach. Tabyana is an area of that same beach. The beach is West Bay Beach regardless of whether you are standing in front of Infinity Bay Resort (just down from Tabyana) or standing in front of Grand Roatan Resort, Bananarama, etc. Just like it is West Bay Beach at Tabyana. They do not own the beach, it is public, they own the property behind it. So you go in from the road, not the beach, and the property behind the tree line is owned by them- they have facilities you can use if you are paying for the excursion, and of course you can use their chairs if you are buying the excursion.

That being said- no one owns West Bay Beach and you can do whatever you want on west bay beach. If you are doing a tour and you are going to be in West Bay anyway, you can simply have your driver take you somewhere that has access that you can walk out to the beach. Several resorts do day passes if you want to pay, but other places allow you to simply use their chairs if you are buying food/drinks. But if you walk out to the beach you can walk it, swim from it, sit in the sand, do whatever you want ON the beach, you do not have to pay anyone to be on the beach.

It really depends what you want. If you want ACTUAL island stuff, that's one thing, as opposed to the items that are typically pushed at cruise shippers that actually have nothing to do with Roatan.

There are a number of gift shops that people think are "local" artisan gifts when really these are all made in Guatemala, they are run by Guatemalans and the stuff has nothing to do with island culture or art/craft. Similarly there are things sold that are not ALLOWED to be sold and are a huge problem for our conservation efforts- such things NOT to buy would be conch shells, dried sea horses, sea fans, etc.

There are, however, lots of fantastic things to take a look at that ARE related to the island and fun to buy. There is coffee and chocolate made here, there are lots of great mediums of art- painting, sculpture, photography, etc.

West End is the best place for taking a stroll down the street and popping into some shops. West End's art district is made up of three good stops- an all inclusive art gallery that has lots of great small gifts, different mediums of art like paintings, etc. They also sell locally made soaps, jewelry and pottery, a photography & underwater photography gallery showcasing a local pro photographer, and then a place that makes cool arts and crafts from recycled metal- christmas ornaments, signs, mobiles, very cool stuff. West End also has some Guatemalan gift shops which have cool stuff, just not from here (Mayan Masks, weavings, etc.). Some of the gift shops carry things made locally from coconuts, etc.

Yes, you can take a taxi but which port are you arriving at? There are two different ports- Carnival has it's own called Mohagany Bay and it is quite a ways from West Bay while the other ships dock at Port of Roatan in Coxen Hole. There are plenty of taxis.

Cost will depend which port you are going from. Always ask the rate before entering the cab.

There are not a lot of floats usually rented on West Bay beach, sometimes you can find those types of things in between Mayan Princess and Henry Morgan resorts at a little stand on the beach. And sometimes vendors are selling the blow up kind. You might do better/cheaper to grab a couple cheap ones from Target or Dollar store that pack easily. But you never know, I have seen a few from time to time

If you (or kids?) are all about the pool, Mayan is a great choice, in my opinion it is the best pool on the island (certainly the best in West Bay). It is nicely woven into the mature landscaping and has several different areas so you can easily find a spot for your party without being on top of other guests.

The food is fine there. It is not like world class dining, you're eating by the pool or on the beach, it's pretty standard fare. So is Bananarama. So are most of the places on West Bay Beach, honestly.

They just built new bathrooms which are very nice. The pool is great. San Simon is next door (they own it) and is basically just a venue, a bar, with a porch area, cabanas sometimes and bathrooms. The beach chairs line all three of their properties which are all next door to one another.

As for the price, I am not sure. That's more you're call. If it truly is more unlimited (lots of food, the buffet, maybe?) would make more sense versus one pre-chosen meal that is standard for all visitors, I am not sure. The buffet is usually decent.

Hello. I posted this in another thread so excuse the focus on beach chairs but here you go:

To the original poster-

Yes there are places to use beach chairs in West End. West End is less of a "laying out" place though, so it's not like West Bay where the whole beach is lined with them on cruise ship days.

To be clear, West End and West Bay are two completely different places. They are the names of two different towns (and two different beaches). You do not walk easily from one to the other (and you certainly wouldn't waste time doing this even if you like to walk, on a short cruise ship day visit to the island!).

Banamarama, as someone suggested does have chairs but they are located in West Bay, on West Bay Beach.

In West End, Sundowners, a bar just to the right of the entrance to West End (when you come by the road, you get to a roundabout and you take a left and Sundowners is on your left just after the big yellow Beach House. They have chairs- not a ton, probably like 8-10 on a given day. They have some shade, but again, it's not set up for a lot of people laying out. They are a bar, and they are cool with you buying food/drinks and using their chairs.

Just down a bit further after Sundowners is a place called Arco Iris & Argentinian Grill, they rent beach chairs for like $5.You can snorkel straight out from these two locations as long as you avoid the boat channel.

There are now several vendors who set up on the beach in West End, when you come to the roundabout you would turn LEFT and they have chairs they rent daily BUT it is a ridiculous mess of vendors in that particular area- they will harass you all day long asking if you want a massage, your hair braided, etc.

Roundabout, turn LEFT and go ALL the way down the road there is a place called Palapa Papas and they have chairs that I think they rent, and a restaurant inside.

If you want to go to West Bay, then there are tons of places to lay out and use the chairs, you can either purchase a day pass at a resort to use their facilities- chairs, pools, showers, bathrooms, etc. OR you can opt for one that does a consumption policy where you can use the chairs as long as you are buying food or drinks.

Beacher's is a locally owned restaurant (not a resort) and you can use their chairs as long as you buy drinks or food. they have a shower around back and bathrooms. It's nothing fancy but it's further down West Bay Beach in an area that is a little quieter.

If you were going without a tour, you would ask to be dropped at one of those places. If you are coming to West End on your own, you can walk all of West End pretty easily and WAY easier than maneuvering by car on a cruise ship day! You can also take a water taxi from West End to West Bay if you choose for $3 per person so long as there are at least three people in your party.

Enjoy your visit!