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He Says vs.She Says
A couples review of the Vintage Pearl Restaurant And Wine Cellar on the Sandy Shores of West Bay
Read More >
Full Moon Party
in First Bight
An up close peek at a
Monthly Island Event
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Grand Opening at
the Roymart strip mall on
Roatans east end
Read More >
Whale Shark Sightings Honduras Bay Islands top the list of the worlds
Read More >
Best real estate bargans on the island. Motivated sellers and fire slaes from the entire MLS. View >>
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Vintage Pearl
Restaurant & Wine Cellar
Nestled on the white sandy beach of West Bay, Roatan, receives excellent reviews. Trip Advisor, with 91% of reviews recommending The Vintage Pearl, offers one glowing review after another. One woman wrote that she was so impressed that she planned to book her wedding dinner at The Pearl. Several customers returned for at least a second meal during their stay on the island. The consensus is that this is the best, if not the only fine dining experience offered on the island.
The experience comes with a price, so be prepared for a check that is more in line with what you would expect in the U.S. than here on the island. A three course meal, including a choice of soup or salad, an entre and a desert is offered for a fixed price of $25 to $35.
Appetizers are offered a la carte as are optional desert choices.
The wine cellar is boasted to be the most extensive not only on the island, but in the entire Caribbean, with choices from all over the world. An overview of the Vintage Pearl is available at Our party of six was able to sample many of the choices at the Pearl with 2 other couples and this is what we thought
HE SAYS:
If yourelooking for valet parking and
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a washroom attendant you will be disappointed but the Vintage Pearl in West Bay has delicious food at high, but reasonable prices. Air conditioning is a rarity here on the island, this was a real treat. The acoustics of the room could use a little work, only four tables were occupied, however the noise level was much too high.
The shrimp cervice was excellent. The onion soup was a little spicy for the member of our party who sampled it. The salads were good but not memorable. The entrees were very good. The sesame crusted ahi tuna was very well prepared but we had to request wasabi. Only one desert was offered at the fixed price, bread pudding, very tasty. The optional crme brule was good, but again not memorable.
We were asked to remove our shoes upon entering to protect the mahogany floors, understandable and it gave a realisland feel, however perhaps like the Japanese they ought to offer slip-ons to guests who prefer not to walk barefoot in public.
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The restaurant is, in our opinion, the best fine dining experience on the island.
SHE SAYS:
While many guests might find it quaint and exotic to remove shoes upon entering the restaurant, making it mandatory seemed a little much to me. After walking through sand and on rocks in 3 heels that matched my dress, I was a little offended to be asked to remove them at the door. The walk through a grilling and dishwashing area and into a unisex washroom in bare feet was a little unsavory.
The server, although attentive, interrupted our conversation several times to announce menu items. While we all agreed that the food was very good, the lack of a written menu would make some guests uncomfortable. I estimate that including the wine and 18% gratuity the meal cost somewhere between $100 and $150 per guest.
Visa and American Express cards are accepted.
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meal cost somewhere between $100 and $150 per guest. Visa and American Express cards are accepted.
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Full Moon Party
TheFull Moon Party concept originated in Thailand but this island fiesta has caught on all over the globe and the Caribbean is no exception. Perhaps the best known Caribbean Full Moon party is at Bombas Surfside Shack in Tortola.
The original full moon parties lasted all night, as they no doubt still do at Bombas. Here on the island of Roatan there are such crazy all night parties also for those who seek them but the Full Moon Party circuit that we belong to is slightly longer in tooth and made up mostly, although not entirely of semi-retired or retired expats.
The party is hosted each month by a different island home owner. If you are fortunate enough to beon the listâ or invited along as a guest by someone who ison the list you will find a mixed crowd of locals and expats, people who have moved here from all over the world.
The hosts offer beer and soft drinks and guests are asked to bring a pot luck dish for sharing and other drinks of their choice. Marcia whipped up frosty Margaritas for some of the ladies. The variety of food is overwhelming and as guests come and go so do the dishes. The buffet table changes by the hour and its difficult not to sneak back for seconds.
Dennis and Marcia Quinn were our hosts for the May full moon party. Guests arrived by both land and sea at the Quinns self designed and meticulously built First Bight home.
Guests shared stories of how they came to live on the island of Roatan. Great conversation, old and new friends, excellent food and a spectacular view made for a
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memorable evening. It is great to be among so many friends in our home away from home. Thanks to gracious hosts Marcia and Dennis
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Supermarket in
Jose Santos Guardiola
Saturday April 10, 2010 Honduras businessman Roy Dilbert opened the first supermarket in the municipality of Jose Santos Guardiola, which lies on the eastern half of the island of Roatan. The strip mall which is located on the south side of the road running from Oak Ridge towards Punta Blanca includes a supermarket, bank, gas station, restaurant and convenience store.
Dilbert aims to bring a better supply of fresh produce and both local and imported grocery items to east end residents who have had to rely on small local tiendas or travel to French Harbour for supplies. In addition he aims to increase employment in an area where only 10% of the approximately 16,000 residents are able to find work in their own community. Others are forced to leave or travel long distances to the commercial and tourist areas of the island.
Dilbert claims that this investment is the first and largest so far by the consortium MART Roy to develop this remote part of the island and is just part of a series of projects in an area that he and his partners see great potential over the next few years.
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The whale shark
The whale shark, or Rhincodon typus, inhabits all tropic and warm-temperate seas but topping the list of world wide locations where divers have the opportunity to get up close and personal with this gentle giant is the Honduras Bay Islands. Utila has been traditionally the hot spot for whale shark sightings in the Bay Islands but this year sightings in Roatan are on the increase.
During the first half of February at least two dozen adults and one baby whale shark were seen outside the reef between West Bay and Palmetto Bay Beach. It is believed that this is due to the surface waters in the area being full of plankton, the main, but not only source of food for this;King of the Sea;.
The whale shark is most definitely a shark, a slow moving filter feeding shark. The largest specimen on record was 12.65 meters (41.50 ft) long and weighed more than 21.5 tonnes (47,000 lbs). Despite its size, the whale shark presents little danger to divers other than accidental injuries from unintentional blows from its tail fin. It is known as the least fearsome of the shark species and has therefore become a major attraction for divers.
Typical coloring of a whale shark is dark grey with random white lines and spots on the body and the fish is believed to live between 70 to 100 years and reaches sexual maturity after about 30 years. It swims at a slow speed of about 3 miles or 5 km per hour
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through the ocean, itâs giant mouth open about 2 meters wide collecting small fish, plants, krill and plankton from the water.
For many divers swimming with a whale shark is the dream of a lifetime.
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Special Properties List
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The real estate market in Roatan is more stable than in the United States right now. However, as with all markets there are always a few exceptional opportunities. Below are what I personally believe to be exceptional offers that I selected just for our newsletter subscribers. Alex Poirier
Vacant Property:
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Home/Condo:
Development:
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About Roatan Real Estate
Marci Weirsma, Broker
Alex Poirier, Buyer Agent
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Special Properties List
Click here to see some of the property sales
that we think are the best on the Island
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