• Location in the Caribbean with relatively short flights from Phoenix & Atlanta.
• Good diving in late October, early November.
• Beginner location with at least 3 dives per day.
• Shore diving as an option.
• Scuba school with opportunity for continuing education.
• Half or full board.
• Nice pool, lounge area
• Comfortable, minimalist dive resort at a good price
• Optional shopping / community nearby

Anthony’s Key ticks all the boxes and more. It was a great choice for us and why we wouldn’t hesitate to return to Anthony’s Key again. They have more than ten spacious dive boats that go out every day and introduce you to some of the best diving Roatan has to offer.

Where To Stay

As of my visit in November 2021, there are 56 different bungalows – 46 just across the Lagoon on Anthony’s Key and 10 on the hillside. They come is various configurations. Although our reservation was for a hillside bungalow, they upgraded us to #23, which provides two queens beds, a bathroom, shower, and changing area. The room also had a small desk and chair and a small refrigerator for keeping drinks cold. The A/C worked great and came with a remote control. There was no TV in the room; however, there were TVs at both the AKR Pool Bar and Frangipani Bar – which were perfect for enjoying some live sports, while sipping a Pina Colada or top-shelf rum. Most bungalows include either a shared, semi-private, or fully private extended outdoor porch with a sitting area.

There are lots of configurations on offer, so the earlier you book, the better your options.

Before leaving we check out some of the ultra-deluxe bungalows facing the ocean, and they were very nice. Bungalow #35 contains a king bed, double bed, and the staff can equip the oversized bedroom with bunk beds if you needed additional sleeping accommodation for kids. This would be an ideal option if we brought my two nieces back for Dolphin Scuba Summer Camp.

Bungalow #33 has steps from the viewing deck directly down to the water, and since it’s right next to the shore diving shed (C), this is the perfect bungalow if you want to take advantage of lots of shore diving.

You’ll be glad to know that housekeeping does an excellent job keeping the rooms clean. Each time we came back to our rooms, the staff had been swept the floors, made the beds, and laid out fresh towels.

When You Arrive

Most divers arrive on Saturday and stay for seven days. If you choose to arrive on another day, be aware that night dives are only on Tuesday and Thursday, and typically the shark dive is only done once a week on Thursday morning. Sign up immediately. It will be the highlight of your week. I promise. You will experience the thrill of two dozen sharks safely circling in front of you. Here is a short video of what you can expect.

You are be assigned a single boat and a dive locker for the week. The locker is an adequate size for storing your gear, allowing it to dry overnight safely. Before you set off for your first dive, the dive shop has a brief orientation.

There is a chalkboard for each boat together with the locker numbers of each diver. If you decide to skip a dive, you simply erase your number from the board, so they know not to expect you. It’s a nice, efficient system. There is another board for the scuba school. If you’d like to complete some continuing education like Perfect Buoyancy, you can add your name to the board.

In the picture below, you can see there are four dives listed. The boat Haydee is leaving at 8:30am, 10:30am and again at 2:30pm. There was a 4th night dive scheduled on Thursday night at 5:30pm, but it was cancelled. You can see that for the 8:30am dive, locker 20A and 20B decided to skip the dive as their numbers do not appear on the list under (1).

Attentive Staff and Plentiful Food

You can’t say enough about the professional staff works at Anthony’s Key. They are 100% focused on you having a good experience. Whether you are a diver on the lookout for a specific underwater critter or a non-diver who wants to enjoy a relaxing spa treatment, everyone is focused on your needs.

After our first day of diving, my nephew decided he’d like french fries for lunch. Every day for the rest of the trip, the kitchen crew was kind enough to meet our special request. One day we got back late from the Dolphin Encounter, and when we asked for a cheeseburger and fries, they were more than happy to accommodate us. We gladly tipped accordingly.

At AKR, the meals are handled differently. Breakfast is full ala carte. Just about anything you can imagine is on the menu for breakfast. I recommend the omelets and french toast. For lunch and dinner there were always two protein options, meat and fish and if you have any dietary requirements, they are equipped to handle that as well. Whatever happens, you won’t go hungry.

Visit West End

It’s only $10 per person for a roundtrip fare into West End. West End is not to be confused with West Bay, where the beautiful sandy beaches are. West End is a small shopping district close to AKR. If you speak with reception, they can negotiate a taxi for you. Italo was our taxi driver, and he took us into town and brought us back. There are a several cute shops where you can pick up some souvenirs from your stay.

If you visit West End, I would recommend heading north and enjoying a local IPA at Sundowners. Don’t miss an opportunity to take the steps up to the second floor and enjoy the view. Next, pick up a cheap bite at Yahongreh, a neighborhood favorite. Double back south and go in and out of the local souvenir shops like the Toucan Gift Shop. Don’t miss the Roatan Marine Park store for some unique gifts and an opportunity to help support this vital charity. The Rusty Fish has some eclectic recycled island art.

Finally, if after all that shopping you find yourself wanting something to eat, you should check out Creole’s Rotisserie Chicken. Enter at your own risk. I’ve never seen so many animals in a restaurant before. Can you see all four in this picture below?

Yes, we ate here and yes, we survived. 😂

Dolphin Encounter

The Dolphin Encounter takes place on Bailey’s key. You will need to check in at the AKR gift shop before you head over as a group.  You will start your adventure at a beachfront cabana, where you’ll receive a brief orientation. Afterward, the trainer will meet you at the beach and introduce you personally to the resident Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. We waded into the water waist deep and had an opportunity to touch them and rub them as they swam slowly past. The trainer explained how they fly in mullet and mackerel from Canada. It’s a favorite of these dolphins, who are well cared for. They are also regularly released to swim in the ocean – especially during large storms, and they always return.

I have seen dolphins in the wild and in captivity, but I’ve never experienced a dolphin up close and personal. However, I admit that I came away from the experience changed. I’ve always loved these amazing mammals, but you can see they are intelligent when you look in their eyes. At the end of the encounter, a professional photographer took nice pictures of you holding or getting kissed by the dolphin. You were only allowed to use your camera for photographs after these staged pictures were taken. The photos they took were fantastic, although a little pricey.

COVID Protocols

Getting through the COVID protocols and immigration was very straightforward. Prior to arriving, follow the constantly evolving entry instructions on the AKR website. If you require a COVID test to return to your country, the onsite medical facility can process your COVID test in a few hours. Easy.

Choosing When to Visit

Be aware of when to visit Roatan. We visited in early November and we had rain every day. We were told that October through January are part of the rainy season and unpredictable. Typically, the diving is best between March and September, so keep that in mind when you are scheduling your dive trip. Regardless, the weather in Roatan is usually fantastic and varies by less than 10 degrees. For more details, check out this page on the Roatan Collection website.

Other Things To Know

Although we had a great trip, here are some things to be aware of:

• You have to walk up 50 steps 3x/day from the marina area up to reception, dining room, and Frangipani bar.
• The lunch and dinner options are not made available at the beginning of the day, so you can’t easily decide whether to opt for dinner in town ahead of time.
• Occasionally, you have to wait a few minutes for the water taxi to go from your accommodation and the dining area and back.
• The no-see-ums, aka biting midges, mean you may need to protect yourself, depending on the time of year.
• For unlimited shore diving, you have to carry your gear from the locker area, across in the water taxi, to the north end of the island. (I learned later that you could request one of the staff to do it for you and tip appropriately.)
• The Scuba School is PADI affiliated, so you will receive PADI credit for any courses completed.

The Verdict

I highly recommend Anthony’s Key. The divemasters are very experienced and great at pointing out lots of interesting critters while you enjoy the reef. On our first day out my nephew was disappointed to lose the weight pocket of his 18-year-old TUSA BCD. Although the dive shop found a suitable replacement, it wasn’t an exact match. Four days later, DM Marvin, who was diving with another boat, gave us a shout. They had just finished their dive and in his hand was our missing weight pocket!

My nephew and I always felt safe, and well looked after at AKR. The food was good, the diving was excellent and the staff was very attentive and happy to accommodate special requests. Even when bad weather hits, the crew did a great job communicating the plans for the day with us. They can almost always find a calm spot to enjoy – and if there are no calm spots, they’ll do everything they can to get you safely in the water.

If you are looking for a resort that offers something for everyone, this is a terrific option and don’t forget to tip generously.

D&W

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