Roatan West Bay or Costa Maya

[eposadas]

We are doing both of these as part of our RC cruise.  We plan on staying in port at one of these but have never been to either so a little unsure of which one to book an excursion on.

 

Just looking for a beach day with hopefully some snorkeling.  Which area makes more sense to enjoy a nice beach day where the travel to a not too much and the vendors won't be all over you.

 

TIA 

[crewsweeper]

Vendors will be all over you in both ports.

Nature of the beach.

 

For snorkeling and such, Roatan, West bay is better.  Book via one of the resorts for transportation and possibly a little less vendor traffic.   Infinity Bay, Beachers, Bananarama, and Paradise all have day packages.  Google them for details.

 

Costa Maya is my favorite port, but that's because I've been going there for years and know people.  I would suggest contacting Maya Chan and seeing if David has an opening on the date you are there.  No vendors as it's away from the malecon.  If MC is full, check out Almaplena or HayHU both further south.

 

Along the malecon, the better spots to avoid vendors are up at Blue Kay nearer to the light house or at Malecon 21 almost at the end of the malecon. 

 

[Disfan5]

In Roatan, I recommend Maya Key.  It is a little island off the dock at Coxen Hole port.  They will provide transportation if you dock at Mahogany Bay.

 

You have to book it through the ship excursions because they don't allow other visitors.  There are no vendors or other people on the island.  They take you our as a group snorkeling and it is great.  They have a small pool and lunch is included, 

[eposadas]

Thanks for the replies.  It looks like Maya Key might be a good option for us.

 

We were on a cruise in Oct that missed Costa Maya and went to Progreso instead and the endless vendors just took all the fun out of it.

 

 

[vdp]

On 2/7/2020 at 3:45 PM, crewsweeper said:

Along the malecon, the better spots to avoid vendors are up at Blue Kay nearer to the light house or at Malecon 21 almost at the end of the malecon.

Blue Kay also offers snorkeling that rivals Roatan's West Bay, but it is outside marker buoys. 

[c-leg5]

On 2/11/2020 at 9:18 AM, eposadas said:

Thanks for the replies.  It looks like Maya Key might be a good option for us.

 

We were on a cruise in Oct that missed Costa Maya and went to Progreso instead and the endless vendors just took all the fun out of it.

 

 

 

Agree with Crew, for least vendors - Maya Key and Maya Chan.

 

If you thought Progreso was bad then West Bay on Roatan and Mahahual at Costa Maya will probably concern you too.

[crewsweeper]

19 hours ago, vdp said:

Blue Kay also offers snorkeling that rivals Roatan's West Bay, but it is outside marker buoys. 

Yes, the reef system off shore is excellent. The area has attracted Divers for years. Not sure I would want to swim out beyond the breakwater in, just snorkel gear. 

[vdp]

31 minutes ago, crewsweeper said:

Yes, the reef system off shore is excellent. The area has attracted Divers for years. Not sure I would want to swim out beyond the breakwater in, just snorkel gear. 

Actually the distance is pretty short and the area that borders great coral formations and the drop is shallow. The corals around visible rocks are very good too.  

[jwarhank]

Get off ship in Costa Maya!! Spend your day at Maya Chan. You will NOT be sorry. My group said this is the best day they have ever experienced on a cruise, and we have been on a dozen. Google it and make reservations soon. 

[RoadTripFanatic]

West Bay!  Best snorkeling.  It's an easy snorkel from the beach.  I'm not a strong swimmer and feel comfortable with it.  If you need a vest there are plenty to rent from local dive shops.  Costa Maya doesn't have the snorkeling that West Bay does.  Roatan is my favorite island.  We have spent close to 30 days on the island.  

[bigrednole]

I have the same question and I have compared the two ports. I can't find anything that interests us in Costa Maya. I have looked at the beach day passes. From the photos I have seen, the water is "dirty". What I mean by that is that it is not he crystal clear waters people want to see when cruising. I can see the merky water and seaweed near where I live. For us, we are on a Cozumel 3 reef excursion. Roatan is still up in the air. Most likely we are doing Infinity Bay at West Bay. We are looking at possible alternative excursions. As for Costa Maya, nothing is worth us spending our money on. I already have a drink package onboard. No reason to buy an AI pass for $100+ for 3 of us. 

[Den7Cruiser]

I have snorkeled both and hands-down Roatan wins.  It is gorgeous and the snorkeling is some of the best in the Caribbean. We've done Tabayana Beach Break excursion from the ship and were so impressed.  You walk right in from the beach and it's amazing!

[emeraldcity]

My cruise stops in Roatan in early December. I'm tempted to do snorkeling on at least one of the port calls and am leaning toward Roatan. For those that are describing great snorkeling, can you compare it to either Bonaire or Champagne Bay in Dominica. I loved Dominica and was sadly underwhelmed by Bonaire, so I'm hesitant to book anything that will be a disappointment. The depth of the water at the Bonaire Marine Park was my biggest complaint. I want to be close to what I'm seeing ... not 30 feet above it.

[MindyJohn]

On 10/18/2021 at 12:39 PM, emeraldcity said:

My cruise stops in Roatan in early December. I'm tempted to do snorkeling on at least one of the port calls and am leaning toward Roatan. For those that are describing great snorkeling, can you compare it to either Bonaire or Champagne Bay in Dominica. I loved Dominica and was sadly underwhelmed by Bonaire, so I'm hesitant to book anything that will be a disappointment. The depth of the water at the Bonaire Marine Park was my biggest complaint. I want to be close to what I'm seeing ... not 30 feet above it.

I was put off by the aggressive vendors at West End, and the water was too rough for good snorkeling the day I was there.  I do hope to try again.  I've snorkeled in Hawaii, also Champagne Bay, and neither compare to what you see in Bonaire on a Woodwind excursion.  I highly recommend if you're ever back in Bonaire.

[emeraldcity]

1 minute ago, MindyJohn said:

I was put off by the aggressive vendors at West End, and the water was too rough for good snorkeling the day I was there.  I do hope to try again.  I've snorkeled in Hawaii, also Champagne Bay, and neither compare to what you see in Bonaire on a Woodwind excursion.  I highly recommend if you're ever back in Bonaire.

Wow! I had the exact opposite experience. I was with Woodwind in Bonaire ... top notch outfit. Very professional. But was disappointed by the snorkeling. Hawaii, on the other hand, blew me away. We did the zodiac boats in Kona to Kealakekua Bay and I have to lower my expectations now when snorkeling in the Caribbean. It was like being dropped into an aquarium.

 

I do appreciate the warning about the aggressive vendors. That alone makes me hesitant to give it a try. I have had numerous unpleasant experiences with Mexican vendors shouting at you because you walked by their shop.

[MindyJohn]

18 minutes ago, emeraldcity said:

Wow! I had the exact opposite experience. I was with Woodwind in Bonaire ... top notch outfit. Very professional. But was disappointed by the snorkeling. Hawaii, on the other hand, blew me away. We did the zodiac boats in Kona to Kealakekua Bay and I have to lower my expectations now when snorkeling in the Caribbean. It was like being dropped into an aquarium.

 

I do appreciate the warning about the aggressive vendors. That alone makes me hesitant to give it a try. I have had numerous unpleasant experiences with Mexican vendors shouting at you because you walked by their shop.

Glad you had great experiences in Kona.  My mom lived there for 25 years and it's near and dear to my heart.  I had the "aquarium" feeling with Woodwind, but I understand what you're saying about water depth.  Sorry for off topic.  I need to keep researching Roatan - 2 stops coming up soon.

[c-leg5]

51 minutes ago, MindyJohn said:

I was put off by the aggressive vendors at West End, and the water was too rough for good snorkeling the day I was there.  I do hope to try again.  I've snorkeled in Hawaii, also Champagne Bay, and neither compare to what you see in Bonaire on a Woodwind excursion.  I highly recommend if you're ever back in Bonaire.

 

22 minutes ago, MindyJohn said:

Glad you had great experiences in Kona.  My mom lived there for 25 years and it's near and dear to my heart.  I had the "aquarium" feeling with Woodwind, but I understand what you're saying about water depth.  Sorry for off topic.  I need to keep researching Roatan - 2 stops coming up soon.

 

Are you sure you were at West End or West Bay?
 

 

[MindyJohn]

30 minutes ago, c-leg5 said:

 

 

Are you sure you were at West End or West Bay?
 

 

Thanks for the correction.  I'm sure you're right.  I've only been there a few times, so my familiarity is limited.  

[o-state girl]

Snorkeling in West Bay (especially in front of the Infinity Bay/Tabayana beach area) is very good.  I just take my own equipment and swim out to the reef area.  Large variety of coral and fish, and there are usually a couple of kayakers out there to help those who struggle.  I've done West Bay 3 times and Champagne twice and would give the edge to West Bay...although they don't have the cool bubbles. 

 

[c-leg5]

On 10/25/2021 at 7:37 PM, c-leg5 said:

 

 

Are you sure you were at West End or West Bay?
 

 

Thanks for the correction.  I'm sure you're right.  I've only been there a few times, so my familiarity is limited.  

 

 

No problem, West Bay is most popular. We didn’t have problems with vendors at West End but there was a lot of sea grass.

Edited October 27, 2021 by c-leg5