Barefoot Cay was delightful! I'm already thinking about when I can go back. The property is compact, but lovely. Our Grand Villa was right next to the water and our huge screened in porch, with dining table to one side and couch and chairs on the other, was the perfect place to watch the sun rise over the water each morning. I don't think I've ever stayed someplace that was closer to walk out to the water. The Grand Villa also had large airy bedroom, large living room (where my son slept on the big couch), two bathrooms, and a full kitchen. The main bath also had a ledge on the wall opposite the sink which was perfect for keeping all my toiletries. I also appreciated the abundance of outlets, which were handy for charging the multitude of tech a diving vacation can involve. There are so many thoughtful details throughout, including a bench and shower right before the entrance in case you need to wash off sand. We also enjoyed the plunge pool as a nice place to relax in the afternoon between editing dive photos and dinner. The restaurant had absolutely delicious food, and when I go back I will likely opt for the meal plan because I never wanted to eat anywhere else. We did make one dinner in our room, and eat breakfast and lunch off property the last full day when we did a bird tour of the island (at La Sirena de Camp Bay--where I had a phenomenal whole fried snapper). The restaurant prices were not cheap, but also not outlandish. We probably spent around $50-80 for the two of us for lunch dinner. (My son fell in love with the pork tostones and we had to have them almost every day!) Shout out to the warm staff, the excellent chef, and the creative bar tender. The snorkeling from the ocean pavilion is fabulous. Due to the wind, I only went on the last day, but I never wanted to leave. In an hour, I saw a spotted eagle ray, 3 sting rays, an eel, 2 huge puffer fish, 3 lobsters, and countless other fish. Snorkeling over the sea grass was like flying over a prairie filled with life, and the coral and reef sections were also gorgeous. All the underwater pictures attached to this review are from snorkeling there. All that is fantastic, but what seals this as a must return for us is the diving. A week of dives where all you do is show up on the boat (with camera and bathing suit) is heavenly. I loved not having to do dive "laundry" or haul gear or worry about anything other than buckling into my BCD and popping in my reg. The rental gear was top notch. I want this diving experience everywhere! The dives were also beautiful, certainly worth coming back to, and the night dive was extraordinary. A true top 5 dive experience for me. I generally love night dives (blackwater creatures, mantas, lobsters, ... ), but this one really stood out. We saw so many octopuses hanging out, camouflaging in white, blue, and purple, more lobsters than I could count, and the very coolest thing: the string of pearls bioluminescence. Watching these balls of light string together in the blackness and then fade away was nothing short of magical. A few tips: Barefoot Cay is aptly named; except for our birding excursion (with the excellent Birdwatching Roatan), I was in flip flops or fins the whole week. The restaurant is really casual, and I never wound up wearing any of the dresses I packed. It's also a pretty small place, so if you want to run, that can be a tough thing to fit in, but I borrowed a yoga mat and enjoyed doing yoga each morning on my porch next to the water. The in-room coffee is good. (I would make two pots each day and refrigerate the second one so I could have iced coffee with milk first thing.) In sum, if you are looking for somewhere to maximize diving, be treated like a favored family member, eat really tasty food, be close to the water always, not be crowded or have to dress to impress, this is the place. If you want a large resort with a gym (although there is a Gold's adjacent, here), lots of activities (tennis, paddle boarding, golf, etc.), multiple restaurants and pools, or a large sandy beach, this is not what you are looking for. For my son and me, it was perfect.

One of the most gorgeous places I've ever stayed. We were in a Beachfront cabin, steps from the water, incredible view. I was worried about mosquitos but they weren't bad. Restaurant was just ok, not super. Staff were super helpful and friendly. Location is kinda remote, you'll want to rent a car, but driving was pretty easy there. Rooms comfy, AC in sleeping quarters, good breeze made kitchen/living area tolerable. Overall very happy with my stay would definitely recommend.

We are longtime advanced divers and reserved this trip through PADI. I will echo the other reviews about how lovely the property is, how warm the staff are, how stunning the diving is, how good the food in the restaurant is (though not exactly cheap). This place was perfect for a week of diving. We rented the two bedroom house, which was just charming, with two bedrooms with two queen beds and a nice bathroom in each, and a central living room with full kitchen, and beachfront patio table with a view and lounge chairs on the beach. Great coffee and a full drip coffee maker for the morning. Staff will arrange a driver to take you to the market for supplies for the kitchen. Decorating is simple and light filled. Everything was very clean, with daily maid service. Our casita was the farthest from the restaurant, but still plenty close, with a private beach on the other (far) side. All of the 10 casitas are well situated, so don’t worry too much about which one you get. We generally did two dives a day, up to 4 as weather allowed, including an incredible night dive. When the wind picked up, they just took us over to the other side of the island by van and we dove from there. Two of us rented decent equipment. Divemasters were friendly and knowledgeable, and put up with “that guy” well (you know the one: boastful mansplainer, ignores divemaster and basic safe diving limits, chases the wildlife, shoves his camera at every find, and otherwise interferes with other people’s dive enjoyment— don't be that guy). This is the quiet side of the island, so not a lot to do if you don’t dive. Staying in the hotel rooms above the dive shop on the main island would be a fine budget option, but you’d miss out on the ocean view and the charm of being on the island. I’m allergic to bug bites, so they are obvious in me, and got 12 during the whole week. My companions either didn’t get any or didn’t notice them, even being lax with bug spray. I would 100% come back to Barefoot Cay.

We booked here in part because of all the other amazing reviews, and in part because we didn’t want to be in the most touristy area. We also loved the fact that it’s a small place ( not a lot of rooms, not a big hotel) but yet a big space with beautiful landscaping, many areas to hang out in, a great pool and restaurant, and some very good snorkeling off a dock with a pagoda. We stayed in one of the villas close to the shallow beach, all of which have a view of the sunrise if you wake up early enough. Each villa has an amazingly comfortable King Bed, a small deck pool which we didn’t use much ( it looks a bit like a hot tub but isn’t — if it had been hotter and less breezy while we were there we might’ve hung out in it with morning coffee or evening drinks), a nice bathroom with everything you need, and a small kitchen with fridge, freezer, microwave, dishes, some cleaning and coffee supplies. The Smart TV was easy — we just signed into Netflix and could’ve used other streaming channels too. The only disadvantage was that it was pretty far from the bed so we couldn’t watch shows with subtitles as easily, but there was enough to choose from. The AC worked very well when we needed it, which wasn’t all that often — temps were always between 76 and 83, and while the air was tropical, it wasn’t all that humid. The resort was not completely full most days, so we generally had the beach, pool, and snorkeling dock ( even the ocean! ) to ourselves. We booked a nice special with breakfast included, and we fell in love with our post snorkeling breakfast time around the pool — so peaceful and beautiful, and made even more perfect by the breakfast staff, especially Shanny, with whom we had many fun chats and who always got us exactly what we wanted! We miss her! Actually, everyone we met there — more of the staff than other guests — was just so fun and friendly and helpful. It was always easy to reach someone at the front desk, everyone spoke excellent English, and despite all that and all the luxury we dwelled in, nothing felt snobby or formal; the vibe was always low key, relaxed. The little shuttle boat between the main office building and dive shop on the one side, and the water / beach and restaurant area on the other, was super reliable and fast. The front desk was great in arranging taxis and rental cars ( next time we will probably rent a car for the week ), and the dive shop folks were also great — friendly, easygoing, and good at what they do! We went out on dive boats as snorkelers a few times; you need to make a reservation beforehand ( but not long before) because not everywhere they go is suitable for both snorkeling and diving. The only drawbacks we experienced were the many windy days ( which sometimes affected currents or dive boats) and the fact that there aren’t a lot of restaurants in that area, especially not in walking distance. So we mostly ate at the resort restaurant, or got takeout when we went to West Bay and West End, or got some things from a good nearby supermarket to supplement a small takeout, in case we wanted to watch TV during dinner. If you happen to be a runner, there isn’t really anywhere much to run from there, but we didn’t ask. There is a gym next door but we don’t know anything about it because we just wanted to snorkel, swim, and explore! Thanks, Barefoot Cay, for our very relaxing vacation! See you again as soon as we can!

Honestly wish I could give 10 stars. The resort, the staff, the restaurant and the overall organization was top notch. I feel as if I’ve been lucky enough I stay at some very high quality places and Barefoot Cay takes one of my top spots. The attention to detail is immaculate. The restaurant staff is amazing, so attentive and always such great conversation. The resort is always so well maintained, from the groundskeepers to the house keepers. Front desk staff made getting off the resort so easy, organizing transportation to and from. Barefoot cay is a perfect, secluded getaway. The dive shop staff is also great, Ron & Ferrell were amazing. This place is the perfect piece of private, secluded paradise. We will definitely be returning!