More New Restaurants: French Harbor Yacht Club and Port Side, Flower's Bay Roatan

Another Beautiful Sunset

The first place I want to share is Roatan's Yacht Club, (French Harbor Yacht Club) an historic spot on Roatan, located on Roatan's south shore and at the entrance to the town of French Harbor.

Yacht Club Bar

 I was fortunate to be able to stop by the other day and meet the new owner and operator Minor and his father Lisandro Oreillana. I know that in 1997, the Roatan Yacht Club, French Harbor Yacht Club, (pick the name) was the premier spot on Roatan to stay. It had a pool, nice, comfortable rooms and a PHONE!!!! To let this piece of history disappear or fade away would be to loose an important part of Roatan. Thank you to Minor and his father. Take the time to visit this spot in French Harbor; stop for lunch or dinner ...you will not be disappointed! Many people who are now established members of Roatan's recent founders, spent their first days here. To see it is to see Roatan's history...not to be missed. And the food is good, the spot delightful....support this effort to preserve something important on Roatan.

French Harbor

Yacht Club Decor

French Harbor from the Yacht Club

The second new spot visit is Port Side in Flower's Bay. What a delightful new discovery! Port Side is located in an old home that is built on Pensacola Rock in Flowers Bay.

Pensacola Rock

It offers Italian and Island Fusion cuisine. The entrance is dramatic as it takes you through the byte at Pensacola Rock.

View From Port Side Restaurant

The old house is situated atop the rock and the view of Flower's Bay is dramatic. The restaurant is decorated with old carvings, vases, and paintings.

Dining at Port Side

Unique Paintings at Port Side

 Each room was an adventure to see what small detail would be offered for my enjoyment. The owner is Jeff who has lived on Roatan for the past eight years and hails from Boston. Port Side is open M-F 9AM to 10PM. Sat. 11AM to 10PM. Phone 9616 0066. The Roatan Ladies luncheon was there this March.  

Lunch with Pierre and Louise

Flower's Bay

The menu is unique and I can't wait for a chance to stop again. We've had a great time each time we've stopped by.

Michael at Port Side

Slideshow of Our Trip To Copan by Emiliana

Roatan West Bay to Copan And Return Slideshow: Emiliana’s trip from Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras to 5 cities Guatemala, , San Pedro Sula, Copan and Roatán (near West Bay) was created by TripAdvisor. See another Guatemala slideshow. Create your own stunning slideshow with our free photo slideshow maker.


Enjoy!!

West Bay Beach Fun

Eggs Benedict with a View-Infinity Bay Resort

So sorry this blog has been slow in posting...we have had internet troubles and the last two weeks have been especially slow.  I hope you like the pictures.

We have enjoyed our visit from Sharon and Harold.  It has been a busy two weeks even though we have had a mix of sun, rain and wind.  Today is rainy so I thought I would take some time to write this blog.

Sunset on West Bay Beach is always special.

Their arrival on Saturday  two weeks ago, was as smooth as you can expect.  The plane was even early! We were there in time to see them come through immigration and their luggage was not too long in coming off the plane. Once Harold came through security, he could not go back to Sharon nor could we, but she was able to get her bag and come through with little effort.

Fun Times as Bananarama

Michael stopped at Eldon's on the way back to Casanueva and Harold was able to check out the local shopping.  I think he was surprised by some things, but we didn't take long as Michael and Sharon were waiting in the car.

Relaxing at CasaNueva

The next morning we ate on the beach at Infinity Bay where they enjoyed Eggs Benedict and some rain. We lounged around the palapa, watching hummingbirds flit about.

The Siblings!

We have made several trips to local restaurants including dinner at Fosters on Thursday for lobster night. We enjoyed the sunset and watching the cruise ships slip by.  We also had live music and watched as a little humming bird sat on her nest.  There is always something special to discover, both near and far in Roatan. We even saw pairs of wild Macaws flying to roost in the evening and spent time on the palapa watching the stars at night.

Mimi enjoys the Water at West Bay Beach

The two weeks have flown by and we have enjoyed quiet evenings in and beautiful sunsets on the beach.  Michael and I hope the trip has been one they have enjoyed and will talk about during cold winter evenings to come.

Fosters on West Bay Beach has Lobster Night on Thursday

Sunny or Rainy in Roatan.........It's All Fun and Roatan Plane Crash

Rainy Morning at Infinity Bay

Rainy days on Roatan can still be as much fun as a sunny day.  This morning it was looking cloudy and we canceled our planned snorkeling trip and instead took Mimi and Dad to Infinity Bay for breakfast on the beach.

Smiles for a Great Breakfast: Eggs Benedict on the Beach

 Since our last visit to the island Infinity Bay has completed a covered palapa and added roll down wind and rain curtains.  So when the rains started, we were still able to enjoy our meal, visit with the wait staff who are always pleasant and funny and enjoy the activity on the beach.  We even took short strolls along the beach to show them what it is like.  Wait til they see It on a bright sunny day with all the wonderful shades of blue and green in the water.

I have included a link to the air crash that happened last week.
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20120116/canadian-recounts-honduran-float-plane-crash-120116/

Air Crash at West Bay Beach

From the news we have gathered around the beach, it all could have ended terribly but because there were divers in the water nearby and doctors on a passing boat, the family survived.

 I was able to take some of my own pictures of the plane from a water taxi as the aircraft was still afloat upside down between West Bay Beach and West End.


  Everyone was very concerned that the family was okay and grateful for all the people were in the right place and who made good decisions in a timely manner.

Here is a YouTube video of how this plane looked taken in December.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOb_JBpDdMI

Another news item of great interest here is the recent sinking of the cruise ship in Italy. So many people depend on the cruise ship industry here that any bad news like that sends a ripple through the community with fear that it will affect their livelihoods in some way. We still think cruising is a safe way to travel and so many people can only enjoy traveling that way.

Cruise Shippers on Shore

Party Boat on the Beach

Charlie works hard and gives a great massage

Water Taxis at West Bay Beach

Now that we have rented a car from someone on the island, we will be able to get out and about more easily. Lots of great things to see and do and share with family. Although I do miss my old squeaky truck from last year!

Sunday afternoons at the Beach

I am hoping to go to La Ceiba on the mainland of Honduras next week. I have never been there so I am  looking forward to taking the ferry over. I will be taking loads of pictures and will blog about it too.

 Little Girls are all the Same

You are in my space!

I guess I can share

What!!!!

Adios Amigo!!

My weekend was spent at the beach while Michael and Dad watched the playoffs. For me, watching people is always more fun than watching football....hard for some of you to believe I know! I love to meet up with friends and new people—all of which I did while Green Bay's Winning Season faded away.

Great New Food Spots on Roatan!

Smuggler's Beach Bar & Grill

 Since we left Roatan last spring several new restaurants have opened their doors, Restaurant Adventures awaiting our discovery. First we tried Smuggler’s Beach Bar & Grill which is a new palapa bar and grill on the property of Meridian on Lighthouse point.

It has been open just a few months but is already a popular place to enjoy some great food and friendly staff.

Enjoying Sunset at Smugglers

You can share the beach chairs, relax with a cerveza, snorkel from the beach or play horseshoes and corn-hole a bean bag toss game where you throw a bean bag into a board with a hole in it. You have to try it before you judge! Lots of fun and the first I’ve seen here.

Sunset at Smugglers is perfect!

Michael and I went down the hill from the house to Smugglers the other afternoon with the idea of snacking and watching the sun go down. We enjoyed yummy chicken wings and later tried the two lobster tail dinner with a wonderfully fresh and light pasta salad.







I enjoyed everything but the pasta salad was such a nice change from French fries or plantains and sooo refreshing. It also included fresh corn on the cob! Perfecto. And as we wanted to share with our parents, we grabbed up some shrimp on skewers to go. So much for a light snack! It was all so yummy. Oh, did I mention the monkey la la…my first since I returned. 

Hummingbird Feeders at Smuggler's Cove

Sunset at Meridian

Abner from Smuggler's Cove

Abner was our delightful wait staff person who smiled and joked with us as we waited for the sun to go down and the stars to come out. Smugglers is a delightful addition the island and we plan to spend lots of hours swimming, relaxing, and visiting (drinking) there. Great job Chris and Sydney! 




On to Herby's Pineapple Sports Bar and Grill in French Harbor.

View from Herby's Pineapple Bar and Grill

Pool at Pineapple Villas in French Harbour

We ate in the sports bar on the fourth floor where we enjoyed the view. Our classic cheeseburgers were great, French fries nice and crisp and the BBQ shrimp a nice addition. There were multiple items to choose from but I love a great hamburger and wasn’t disappointed.

Outdoor Seating at Herby's.....What a view

While we were enjoying our lunch we met and spoke to a lady also enjoying her lunch. It was quite a surprise for Mary to discover she was the daughter of the family they lived next door to in Huntsville over fifty years ago. Mary remembered her as a little girl, so with many hugs they caught up on fifty years of life a world away in Roatan. There is always a surprise awaiting to be discovered on Roatan.

Landscaping is unique

Here is our first bunch of bananas,  they are delicious and fresh coconuts were a treat for all.