FREE entrance to West Bay beach - possible?

[nyctravelerwithkids]

We will be on a cruise with RCCL and are planning on going to West Bay beach for a day. The posts about this beach are plenty, but very confusing.

 

Questions:

 

1. how much would a taxi be for 5 people?

2. where to ask the taxi driver to drop us off?

3. is it possible at all to avoid paying entrance fees to the beach clubs/resorts such as Bananarama which are blocking public access and demand payments? Is there a public, free entrance to the beach? (All beaches in Roatan are supposed to be free to the public).

4. Is it possible to enter the beach without paying any fees, but still be able to rent a beach chair and an umbrella? What about buying a snack or a drink?

5. Did anyone try to enter to the beach next to Grand Roatan resort? I heard that they let you pass and even can rent you chairs.

 

All we want it to come to the beach, rent a chair and an umbrella and stay for a couple of hours. I don't mind paying for those, but not for entrance to the supposedly free beach.

 

Thank you in advance for all the answers.

[grantbob]

If you are going to rent a chair umbrella anyway why not just pay the beach club fee ($10 at Banarama for example)? You get use of the chair/umbrella without buying anything else. Plus you get use of the restroom facilities.

[Guest 2000]

1. Taxi on the island are not regulated and can be very high. Depending on which port, round trip

$15/$20per person. If you speak Spanish, if you walk out past the main port area, if you have to haggle skills and are happy to take the time to haggle you MAYBE able to reduce the rate other people pay.

 

2. If you go the taxi route, there is a road next to West Bay Mall that runs between Bananarama and Paradise Beach Club. It is the only land access I know not through a resort. Bananarama and the other resorts are not blocking access to the beach, they require a day pass fee to be on their property. If one goes to West Bay Beach by way of water one need only pay the water taxi for transport because they do not need to go through a resort. One can also walk from West End to West Bay for free.

 

3. Yes, all the beaches are free, access to West Bay is mentioned above. Over the years there have been challenges about just how much sand is public, many of the resorts have ropes up now. Sure, the sand is free but loungers, umbrellas, potties, food, and drink are all payable. Thus resorts offer day passes.

 

4. I feel like I am repeating myself.. free access to West Bay Beach next to Banarama, find a resort which strikes your fancy and pay a day pass. All the restaurants and bars on the beach are public.

 

5. I don't know if Grand rents chairs but if they do and you walk in willing to pay.. they will let you in just as all the other resorts will.

 

I believe you are stuck on "free" the sand is free and water are free, nothing else is free. I believe the best value for your money is to pay one of the resorts a day pass with transport included.

 

By the by ~ West Bay Beach does not collect any kind of fee. All the resorts do for day passes.

Edited April 25, 2018 by Guest 2000