Q: WHERE IS ROATAN LOCATED?

A: Roatán ( Spanish pronunciation: [ro.a.ˈtan]) is an island in the Caribbean, about 65 kilometres (40 mi) off the northern coast of Honduras. It is in the Bay Islands archipelago, located between the islands of Utila and Guanaja. Roatán lies on the southern edge of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, the second-largest barrier reef in the world!!

Q: WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO GET TO ROATAN?

A: To fly to Roatán directly from the U.S., you can use American Airlines out of Dallas or Miami, Delta Airlines out of Atlanta, or United Airlines out of Houston. Most West Coast airports will send you via Houston, or you can take advantage of the Avianca Airlines hub of San Salvador airport (in El Salvador); from there you can fly to Roatán in less than an hour on daily flights.

Q: WHEN SHOULD I ARRIVE & DEPART?

A: Retreat check-in will begin in the late afternoon on Saturday, August 30th and the program will run until check-out on the morning of Friday, September 5th. Round-trip airport shuttles are included in the retreat cost. If you choose to stay for any additional days before or after the retreat, we can assist you with finding accommodation, either at Barefoot Cay or other great options in Roatán.

Q: CAN I COME WITH MY PARTNER/FRIENDS?

A: Absolutely! Just include a note when making your booking and we’ll be sure to place you in a room together.

Q: IS IT SAFE FOR ME TO COME ALONE?

A: Absolutely- Roatán is a very safe island, and we will have our transportation represenatatives available to meet you at the airport. And by the end of the retreat, we’re sure you will have made some wonderful new friends. And if you prefer to have a shared room, we may be able to pair you up with a room mate/dive buddy for the week! If so, please drop me a note when you register.

Q: IS THE RETREAT OPEN TO NON-DIVERS?

A: Yes! Though our hope is that this retreat will inspire all our attendees to explore the magic of diving, we understand this might not be of interest to everyone. We can accommodate non-divers and snorkeling will be provided as an alternative at no additional cost (please note that the package price will remain the same as for those diving).

Q: CAN YOU CATER TO VEGAN/VEGETARIAN/GLUTEN-FREE DIETS?

A: Yes! Our chefs can accommodate virtually all dietary needs. Please indicate your dietary preferences/restrictions/allergies at the time of booking so we can be sure to meet your requirements.

Q: WHAT'S THE CLIMATE LIKE?

A: Roatán is a tropical island, and the weather will be hot and humid (~80 degrees, 75-80% humidity) with occasional tropical showers.

WHAT TO BRING:

Clothing: Bring loose comfortable clothing, suitable for practicing yoga, bathing suits. For walking around, its good to have some light-weight long sleeves and pants to help protect against sun and bug bites- see below! For shoes, flip-flops and rugged sandals such as tevas or other water shoes are great for walking in the rainforest.

Sunscreen: Reef-safe sunscreen is a must (reef-friendly brands include Sun Bum or Kokuna Sun Care). Sunscreens containing any -benzone derivative cause devastating damage to coral reefs, and unfortunately some brands labeled as ‘reef-safe’ are not. Read labels, and reach out for recommendations!

Bug repellent: Sand fleas and mosquitoes can be a real nuisance on the island; we’ll provide repellent but also plan to bring what works best for you, and have some long sleeves/pants for jungle walks. Some people recommend taking a vitamin B supplement for ~ 3-4 weeks before the trip to help keep the bugs away.

US Cash: You can use US dollars everywhere on the island, but best to have crisp $20 bills or smaller denominations. Many places will also accept PayPal, Venmo or credit cards, sometimes with additional fees.

Hat

UVA/UVB Sunglasses

Medications: Tylenol, Sinus meds, Ibuprophen and any other prescriptions you may need. Bring benadryl – even if you do not have any known allergies, bring this in case you have a reaction to bug bites or food.

Small First Aid Kit

Dry Bag: A dry bag will keep things dry in case it gets wet on a boat, kayak, etc.

Mini Flashlight: Roatán has occasional blackouts or time periods where the electricity is turned off for “maintenance and repairs.”

Reusable water bottle: see below

Q: IS DRINKING WATER AVAILABLE?

A: Yes, while we don’t recommend drinking the tap water around the island, filtered drinking water is available on-tap throughout the resort. Help us to reduce plastic waste and bring a reusable water bottle to refill.

Q: DO YOU HAVE WiFi?

A: Yes, there is WiFi available throughout the resort. For your phone, you may choose to use WhatsApp or another VOIP service to remain in touch (when WiFi is available). Local SIM cards can also be purchased on the island for short-term use.

Q: DO I NEED TRAVEL INSURANCE?

A: As a small and highly curated retreat, we are unable to offer any refunds to payments made, including the $300 non-refundable deposit. Because of this, buying a plan is a smart move if you are feeling cautious about the cost of your trip, possible illness or injury of you or a loved one, or potential weather-related cancellations or interruption.

A comprehensive travel insurance plan with CFAR (cancel for any reason) coverage could protect you if your trip should be canceled or interrupted. While we are not affiliated with any travel insurance company, we can personally recommend USI Travel Insure as a reliable provider of travel policies, but there are lots of well-rated providers out there. Note that most CFAR insurance plans require purchase within 10-21 days of making the initial trip payment
to be eligible for CFAR benefits.

Q: DO I NEED DIVE INSURANCE?

A: Dive accident insurance is not required, but it is highly recommended. You can obtain dive accident coverage from DAN (Divers Accident Network), a nonprofit international provider of dive accident insurance. DAN provides two types of insurance- i) Members annual insurance plans (requires purchase of DAN membership + policy). This option has the highest level of coverage, but also the highest cost. ii) DAN trip insurance plan, covering the duration of your trip for both expenses incurred on the trip (including lost luggage, theft etc. as well as both general and dive-related medical incidents). If you would like to purchase the dive insurance and have alternative travel insurance for your trip, you can select a trip value of $1 and receive the dive medical coverage (which is typically excluded from most travel medical insurance) for around $35. If you haven't purchased separate trip insurance, you could include the value of the trip and have a single policy to cover everything.

Q: DO I NEED ANY SPECIAL VACCINATIONS?

A: Mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue and malaria are common in the Caribbean and Central America. While Roatán has recently reported cases of dengue (but not malaria), prevention is key: use insect repellent, wear protective clothing, and take advantage of the resort’s mosquito control efforts. During the dry season, mosquitoes are less common, but sand fleas can be a nuisance. We’ll provide both natural and DEET-based bug sprays for your convenience.

For those concerned, there are vaccines for dengue (recommended only for those previously infected) and anti-malarial medications available—please consult your doctor for advice. Rabies is not a reported concern on Roatán, but it is present on the mainland.

While travel to tropical regions comes with some health risks, Roatán is well-served medically and closely connected to the U.S. If you have questions or concerns, we recommend speaking with your healthcare provider or a travel medicine specialist.

Find the answer to other FAQs here: https://www.barefootcay.com/faqs

Any other questions?? Reach out to me at [email protected]