There is no better way to sum up the boutique experience at Barefoot Cay Resort & Marina on Roatan, one of Honduras’s Bay Islands than this sentiment found on the resort’s website: “Whether you’ve stayed with us before, or it’s your very first visit, it always feels like coming home.”

The best dive vacations start with the accommodations, amenities, attention to detail by the resort and dive staff, and the quality of the diving. Barefoot Cay and its onsite dive operation Barefoot Divers (a PADI Five Star Dive Center) will not disappoint. Charming luxury accommodations? Exceptional valet dive service? Casual fine dining? World-class diving? Check, check, check and — you better believe it — check. This intimate resort is an exquisite retreat that is tucked away on a private 4-acre cay. The staff is friendly and welcoming. Best of all, some of the Caribbean’s best dive sites — including the legendary Mary’s Place — are just a stone’s throw away.

The Barefoot Cay divemasters know Mary’s Place like the proverbial back of their hands, and that’s because the site is practically located at Barefoot Cay Resort & Marina’s front door. So when the boat crew gives the briefing to this maze of tunnels and tells you to go slowly, take their advice. If you rush through as if you’re late for an appointment (you’re on vacation, after all!), you’re going to miss all the fascinating critters that make their home in the narrow crevices that define this site. It’s possible to do more than one route at this site, but the divemaster will guide you on the main one, until you exit the swim-though on the reeftop, in about 35 feet of water. The clefts in the island’s reefs support all the macro marine life Roatan is famed for, including frogfish, pipefish and seahorses, as well as multicolored sea fans and corals. Delicate colonies of black corals thrive in its deeper sections. Mary’s Place is an exceptional example of the island’s reef architecture. It’s a remarkable experience to be diving — quite literally — inside the reef.

It's a site that was formed by ancient volcanic activity, thrust from the seafloor eons ago, along with Roatan itself. Located 30 miles off Honduras’s Caribbean coast, the island is the largest of the Bay Islands — Las Islas de la Bahia in Spanish. Its reefs are part of the southernmost portion of the Mesoamerican Reef, which is the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere and the second-largest reef in the world. The reefs are tantalizing close to the island’s shoreline, particularly on the island’s south side, where you’ll sometimes barely have enough time to shimmy into your wetsuit and gear up before giant-striding off the boat. There are grottoes and swim-throughs, shallow coral gardens, sheer walls, channels, deep canyons and soaring pinnacles. And the marine life is not confined to macro critters — turtles, sharks and rays cruise these waters — plus, there are famed wrecks to dive as well.

The south side is where Barefoot Cay Boutique Resort & Marina is located, within a 5- to 20-minute boat ride from more than 30 spectacular dive sites, including another tunnel that’s similar to Mary’s Place, Calvin’s Crack. Other standout sites are Brick Bay Wall, Forty-Foot Point, Leta’s Hole and Gold Chain Reef.

The Boutique Resort Experience

Once you arrive at Roatan’s international airport, a staff member from Barefoot Cay will greet you and ensure a hassle-free, 10-minute transfer to the resort. The accommodations are split between the shore side of Roatan and the cay, which is accessible by the resort’s pontoon ferry that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Nine oceanfront premium villas are located on the cay, as is the resort’s pool, spa, marina, palapa, ocean pavilion and Azure restaurant. Five spacious loft suites with views of the ocean and cay, as well as Barefoot Divers, are located on the shore of Roatan. Guests staying on the shore side can take the ferry across the channel to the cay, so that they can access all of the amenities offered by the resort. You’ll love the ambience of the villas and loft suites, which combine a modern aesthetic with an inviting beach charm. Heavenly beds with high-quality linens, luxury bath products, air-conditioning and WiFi are among the included amenities. You can arrange for a soothing in-room massage—several types are offered, including a lotus hot stone therapy that will leave you completely relaxed and stress-free. The staff at Barefoot Cay go out of their way to provide exceptional service that leaves guests feeling pampered during their entire stay.

The Boutique Dive Experience

That unparalleled customer service is provided by the team at Barefoot Divers, too. Their Valet Dive program offers guests the opportunity to completely relax and enjoy each and every dive. All you have to do is walk onto the boat, meet your divemaster and make a giant stride into the water. The dive staff takes care of everything else. They set up your equipment, provide snacks, give a personalized dive briefing, and then escort you on dives that will create memories for a lifetime.

The Valet Dive program is offered to guests staying at the resort or to ala carte customers diving with Barefoot Divers. The operation, which also offers a full range of PADI courses and certifications, operates three daily one-tank dives with departures at 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Night dives and special exclusive private dive options are also available.

The Boutique Restaurant Experience

The Azure restaurant offers a variety of globally inspired dishes. Whether you're an adventurous food enthusiast or seeking a familiar taste from home, the restaurant promises to deliver what you’re looking for. Some of the signature dishes include a succulent marsala chicken, a fresh tuna poke bowl or an exquisite salmon teriyaki. The entrees fuse traditional techniques with a modern twist, and meals are served al fresco at the poolside dining room. You’ll also enjoy endless views of the Caribbean Sea.

It's time to stop dreaming about the luxury and island way of life at Barefoot Cay Boutique Resort — book a trip today and start discovering all that this boutique resort has to offer!

CONTACT

866-246-3706

info@barefootcay.com

barefootcay.com