Puerta Azul: A Boutique Hotel Experience in Roatan, Honduras
Imagine curling up with a good book in a hammock under a Noni tree while a breeze blows through your hair. The only sound you hear is a few small waves lapping on the sandy beach 20 meters from you. As you glance up, a family on horseback gently trots past, silhouetted by the sunset reflecting off the calm water. Sound idyllic and too good to be true? I can tell you from firsthand experience this exact scenario happened to me, and that it was every bit real.
Roatan is a tiny island off the coast of Honduras. Dark turquoise and teal are the two best colors to describe the water in sunlight, and calm and placid are the two best ways to describe the lack of waves and currents in the water. West End remains the center of activity and night life, and a 5-minute taxi ride from the center is a small village called Sandy Bay. Quaint and reticent, Sandy Bay is made up of a combination of expat homes, and locals who own restaurants or dive shops.
Among the palm trees and homes, you will find the peaceful and beautifully crafted Puerta Azul. Named so due to the bright cerulean blue door that serves as an entrance onto the private dock, Puerta Azul is not so much a hotel as it is a boutique homestay that offers lodgers access to unspoiled beach and superb amenities.
Beachy, airy rooms
Each tenant is appointed a gorgeous bungalow style room, complete with a private bathroom and western style conveniences. Large tiled showers, brightly lit mirrors, and semi-private toilets make Puerta Azul a comfortable stay away from home. I can say this was the first place I stayed on the island that had space in the shower for all of my hair and body tinctures, and plenty of counter space for makeup and toothbrushes. The bathroom alone felt like I was staying at a well-appointed hotel, and was a great comfort to have towards the end of my trip.
Not only was the bathroom top notch, but the bed was large, plush, and directly under the air conditioning unit. Sitting close to the Equator, Roatan gets hot, and doesn’t get exceptionally cool at night. Having the air conditioning unit made for perfect sleeping temperatures, and when paired with the king size bed with crisp white linens, post beach day sleep was easy and plentiful.
While functional and comfortable, Puerta Azul was also a beautiful combination of minimalist and beachy. Elegant dark wood furniture lines the room and ushers in a sense of lush, modern beach house, while vibrant orange birds of paradise left on side tables reminds you that you are in a tropical paradise. A fresh pitcher of filtered water is left in every bungalow, and is a sweet touch from the staff of Puerta Azul, reminding us to drink up and hydrate for another day in paradise.
Enjoy breakfast with your host everyday
I fully believe that food is one of the most important things to experience while traveling, and tend to relentlessly check Trip Advisor, Google, and blogs for the best place to nosh. Breakfast was included with my stay at Puerta Azul, and I was nervous to give up a chance to eat out where the locals eat, but Puerta Azul proved that there was no reason to worry. I enjoyed fresh fruit still sweet from the market, fresh eggs that scrambled to a perfect yellow with a little bit of cheese, and baleadas stuffed with avocado and refried beans that would make Anthony Bourdain drool. Food was cooked as we arrived on the communal porch, and was served with hot coffee and tea as we liked it.
Sitting under a tarp while iridescent green hummingbirds zipped in and out of the nearby trees, I sipped my coffee and planned out my day with input from my lovely hostess, Augusta. Her cooking was top notch, and she offered great advice on where to go, how to get places, and the best times to go (she is the one who tipped me off to grabbing a beach chair at Bananarama in West Bay). Always remembering that my husband loves hot sauce and that I am allergic to pineapple, she made sure our breakfast was filling and to our liking, and that my husband always got my pineapple, and I his melon.
What is there to do in Roatan?
Ever wondered what one of the top beaches in the world looks like? Puerta Azul is a 5-minute cab ride to West End (learn how to hail a cab in Roatan here), where the boat launch is with water taxis waiting for customers. Within 20 minutes, you can go from bungalow doorstep to West Bay dock. Often in the ranks as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, West Bay is a flurry of people from cruise ships, and hawkers selling their goods. Set up shop at Bananarama, grab a Monkey La La, and lounge mere meters from the bright aqua waters that make this beach so popular.
If you’re into more of a quiet day, let your host know that you would like to take the private boat out with Captain Greg. Captain Greg will show you all of the quietest spots for unmatched snorkeling, and you will likely be the only boat in the area. We were able to snorkel on a beached British Naval ship that has been lodged in the reef for over 100 years, and saw fish swimming in and out of the compartments, and pastel colored reef flourishing on the former handrails of the ship. Another stop saw chubby starfish lining the bottom of the ocean floor, creating a galaxy 15 meters below the surface of the water. Captain Greg is also available for fishing charters, and is the perfect guide to the Roatan waters.
To say my taxi ride to the airport at the end of my stay was bitter would be an understatement. I loved my time in Sandy Bay, and even more at Puerta Azul. The perfect getaway, Puerta Azul has an immaculate situation in Roatan, and leaves you feeling like you are staying in your new home instead of being at a place for a short stay. I highly recommend Puerta Azul to anybody planning a trip to Roatan, and plan on returning as soon as I possibly can.
