Anthony’s Key Dock Cabins from longyear on Vimeo.

Anthony’s Key Dock and Dive Shop from longyear on Vimeo.

Anthony’s Key Dining from longyear on Vimeo.

Anthony’s Key resort is located in on the island of Roatan, just off the coast of Honduras.  This resort caters specifically to divers and snorkelers.  They claim some of the best diving in the world, paired with exceptional service.  Does it live up to the hype? 

In March of 2010, a group of 4 friends and I spent a week at Anthony’s Key.  Here was our experience:

The Good

Staff. The staff was exceptional.  They became more than staff.  As the week went on, quick relationships were built.  We asked questions and heard many of their stories.  Several in our group commented on the friendliness and passion of the staff.

Food.  Excellent.  Many of the chefs were from the cruise line industry.  The food was fresh, tasty, and served quick.  Some of the best iced-tea I have had, ever.

Location.  This is the Caribbean, and it is B-E-A-U-tiful.

Number of dives.  At 3 boat dives per day (and more with shore diving, channel diving, and night dives), it is hard to beat this deal.  Eat-sleep-dive.  We logged 19 dives and could have done more.

Organization.  The system runs like a well-oiled machine.  With over 100 guests each week, the staff does a great job of getting everyone oriented, fed, and under water.

Wreck diving.  We did 3 great wrecks.

The OK

Diving.  The diving was good, but it was not great.   The coral is amazing, but the sea life was lacking.  We saw many smaller fish, but were looking for some bigger life and bigger schools.  That being said, we did see an eel or 2.  On our last dive, we saw 3 turtles and 4 spotted eagle rays.  We were hoping for that kind of action on the other dives.

Accommodations. The accommodations are simple.  They are cabins.  Don’t expect anything fancy here.  However, the cabins are used for sleeping and little else.  We opted for a standard cabin (no air conditioning).  We made the trip in March.  Any warmer than March and sleeping without AC would have been sticky.

Would I go back?  Probably not.  Why?  Because the world is a big place and there is much we have yet to explore.  Would I recommend it to others?  Yes, but take into account the lack of sea life; that was my only negative. 

Overall, it is hard to beat the value of Anthony’s Key.  The all inclusive plan means that once you are in the resort, there is little to worry about (note that tips are not included).  I ran comparisons with several dive shops and resorts in Roatan, and I couldn’t beat the deal the offered; a “2nd Diver 1/2 off package.” 

For pictures from our trip, click here.

The ARK website also offers great pictures and descriptions. 

Stay tuned for video reviews coming over the next couple of weeks.  Also, I’ll let you know how we scored round trip tickets to Roatan from Indy for just over $300.

A group of friends and I will be in Roatan (Honduras) the next several days.  Most of our time there will be spent under water. This is my annual mancation where some of my pals and I unplug, catch up on life, and SCUBA dive.  While there we will be staying at Anthony’s Key Resort.  Internet will be limited but I will give a full report on my return.

For a play-by-play (until internet runs dry) follow me on twitter or facebook.

Nurse Shark and Sting Ray from longyear on Vimeo.