A Guide to Living on Roatan 1

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 2

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 3

Chapter 1

Where is Roatan?

A Guide to Living on Roatan 4

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 Bahía".

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"

A Guide to Living on Roatan 5

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.

A Guide to Living on Roatan 6

The Mesoamerican reef stretches more than 1,000 kilometers from the tip

of the Yucatán 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.

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.

" Roatan: home to 95% of all marine life in the Caribbean "

A Guide to Living on Roatan 7

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.

A Guide to Living on Roatan 8

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 To Flight # Departs Arrives Frequency Miami (MIA) Roatan (RTB) 1523 1:05 p.m. 2:15 p.m. Saturday Roatan (RTB) Miami (MIA) 1670 3:20 p.m. 6:15 p.m. 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 9

Chapter 2

Roatan Life

A Guide to Living on Roatan 10

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."

A Guide to Living on Roatan 11

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.

A Guide to Living on Roatan 12

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 13

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.

A Guide to Living on Roatan 14

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"

A Guide to Living on Roatan 15

Chapter 3

Immigrating to Roatan

A Guide to Living on Roatan 16

Immigrating to Roatan

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.

" Non-residents may visit Roatan for up to thirty days without a visa"

A Guide to Living on Roatan 17

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

• a birth certificate

• a certificate of health

• a letter of reference from your local police

• a letter of reference concerning your bank or an employer stating simple details about monthly cashflow

• three passport photos

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

with

acquiring residency, you can easily make a quick three-day trip to a

neighboring county.

A Guide to Living on Roatan 18

For more information about immigrating to Roatan, please see:

http://bellabayestates.com/immigrating-roatan-basic-information/

A Guide to Living on Roatan 19

Chapter 4

Buying property on Roatan

A Guide to Living on Roatan 20

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 "

A Guide to Living on Roatan 21

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.

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:

.

A Guide to Living on Roatan 22

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%.

A Guide to Living on Roatan 23

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 24

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.

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