At 49 years old our four children had "left the nest" and wife Nancy and I decided that it was time in our life for a little adventure. We moved to the western Caribbean to an island called Roatan in 1999. We still have a "home base" in Ponte Vedra Beach Florida but use that to visit children and grand children when in the U.S. a couple of months each year. I am a real estate Broker on the island and operate one of the larger firms. I was co-founder of the Roatan Real Estate Association and the Multiple listing service, both the most advanced in Central America. We are members or NAR, (National Association of REALTORS. Life is good!

Roatan is the largest (spanning almost 50 square miles in just over 35 miles in length) and most developed of a chain of islands that make up the Islas de la Bahia (Bay Islands) about 40 miles northeast of mainland Honduras, Central America. Roatan is surrounded by a portion of the world's second largest barrier reef, The Great Western Barrier Reef. (Second only in size to the Great Barrier Reef of Australia).

Years a mecca for remote avid scuba divers, in 1991 the Honduran National Government passed a law allowing foreign ownership. When the word passed of this change in the law some of the divers and speculators purchased land here and the development started.

Traveling to Roatan is very easy. TACA, Continental, Spirit, Delta and American have flights via San Pedro Sula. Continental, Delta and TACA with direct flights from Miami, Atlanta or Houston.

West Jet has flights from Toronto on a charter basis seasonally. There is also a charter available through the Henry Morgan resort from Milan, Italy.

The friendly mostly English speaking population is a blend of British, Spanish, Payan Indian and African cultures. British and Spanish settlers invaded the Payan as their countries fought over possession of Roatan in the 16th Century. Over 5,000 pirates, including Henry Morgan, then occupied much of Roatan. Slaves dropped off by the British called Maroons, or Garifuna, form a part of a present day ethnic group on the island along with the pirate descendants, Spanish, English and ex-patriots from all over the globe.

The island is rich in history including being one of the last bastions for pirates of the Caribbean. Many books have been written about Roatan and it's rich history.

The currency used primarily on Roatan is the Honduran Lempira and the U.S. dollar is widely accepted at a reasonable exchange rate.

Electricity is 110 volts, so a converter is not needed for US appliances, but a voltage regulator and/or surge protector is suggested for delicate electronics, in that power fluctuates here versus being at a steady 110v.

Medical assistance is enhanced by 2 small hospitals and several smaller clinics. For more major medical problems, it is just a short 15 minute flight to La Ceiba and very top of the line medical care in San Pedro Sula, with many doctors both English speaking and educations from U.S. Universities, including Harvard and other major prominent medical schools.

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