roatan living guide - a bella bay ebook

7/31/2019 Roatan living guide - a Bella Bay eBook

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A Guide to Living on Roa tan 1

Table of Contents

Int r oduct i on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Where i s Roat an? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Roat an Li f e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Immigrat ing t o Roat an . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Buying p roper ty on Roat an . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19For more in format ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
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Introduction

The island of Roatan is loc a ted just

south o f the Yuc a ta n Peninsula in

the western Ca ribbea n, and ha s

bec ome po pular with expa ts

looking for a sa fe, co mfortab le,

and interesting p lace to live a nd

invest.

As a result, we've p rep ared this basic

guide to living o n Roa tan tha t inc ludesinforma tion about:

Roa tan geograp hy Roa tan life a nd culture Imm igra ting to Roa tan Buying real esate

If you ha ve a ny questions, send us an

ema il at:

info@be llabayestates.com

"A beautifulisland in the

western

Caribbean"
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Chapter 1

Where is Roatan?


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Where is Roatan?

The island of Roa ta n lies just south

of Mexic o s Yuc a tan Peninsula in

the western Caribbea n, and is the

largest o f Honduras' Bay Islands, or

"Islas de la Baha".

Roa tan ha s d irec t flights from North

Am erica n c ities inc lud ing Miami and

Atlanta and is 90 minutes by a ir from

Florida.

"Just south of

the Yuca tan

Peninsula"


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Close to one of the longest reefs in

the world

Tha nks to its p roximity to the Me soa merica n Ree f, sec ond longest barrier

ree f in the wo rld , Roa tan and Hond uras' Ba y Islands have b ec om e a

mec c a fo r sc uba d iving , snorkeling a nd ec oto urism.


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TheMesoa meric an ree f stretc hes mo re than 1,000 kilome ters from the tip

of the Yuc a t n Peninsula (loc a ted to the no rth of Roa tan), a ll the wa y to

Roa tan a nd the Bay Islands of Honduras, whic h are ho me to 95% of a ll

ma rine life in the Caribbea n.

The Mesoa meric an ree f system include s ma ny prote c ted a rea s and pa rks

a long its leng th, is the largest c oral ree f in the Weste rn Hemisphere and

the sec ond la rgest b a rrier ree f in the world .

"Roatan:

home to 95%

of a ll marine

life in the

Caribbean "
http://bellabayestates.com/diving-in-roatan/http://bellabayestates.com/diving-in-roatan/http://bellabayestates.com/diving-in-roatan/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yucat%C3%A1n_Peninsulahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_Islands_(department)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hondurashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_reefhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Hemispherehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Hemispherehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_reefhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hondurashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_Islands_(department)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yucat%C3%A1n_Peninsulahttp://bellabayestates.com/diving-in-roatan/http://www.linkedin.com/company/bella-bay-estateshttps://www.facebook.com/Bellabayestateshttps://twitter.com/Bellabayestates


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Getting around Roatan

The island of Roata n is app roxima tely 50 kilometers miles long , and is less

than 4 kilom ete rs w ide a t the w id est point.

Coxen Hole

The c om me rc ia l hub of the island is Co xen Hole, which with a pop ula tion

of 10,000 is the la rgest town on the island . Other important towns inc lude

Frenc h Harbour, West End , and Oa k Ridg e.

Rugged , ra inforested hills me ans there a re fe w roa ds on the island . Towns

and villages on the island offer sec lusion a nd a "trop ic al ge tawa y"fo r

visitors and long term residents.
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How to get to Roatan

Roa ta n(RTB) is easily ac c essed via d irec t flights through Toronto, Houston,

Miam i, Atlanta , New a rk or Milan, Ita ly. Ma ny of the se flights ma ke it ea sy

to c onnec t form we stern Ca nad ian and Americ an c ities. Major a irlines

serving the island includ e Delta , Americ an A irlines, Continenta l Airlines,

TACA, Islena and c ha rter a irlines. Cana d ian Charter a irlines suc h a s

Sunw ing a nd Airtransa t a lso service RTB from m a jor Cana d ian Airports.

American Airlines nonstop service schedule(Fall 2012 - p lease c hec k for current sched ule; all times shown a re local)

From To Flight # Departs Arrives FrequencyMiam i (MIA) Roata n (RTB) 1523 1:05 p .m. 2:15 p .m. Sa turday

Roatan (RTB) Miam i (MIA) 1670 3:20 p .m. 6:15 p .m. Sa turday

Ame rica n Airlines will offer nonstop service be twe en M iami Internationa l Airpo rt (MIA) and Roa tan's Juan M anue l Galvez

Internatio na l Airpo rt (RTB) in Roa ta n b eg inning No v. 17, 2012.
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Chapter 2

Roatan Life


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Weather on Roatan

Roa tan enjoys an a verage d a ily tem perature of 27 C (82 F), and

throug hout the yea r tem peratures typica lly range b etwe en 21 and 32 C

(70 90 F).

Few hurricanes

Due to its loc a tion in the southw est

c orner of the Ca ribb ea n,

few hurrica nes typ ic a lly rea c h

Roatan.

A c ooler, milde r c lima te

Roa tan s c lima te is milder and c oo ler

tha n the ma inland , since it is a

na rrow island influenc ed by the mo re

c onstan t temp era ture o f the sea .

"

Roatanspleasant

c lima te is

milder and

c ooler thanthe mainland."


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Things to do - Diving and

Snorkeling

Diving on Roa tan

Roa tan is p rotec ted by the

Mesoame rican Barrier Ree f, the

la rgest b a rrier ree f in the Ca ribbea n

Sea.It ma kes for excellent d iving

and snorkeling.

Exc ellent diving and snorkeling

While som e of the more fa mous

island wrec ks a re Prince A lbert and

the Aguila , there a re ma ny exce llent

d ive spots to choo se from:

Coral Cay

See a turtle ha tc hery, a nurse sha rk, or just rent snorkel gear, a kaya k, or

swim o ff to ne arb y coral ree fs and two ship w rec ks.
http://bellabayestates.com/things-do-in-roatan/http://bellabayestates.com/things-do-in-roatan/http://bellabayestates.com/things-do-in-roatan/http://bellabayestates.com/things-do-in-roatan/http://bellabayestates.com/things-do-in-roatan/http://bellabayestates.com/things-do-in-roatan/http://www.linkedin.com/company/bella-bay-estateshttps://www.facebook.com/Bellabayestateshttps://twitter.com/Bellabayestates


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West Bay

In West Ba y, dive to three or 30 fee t in c omfo rt using SNUBA tec hno logy,

without the hassle o f d ive c ertific a tion or air tanks (a qua lified guide will

ac co mpa ny you).

Cayos Coc hinos

Marine Protec ted

Area

A marine

protec ted a rea

and home to the

Smithsonian

Trop ica l Institute .

You c an visit it a nd

d ive w ith AKR,

Subwa y Water

Sports, Las Roc as, or by b oa t from Nueva Armenia.

Dixon Cove

Try d iving in the c ompany of dozens of reef sha rks. Las Pa lma s Club in

Dixon Cove offers sha rk dive tours.


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Ecotour ism on Roatan

Roa tan w elc om es visitors, and there a re many things to d o a ll ove r the

island.Here a re just a few ideas:

Roatn Museum & Roa tn Institute of Marine Sc ienc es Sandy Bay The Institute of Ma rine Sc ienc es is where visitors c an lea rn about the

ec ology of the Bay Island s, and a lso e xperienc e a dolphin skill show.
http://bellabayestates.com/ecotourism-roatan/http://bellabayestates.com/ecotourism-roatan/http://bellabayestates.com/ecotourism-roatan/http://bellabayestates.com/ecotourism-roatan/http://bellabayestates.com/ecotourism-roatan/http://bellabayestates.com/ecotourism-roatan/http://www.linkedin.com/company/bella-bay-estateshttps://www.facebook.com/Bellabayestateshttps://twitter.com/Bellabayestates


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Carambola Botanical Gardens Sand y Bay

Enjoy a hike or a p ic nic a t this ra inforest gard en while wa tc hing for b irds

wa tching wild life.

Canopy Tours West Bay & Frenc h

Harbour

Glide or zoom through ra in forest

c anop y on a 200m stee l c ab le from

hilltop to a b ea c h.

Mangrove Tours Oak Ridge,

Jonesville, or Calabash Bight

Take a na ture tour throug h Roa tan s

ma ngroves forests, through the p ira te

c hannel cut b etwe en Ca ribe Point

Bight and Jonesville. Water ta xis a re

ava ilab le in Jonesville, Oa k Ridg e, or

Ca labash Bight.

"Tour through

a ma ngrovec hannel c ut

between

Caribe Point

Bight a ndJonesville"


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Chapter 3

Immigrating to Roatan


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Immigrating to Roatan

When d ec id ing to live in Roa tan ,

there a re a few things you need

to know .

Non-residents or foreigners may

visit Roa ta n (which itself is an

Island in the c ountry of Hond uras)

for up to thirty days without a visa .

Sta ying beyond 30 days is ea sily fac ilitated b y renewing your 30 day visa

or getting a 3 month visitor visa .

Roa tan visa requirements

TheMinistry of Go vernment and Justic e (Sec reta ria d e G ob ernac ion y

Justicia)is the Honduran governmenta l entity tha t oversee s visas.

"Non-residents

may visit

Roata n for upto thirty days

without a visa"
http://www.gobernacion.gob.hn/http://www.gobernacion.gob.hn/http://www.gobernacion.gob.hn/http://www.gobernacion.gob.hn/http://www.gobernacion.gob.hn/http://www.gobernacion.gob.hn/http://www.linkedin.com/company/bella-bay-estateshttps://www.facebook.com/Bellabayestateshttps://twitter.com/Bellabayestates


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Applying for a residence visa in Roa tan

To a pp ly for a residenc e visa , you w ill need :

a passport va lid for a t lea st one yea r from the d a te o f

your application

a b irth c ertifica te

a c ertific a te of hea lth

a letter of reference from your loc a l po lice

a letter of reference c onc erning your bank or an

em p loyer sta ting simp le d eta ils about m onthlycashflow

three p assport photos

You must leave the c ountry every 6 months for a m inimum of three da ys if

you ha ve no t ac quired residenc y. The p roc ess in ob ta ining a residenc e

visa is stra ightforwa rd , but f you want to avoid the paperwork involved

with

acquiring residenc y, you c an ea sily make a quick three -da y trip to a

neighboring county.


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For more informa tion a bout imm igra ting to Roa tan, p lea se see :

http:/ / bellabayestates.c om/ immigrating-roatan-b asic- information/
http://bellabayestates.com/immigrating-roatan-basic-information/http://bellabayestates.com/immigrating-roatan-basic-information/http://bellabayestates.com/immigrating-roatan-basic-information/http://bellabayestates.com/immigrating-roatan-basic-information/http://www.linkedin.com/company/bella-bay-estateshttps://www.facebook.com/Bellabayestateshttps://twitter.com/Bellabayestates


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Chapter 4

Buying property on Roatan


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Buying real estate in Honduras

Roa tan is pa rt o f Hond uras, so if you a re p lanning o n b uying rea l esta te

here, you w ill want to familiarize yourself with the laws of the c ountry.

Buying rea l esta te in Hond uras c an b e an extrem ely stra ightforwa rd

p rocess if you fo llow somebasic g uide lines, suc h as

acquiring q ualified loc a l

expertise to help sec ure title

and p rotec t your investment.

Buying rea l estate in Roa tan

on your own

While p urc hasing p rop erty on

your own c an b e c omp lic ated

and time c onsuming, som e d o

it.

On Roa tan foreigners ma y

purc ha se up to 3000 squa re

"If you a re

buying without

the assistanc e

of a loc a l

developer,

you will need

to hire a

nota ry "


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An esc ritura p ublica ind ica tes tha t the owne rship of

the p rop erty has been verified .

A dominio pleno ind ic a tes tha t there was no record

of owne rship p rior to the transfer and tha t a judg e

must dec ide on whe ther or not to g ra nt title.

me ters (.75 ac res) of land . If you a re buying land without the help of a

loc a l deve lop er there a re c an b e restric tions on purc hases within 40 km of

the c oa stline o r internationa l bo rders).

To p urc hase a la rger pa rc el of land , it is nec essa ry to form a corpora tion.

Not working with a loc al develope r? Get a notary

If you a re b uying without the assistanc e o f a loc a l develop er (like Bella

Bay), you will need to hire a nota ry. Nota ries oversee the transfer of title .

And the first ta sk of the nota ry is to c ond uc t the title sea rc h. After your

nota ry notifies you tha t the title is c lea r and free , then you ma y purc hase

property.

Escritura publicavs. ad ominio p leno

Onc e the title sea rc h has been c a rried out , your nota ry will file e ither

an esc ritura pub lic a or ado minio p leno:

.
http://bellabayestates.com/land-title-documentation-honduras/http://bellabayestates.com/land-title-documentation-honduras/http://bellabayestates.com/land-title-documentation-honduras/http://www.linkedin.com/company/bella-bay-estateshttps://www.facebook.com/Bellabayestateshttps://twitter.com/Bellabayestates


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Working with a local deve loper to bypass hurd les

Working with a loc a l deve lop er will help bypa ss ma ny hurd les whe ninvesting in Roata n rea l esta te .

Some d eve lopers offer 100% ownership o f titled land , often in a

c om munity of white-sand b ea c hfront homes.

Leg a l fees and c losing costs vary be tween ow ners so w e recom me nd

budgeting in the reg ion o f 5% of the p rop erty va lue. The a dd ition o f

financ ing will inc ur further costs. Title insuranc e is ava ilab le. Annua l

p roperty taxes a re extreme ly rea sona b le, c urrently be ing less tha n 0.5%.


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Forming a holding corporation reduces risks

Another rec om mended avenue fo r purc hasing rea l esta te on Roa tan is to

c rea te a Hond uras c orpora tion or holding co mp any.

By forming a c orporation, and by designa ting yourself genera l mana ger

and administra tor, you a re entitled to a ll the rights of a Hond uran c itizen

reg ard ing ownership of your property, whic h can red uc e risk and save

time.

Sell p roperty more easily

Ano ther benefit of forming a c orpo ra tion is tha t it rem ove s the

req uirem ent of p aying p rop erty transfer taxes upon any future sa le (e.g.,

to your c hild ren) of the p rop erty.

While a ll doc uments must b e in Spanish, this is a stra ightfo rwa rd p roc ess

and is hand led in ma ny cases b y the p rop erty d eve lop ers (as is the c ase

with Bella Ba y Esta tes).

For informa tion about ac quiring land title in Honduras, plea se see :

http:/ / be llab ayestates.c om/ land-title-documentation-honduras/
http://bellabayestates.com/land-title-documentation-honduras/http://bellabayestates.com/land-title-documentation-honduras/http://bellabayestates.com/land-title-documentation-honduras/http://www.linkedin.com/company/bella-bay-estateshttps://www.facebook.com/Bellabayestateshttps://twitter.com/Bellabayestates


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This eb ook was sponsored by Bella Bay Estates, a Caribbean

retirement and vac ation investment p roperty on the island ofRoa ta n, Honduras, selling 100% ow nership o f titled land in its

c omm unity of w hite-sand be ac hfront hom es.

For more information

Roa tan lies in the p erfec t Ca ribbea n loc a tion, enjoying g rea t wea ther,

c oo ling b reezes, many sheltered bays, and p rotec tion from Ca ribbea n

storms.

For more informa tion o n how to enjoy this Ca ribb ea n p arad ise, see :

http://bbroatan.com/QDX48p

roatan living guide - a bella bay ebook

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