January 29, 2017

“You can dive whenever you want, but you may want to hang out after dinner tonight,” said Carl, the owner of CocoView Resort, Roatan during the orientation. “We plan on having some excellent musicians.”

That night I took him at his word and heard a duo belt out a bunch of tunes that only added to the positive karma that oozed from Coco View. 

In properly appreciate CocoView you need to enjoy these three things

• SCUBA - this is a dive mecca and there is little access to anything other than the resort
• Rustic - this is a tropical getaway ala Swiss Family Robinson
• Low Key - If you are a party animal, you’d better go to the West End

SCUBA

 

This is one of my favorite Dive locations on dry land. Why? I can grab a tank, jump in the drink in the front of the resort and see both a wreck and reef. I can do this anytime, night or day, without having to notify a divemaster or someone from the resort. They’ve set up a system of sign out and identification allowing a freedom to dive at your leisure. 

On day one you are required to do a check out dive. This allows the dive guides to pair you on a boat of peers. If you are a beginner diver, don’t worry - you’ll be able to share the love of diving with like divers. You’ll have an experienced dive guide that will show you things on the journey you’d otherwise never see. And, if you are an experienced diver, that goes true as well. How they spot little nudibranchs along a wall, I’ll never know. 

 

 

This vacation is great for spotting macro life, but I only spotted a few larger species. I suspect this is due to commercial fishing very popular in this area. During my eighteen dives I saw two rays and no turtles. As a turtle fan, it was a little disappointing. However, the seahorses, starfish, file fish, and squid made up for it. As with any dive vacation, I found moments of magic. I love cephalopods and at one point I hovered motionless with a family of squid for about five minutes.

 

 

Rustic

First, the place is paradise. That said, you need to understand what I mean by paradise. If you don’t like being bitten, you’ll need bug spray. They sell good stuff at one of the shops. Second, they use well water. That’s okay for showering and the bathroom, but you’ll want to drink out of the five gallon bottled water they supply in the room. You’ll use that to brush your teeth as well. If you liked camp as a kid, this place is for you. If you want your towels wrapped into funny origami monkeys, this may not be for you.

I’d like to recommend paying the extra money for a cabana or bungalow. I’ve stayed both in the standard room and a cabana. It’s harder for both sand and critters to get into the rooms on the water. Also, they are located on the fringes of the facility so it is a little quieter. The rooms on the water have a deck with a hammock. I found inspiration and renewal during my post-dive naps while the breeze blew and the ocean moved all around. This place is definitely a “shoes optional” (though not shirt optional!) playground.

Low Key

You are shuttled via boat to Coco View. It is an isolated area providing all of the essentials. Such essentials include a bar that serves a wonderful rum punch. I never saw night life beyond ten in the evening. My goal was to dive. At ten, the place was quiet.  If you are bringing non-divers, this is a consideration because the place becomes a ghost town when the boats ferry divers off to explore. There are daily activities off-island and are available for a nominal price.

 

I’ll return to Coco View. It’s a great way to spend a week. If you want to relax and have a good time I encourage you to give them a try.

CocoView Resort

 

 

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