Review of City Dogs Sailing and The Hole in the Wall

[Cousin Eddie]

My wife and I recently visited Roatan on a Carnival cruise and were looking for something a little off the beaten path and away from both the cruise line owned Mahogany Bay and the densely saturated West End area.  Fortunately, we found City Dogs sailing and booked a half day sail. Andrea and Steve were incredible hosts and treated us more like old friends than clients. Andrea provided great communication and arranged for a driver to pick us up at the public side of the cruise ship terminal and bring us to their pier. The driver was fun and informative, filling us in on the culture of the island and pointing out the sights on the way to the boat.

 When we arrived, Andrea greeted us at the curbside and led us to the boat while Steve prepared the best banana bread, I have tasted for our morning snack. We then enjoyed meeting the rest of the crew, Fozzie Bear and Mishka!

 Andrea explained that usually their clients take advantage of their scuba diving expertise to experience some of the best diving and snorkeling around, but my wife and I just wanted a relaxing day under sail and a trip to the sail up only bar, The Hole in the Wall. City Dogs was very accommodating and made sure we had a great time as we took in the sights sailing along the coast and making our way to the bar.

 Once there, the City Dogs crew arranged a mangrove tunnel tour for us to take in a small boat guided by Ed’s son. The mangroves were spectacular, and the Ed’s son even took us out to view the coral along the reef. We then stopped to pick up some customers waiting for a ride to the bar on the opposite shore. The water was amazingly clear, and the tour was great fun.

 After allowing my wife and I time to enjoy a couple of drinks it was time to get back underway. On the return trip, we enjoyed Andrea's excellent pasta salad and took in the gorgeous scenery as we exchanged stories and jokes with the City Dogs crew.

 As someone who has grown up around boats and the water, I was impressed by the boat handling and attention to detail that were on display.

This trip was the highlight of our cruise and definitely a great alternative to the standard touristy beach resorts on West End.