A Guide to Living on Roatan
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Table of Contents Introduction ........................................ 2 Where is Roatan? ................................... 3 Roatan Life.......................................... 9 Immigrating to Roatan ........................... 15 Buying property on Roatan ...................... 19 For more information‌ .......................... 24
A Guide to Living on Roatan
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Introduction The island of Roatan is located just south of the Yucatan Peninsula in the western Caribbean, and has become popular with expats looking for a safe, comfortable, and interesting place to live and invest. As a result, we've prepared this basic guide to living on Roatan that includes information about: • • • •
Roatan geography Roatan life and culture Immigrating to Roatan Buying real esate
If you have any questions, send us an email at:
info@bellabayestates.com
"A beautiful island in the western Caribbean"
A Guide to Living on Roatan
Chapter 1
Where is Roatan?
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Where is Roatan?
The island of Roatan lies just south of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula in the western Caribbean, and is the largest of Honduras' Bay Islands, or "Islas de la BahĂa".
Roatan has direct flights from North American cities including Miami and Atlanta and is 90 minutes by air from Florida.
"Just south of the Yucatan Peninsula"
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Close to one of the longest reefs in the world
Thanks to its proximity to the Mesoamerican Reef, second longest barrier reef in the world, Roatan and Honduras' Bay Islands have become a mecca for scuba diving, snorkeling and ecotourism.
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The Mesoamerican reef stretches more than 1,000 kilometers from the tip of the Yucatรกn Peninsula (located to the north of Roatan), all the way to Roatan and the Bay Islands of Honduras, which are home to 95% of all marine life in the Caribbean.
" Roatan: home to 95% of all marine life in the Caribbean " The Mesoamerican reef system includes many protected areas and parks along its length, is the largest coral reef in the Western Hemisphere and the second largest barrier reef in the world.
A Guide to Living on Roatan
Getting around Roatan
The island of Roatan is approximately 50 kilometers miles long, and is less than 4 kilometers wide at the widest point.
Coxen Hole The commercial hub of the island is Coxen Hole, which with a population of 10,000 is the largest town on the island. Other important towns include French Harbour, West End, and Oak Ridge. Rugged, rainforested hills means there are few roads on the island. Towns and villages on the island offer seclusion and a "tropical getaway" for visitors and longterm residents.
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How to get to Roatan Roatan(RTB) is easily accessed via direct flights through Toronto, Houston, Miami, Atlanta, Newark or Milan, Italy. Many of these flights make it easy to connect form western Canadian and American cities. Major airlines serving the island include Delta, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, TACA, Islena and charter airlines. Canadian Charter airlines such as Sunwing and Airtransat also service RTB from major Canadian Airports.
American Airlines nonstop service schedule
(Fall 2012 - please check for current schedule; all times shown are local)
From Miami (MIA) Roatan (RTB)
To Roatan (RTB) Miami (MIA)
Flight # 1523 1670
Departs 1:05 p.m. 3:20 p.m.
Arrives 2:15 p.m. 6:15 p.m.
Frequency Saturday Saturday
American Airlines will offer nonstop service between Miami International Airport (MIA) and Roatan's Juan Manuel Galvez International Airport (RTB) in Roatan beginning Nov. 17, 2012.
A Guide to Living on Roatan
Chapter 2
Roatan Life
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Weather on Roatan Roatan enjoys an average daily temperature of 27° C (82° F), and throughout the year temperatures typically range between 21° and 32° C (70° – 90° F).
Few hurricanes Due to its location in the southwest corner of the Caribbean, few hurricanes typically reach Roatan.
A cooler, milder climate Roatan’s climate is milder and cooler than the mainland, since it is a narrow island influenced by the more constant temperature of the sea.
" Roatan’s pleasant climate is milder and cooler than the mainland."
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Things to do - Diving and Snorkeling Diving on Roatan Roatan is protected by the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the largest barrier reef in the Caribbean Sea. It makes for excellent diving and snorkeling.
Excellent diving and snorkeling While some of the more famous island wrecks are Prince Albert and the Aguila, there are many excellent dive spots to choose from:
Coral Cay See a turtle hatchery, a nurse shark, or just rent snorkel gear, a kayak, or swim off to nearby coral reefs and two ship wrecks.
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West Bay In West Bay, dive to three or 30 feet in comfort using SNUBA technology, without the hassle of dive certification or air tanks (a qualified guide will accompany you).
Cayos Cochinos Marine Protected Area A marine protected area and home to the Smithsonian Tropical Institute. You can visit it and dive with AKR, Subway Water Sports, Las Rocas, or by boat from Nueva Armenia.
Dixon Cove Try diving in the company of dozens of reef sharks. Las Palmas Club in Dixon Cove offers shark dive tours.
A Guide to Living on Roatan
Ecotourism on Roatan
Roatan welcomes visitors, and there are many things to do all over the island. Here are just a few ideas:
Roatán Museum & Roatán Institute of Marine Sciences – Sandy Bay The Institute of Marine Sciences is where visitors can learn about the ecology of the Bay Islands, and also experience a dolphin skill show.
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Carambola Botanical Gardens – Sandy Bay Enjoy a hike or a picnic at this rainforest garden while watching for birds watching wildlife.
Canopy Tours – West Bay & French Harbour Glide or zoom through rain forest canopy on a 200m steel cable from hilltop to a beach.
Mangrove Tours – Oak Ridge, Jonesville, or Calabash Bight Take a nature tour through Roatan’s mangroves forests, through the pirate channel cut between Caribe Point Bight and Jonesville. Water taxis are available in Jonesville, Oak Ridge, or Calabash Bight.
" Tour through a mangrove channel cut between Caribe Point Bight and Jonesville"
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Chapter 3
Immigrating to Roatan
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Immigrating to Roatan " Non-residents may visit Roatan for up to thirty days without a visa"
When deciding to live in Roatan, there are a few things you need to know. Non-residents or foreigners may visit Roatan (which itself is an Island in the country of Honduras) for up to thirty days without a visa.
Staying beyond 30 days is easily facilitated by renewing your 30 day visa or getting a 3 month visitor visa .
Roatan visa requirements The Ministry of Government and Justice (Secretaria de Gobernacion y Justicia) is the Honduran governmental entity that oversees visas.
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You must leave the country every 6 months for a minimum of three days if you have not acquired residency. The process in obtaining a residence visa is straightforward, but f you want to avoid the paperwork involved Applying for a residence visa in Roatan To apply for a residence visa, you will need: •
a passport valid for at least one year from the date of your application
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a birth certificate
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a certificate of health
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a letter of reference from your local police
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a letter of reference concerning your bank or an employer stating simple details about monthly cashflow
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three passport photos
acquiring residency, you can easily make a quick three-day trip to a neighboring county.
with
A Guide to Living on Roatan
For more information about immigrating to Roatan, please see: http://bellabayestates.com/immigrating-roatan-basic-information/
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Chapter 4
Buying property on Roatan
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Buying real estate in Honduras Roatan is part of Honduras, so if you are planning on buying real estate here, you will want to familiarize yourself with the laws of the country. Buying real estate in Honduras can be an extremely straightforward process if you follow some basic guidelines, such as acquiring qualified local expertise to help secure title and protect your investment.
Buying real estate in Roatan on your own While purchasing property on your own can be complicated and time consuming, some do it. On Roatan foreigners may purchase up to 3000 square
" If you are buying without the assistance of a local developer, you will need to hire a notary "
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meters (.75 acres) of land. If you are buying land without the help of a local developer there are can be restrictions on purchases within 40 km of the coastline or international borders). To purchase a larger parcel of land, it is necessary to form a corporation.
Not working with a local developer? Get a notary If you are buying without the assistance of a local developer (like Bella Bay), you will need to hire a notary. Notaries oversee the transfer of title. And the first task of the notary is to conduct the title search. After your notary notifies you that the title is clear and free, then you may purchase property. Escritura publica vs. adominio pleno Once the title search has been carried out, your notary will file either an escritura publica or adominio pleno: .
An escritura publica indicates that the ownership of the property has been verified. A dominio pleno indicates that there was no record of ownership prior to the transfer and that a judge must decide on whether or not to grant title.
A Guide to Living on Roatan
Working with a local developer to bypass hurdles
Working with a local developer will help bypass many hurdles when investing in Roatan real estate. Some developers offer 100% ownership of titled land, often in a community of white-sand beachfront homes. Legal fees and closing costs vary between owners so we recommend budgeting in the region of 5% of the property value. The addition of financing will incur further costs. Title insurance is available. Annual property taxes are extremely reasonable, currently being less than 0.5%.
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Forming a holding corporation reduces risks Another recommended avenue for purchasing real estate on Roatan is to create a Honduras corporation or holding company. By forming a corporation, and by designating yourself general manager and administrator, you are entitled to all the rights of a Honduran citizen regarding ownership of your property, which can reduce risk and save time.
Sell property more easily Another benefit of forming a corporation is that it removes the requirement of paying property transfer taxes upon any future sale (e.g., to your children) of the property. While all documents must be in Spanish, this is a straightforward process and is handled in many cases by the property developers (as is the case with Bella Bay Estates).
For information about acquiring land title in Honduras, please see: http://bellabayestates.com/land-title-documentation-honduras/
A Guide to Living on Roatan
For more information‌
Roatan lies in the perfect Caribbean location, enjoying great weather, cooling breezes, many sheltered bays, and protection from Caribbean storms. For more information on how to enjoy this Caribbean paradise, see:
http://bbroatan.com/QDX48p This ebook was sponsored by Bella Bay Estates, a Caribbean retirement and vacation investment property on the island of Roatan, Honduras, selling 100% ownership of titled land in its community of white-sand beachfront homes.
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