Hello, Caribbean

Roatan is one of the last places in the Caribbean
to find beachfront like this at a reasonable price.

International Living Postcards--your daily escape

Tuesday, March 7, 2006
Roatan, Honduras

Dear International Living Reader,

The engines began to change pitch as the twin-turboprop, Czech-made Let aircraft descended over the brilliant turquoise waters and white-sand beaches of Roatan. This island is, of course, part of Honduras, but in many ways, Roatan is truly in a different world than the Honduran mainland; when you land on Roatan, you've left Latin America, and entered the Caribbean.

First, the beaches. Once on Roatan, you're now in the big leagues with respect to beaches--beautiful white sand, warm waters ranging from deep blue to brilliant green, and year-round "swimsuit and Piña Colada" temperatures. Also, the island is completely ringed with barrier reefs, making for some of the world's best snorkeling and diving.

Then consider the language. As in much of the Caribbean, English is the language of the local people here. True, just about all of the locals speak Spanish as well, but you'll get by on English only, without a problem.

Finally, the property prices. Forget what you've read about the cost of beachfront in Nicaragua or Ecuador--remember, you're now in a class with the rest of the Caribbean. In this light, you'll find Roatan prices quite favorable.

Roatan lies in an east-west direction at the end of a 30-minute flight (or a two-hour ferry ride) from the north coast city of La Ceiba. It's almost 40 miles long, just one or two miles wide, and is covered with lush, tropical vegetation and woods. It has phone service--both land line and cell--as well as high speed Internet throughout.

Coxen Hole is the largest city on Roatan, and capital of the Honduran Bay Islands. A Caribbean port town with character, it's the site of the island's airport which now boasts nonstop flights to Miami and Houston, as well as frequent flights to the Honduran mainland.

The most developed part of Roatan is the western part, including the prestigious West Bay area and the picturesque town of West End--long-famous around the world with divers--with its many restaurants and tourist shops. As you go east, you'll find that development becomes more sparse, and property prices go down a bit.

In the property market, the hottest properties right now--those whose prices are rising the fastest--are those with white-sand beachfront. Next in line are the high-end gated communities (since there are relatively few of them) which are going up almost as quickly. But local experts agree that all quality properties are doing pretty well these days. Here's some examples I found:

I looked at some attractive oceanfront and ocean-view lots at Johnson Bight Estates. The beachfront lots ran from $189,000 to $229,000, and the property I felt was the best deal was lot four, on the beach, at $189,000. Over at Vista del Mar near Punta Gorda, I saw my best-priced ocean-view lots. My favorite here--about four minutes walk from the water with a great view--was priced at $49,000. Both these properties are toward the east end, where land is less expensive and less developed. Expect to pay quite a bit more in the rapidly-appreciating west end.

In Milton Bight, there's a beachfront home available, right on the sand. The living area is 1,500 square feet, with three bedrooms and two baths on a small lot. The asking price is $240,000. Also, off the beach, I visited a two-story, three-bedroom Bali-style home on a wooded lot just outside Spanish Town--with an awesome view of the harbor--going for $160,000.

Luxury, high-end homes abound on Roatan. My favorite is reputed to be the most spectacular house on the island. High on a hilltop, it enjoys a view of Blue Lagoon, the Caribbean, and a handful of villages on the coast. This is a top-of-the-line home in every detail, and has a huge 7,100 feet of space, with several balconies overlooking the ocean. The owner--an IL reader, in fact--is asking $1.5 million.

The people on the south side of the island claim that this side is by far the best…and the people on the north side make the same claim about their home turf. As far as I could tell, both sides were fantastic…and both are quite popular with North American expats, who are here in relatively large numbers compared to the mainland.

And whether you're on the west end, east end, north side or south, you'll find excellent diving and snorkeling…truly world class. The island is ringed with barrier reefs, and they're an easy swim from just about anyplace on shore, with some within 20 yards or so.

I'm sure there are many good real estate agents on Roatan, but the guy I deal with is Bill Orr. I found him to be an honest, no-nonsense guy. Bill knows the market, and can also give you more information on the properties I've mentioned here. You can contact him directly at BillOrr@roatanrealty.com.

Lee Harrison
Roving Latin America Editor, International Living

P.S. Believe it or not, it was a relief when we boarded the early 80s-vintage Czech-made aircraft for the hop to Roatan. When we landed in Tegucigalpa, I spotted two Douglas DC-3s--an aircraft that first rolled off the assembly line in 1935--parked along the runway, and I'd thought we'd be taking one of those.