West Bay Beach/West Bay Villaage

[elklemi]

Can someone give me the difference between these two places. We want a spot on the beach with a bar/restaurant and beautiful view. Are these two places close to each other? Just need to get an idea in my head before I make plans. Thanks.

[BrotherCraig]

Can someone give me the difference between these two places. We want a spot on the beach with a bar/restaurant and beautiful view. Are these two places close to each other? Just need to get an idea in my head before I make plans. Thanks.

 

West Bay Beach and West End Village are different places but both are on the west end of the island. They are pretty close to each other -- they have water taxis that actually run between the two. If you want bar and restaurant, I definitely suggest West End Village for that. There are some great ones right there on the beach... Sundowners is the popular one. This is on the bay there. There are others one all around as well such as Roatan Oasis (top rated and several blocks up from the beach.

 

For West Bay Beach, there are many restaurants and bars on that one as well. Beachers seems to be pretty popular. Are you getting a driver for the day?

[Guest 2000]

West End village is more town with Half Moon Bay Beach and Sundowners as mentioned above.

 

West Bay is the premier beach on the island with resorts, bars and restaurants.

 

You can't go wrong either way or you could do both, tis easy, with a 3min water taxi between. By land West End and West Bay are closer to 7min apart.

 

The worry becomes transportation taxis on the island are not regulated it's all about the haggle.. Perhaps sorting a local English speaking driver would be worthwhile.

Edited February 24, 2016 by Guest 2000

[ABQrobin]

http://www.roatanisland.net/images/images_we/Westend_builidings1.gif Edited February 25, 2016 by ABQrobin

[elklemi]

Thank you all for input and this gives me a better idea. I plan on getting a driver from Bodden or Rony and do tour of the island and spend most of our time on the West End or West Bay.

[Guest 2000]

Thank you all for input and this gives me a better idea. I plan on getting a driver from Bodden or Rony and do tour of the island and spend most of our time on the West End or West Bay.

 

This is a fabulous choice!

 

Have your driver drop you in West End and arrange a place to pick you up in West Bay..this way you get to see both West End and the beautiful West Bay from the water..nevermind the thrill of a short boat ride.

 

They say Beacher's makes the best drinks on West Bay beach, do have at least one there. :0)

[BrotherCraig]

Thank you all for input and this gives me a better idea. I plan on getting a driver from Bodden or Rony and do tour of the island and spend most of our time on the West End or West Bay.

 

We use Rony or Bodden. Nothing but positive about both. You will have a great time.

[IslandGallery]

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!

[tinkr2]

Wow this is a great thread. I wanted a map so I could understand the water taxi part. Finally get it.

if we have a driver, do we need to take taxi or should driver drive us? I like boat trips but 3 minutes seems silly for 8 people. We are divers so I am not usually into shore snorkeling. At west bay are there people (boats) that take you out further for a short trip if some of us wanted to do that.And if so, what does that run aprox?

Thanks for the great breakdown of chairs Island Gallery. I am more about shade. Babies and cancer... Are umbrellas around or should I bring my own?

[IslandGallery]

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.