Text and photos by Mary L. Peachin
January, 2010 Vol. 14 No. 4
Royal Playa isn’t the same ol’, same ol’ Roatán diving. Located in remote Port Royal, on the island’s southern coast, there is no road accessibility. No access, few divers, one operator = pristine reefs. Swim throughs, overhangs, cracks, caves, sand chutes, all covered with exquisite soft coral. Part of Honduras’ Bonacca mountain chain, the reef spans Porto Cortes on the mainland to Cayo Cochinos, Utila, Roatán and from Guanaja it plunges into the ocean shelf.
I kinda lucked into Playa Royal. An avid angler, while Googling dive destinations, I found Mango Creek Lodge, a bone, tarpon, and permit flats fly fishing destination. When I inquired about the possibility of doing some diving, they neighborly referred me to Royal Playa, a minute east by boat
Welcoming me to Royal Playa, owner Corinne Cavanaugh said it’s “friends and family week.” Like other Roatán resorts, the Cavanaughs have been hard hit economically. There were two other guests who overlapped me by one day. When they left, Matt told them they weren’t in the dive business for money. “It’s a lifestyle.” Offering them a ten percent discount if they returned, they cheerfully replied, “We’ll be back.”
The two other guests and I took advantage of “togetherness” by making a trip to remote Pigeon Cay. For the panga’s hour and a half run, Tyron Bodden drove the boat, Terran Mattute would be our divemaster. Twenty two year old kids, they live in the village of Oakridge, a one-way eight mile jungle walk to work. Terran’s dive briefings were what could be defined as brief. “Wall to your left or right.” He was great at finding and pointing out critters.
Our first descent was Barbaret Wall. The coral and terrain were an underwater botanical garden. There was an abundance of sponge including elephant ear, azure, tube, large barrels, and others. While we saw an occasional school of snapper, blue runners, or grunt, the scenery was more like a lobster here, a moray eel, arrow and channel clinging crabs, and juvenile spotted drum there. Upside down jellyfish, lying on shallower bottoms had algae growing in their tentacles. A school of Caribbean squid welcomed us to the surface.
Arriving at remote Big Island in Pigeon Cayes, a sandy area a mere 250 feet long by 80 feet wide, we found a couple from a north side Roatán resort rafting in the gentle surf. While we were enjoying a picnic lunch, a float plane brought in a second couple. The cay might have been crowded, but we still had the reefs to ourselves.
The “T’s”, our boat captain and divemaster, assembled our gear, helped us don it, then we backrolled into the water. An hour later, más o meños, after a safety stop, we climbed the wide, sturdy ladder into the panga.
Moret Wall was stunning. I couldn’t cover enough of the hundred foot deep blue water visibility over the steep drop off. I forgot the 79 degree chill piercing my lycra skin. In spite of its beauty, the dearth of fish life was hard to swallow.
As we headed back to the resort, Terran poured each of us a glass of pulpy natural pineapple juice and a pack of cookies. Passing an ancient pirate’s fort, we made it back to the dock before one of those typical afternoon rain showers.
Royal Playa operates a 26 foot Mako with 250 HP outboard Yamaha to their moored and drift dive sites, the majority located minutes from the dock. Side benches have tanks holders, a small aft dive deck, and a sturdy stern ladder. A Bimini cover shades divers.
Front Porch is less than a five minute boat ride from the Resort. The underwater approach to Royal Playa’s “house reef” has a drop off that is nothing less than spectacular. Finning a short way into sapphire blue water, the walls, which plung to depths of 250 to 2000 feet, was covered with a variety of sponges and black and soft coral. Tied to one of the resort’s two moorings, we looped back to the boat admiring a school of surgeonfish and a sculptured slipper lobster.
Carlos and Charlie, a site named for some locals, produce schools of spade fish and chub. Harbored in a coral was a small octopus. While burning off nitrogen at George’s Place, a school of spinner dolphin surrounded the boat.
While the various dives at The Point, Carlos and Charlie, and Ft. Morgan cay had some similarities, the swim throughs, chimneys, sand chutes, caves, overhangs, and sightings varied. On most dives we saw large moray eels, adult and juvenile lobster, and large channel clinging crab. The swaying of soft coral in the always gentle current was beautiful. The odd file fish, trunk fish, and others only enhanced the diving.
Each of them had a dog. All mixed breeds, there was Bowyer, a mastiff, Kobe, a golden retriever, plus Keith’s dog, Casey. When I mentioned that I had forgotten an alarm clock, Matt sheepishly said, “You won’t need one here.” When the staff arrives at 7AM, the four dogs went into defense mode, howling and barking, a cacophony which woke everyone.
Saturday afternoon was party time. The few neighbors who live along the shore of road less Port Royal came by boat to sip and nibble on guacamole, chicken wings, and California rolls.
Open since 2006, the 12-acre resort, which Matt built in thirteen months, is a continual work in process. It is surrounded by the Roatan Nature Reserve jungle. There are five thatched roof Honduran pine two-story spacious cabanas. Charming with four poster queen beds, there is an upstairs screened balcony plus a downstairs area with two hammocks. The mosquito netting over the very comfortable bed was not ornamental.
Instead of a dresser or closet, Corinne has artistically painted the floor beneath a large beveled mirror. There are two night stands, without lights, and a table with two chairs. There is one hook for hanging clothes. Electricity operates a ceiling fan and a small one on the bed headboard, and a single light near the bathroom partition. They are no curtains. It’s attractive, but very basic. Bedtime is soon after nightfall, a lull to sleep with the croaking of frogs, rooftop geckos, and other jungle-type noises.
Scattered among mango trees and a lawn, the cabanas have a distant view of the Sea. The main lodge is located at water’s edge. It is the family residence, a galley-type kitchen, with a dining table for breakfast and lunch. Mango creek flows through the property providing perennial sweet water.
Dinner is usually served at the end of the pier, a scenic spot covered by a circular thatched roofed area housing a table, couches and a bar. There is a swim ladder for those who wish to swim, snorkel or kayak.
The dive shop is located adjacent to the lodge. There are two rinse containers, a cold water shower, and a bathroom. Aluminum 80 tanks, always filled to more than 3000 psi, can also be filled with Nitrox, but Matt finds that it is seldom requested. When there are a number of divers as guests, the boat leaves promptly at 8:45. Three dives are offered daily. The scheduled is relaxed, but Matt appeared to be an accommodating type of guy who would arrange a fourth or night dive.
Uniquely, Royal Playa serves Honduran typico meals. The food is tasty home cooking. It may not be considered gourmet, but few would be disappointed. Regular menu items include fish head soup, called “fish tea” by locals, which is made with basil, coconut milk, and chayote squash. Empanada-like pastolitas are stuffed with chicken or beef. Wahoo, shrimp creole, crab, lobster and other fresh fish are served with red beans and rice. A local fisherman brings his boat to the dock daily to sell fresh catch for $2.00 a pound. Loreen Merren and Eloise Gael share cooking duties. Everyone seems to wear multiple hats.
Royal Playa is about relaxed, easy diving. The Cavanaughs welcome you like family as do their friends. It’s not the fast pace of a liveaboard or the crowds of a resort. It’s remote and laid back diving along pristine coral gardens and breath taking steep walls of south coast sites from the popular Mary’s Place, if you want to see other divers, to as far east as Barbaret Island.
If you go:
The resort meets guests at the airport. The drive to Oakridge, literally the end of the road is through low tropical forest along a potholed 18-mile, forty minute drive. After being dropped off at VJ’s Internet cafe, owner Matt Cavanaugh arrives by boat for the ten minute ride to Royal Playa’s dock. Delta Airlines flies from Atlanta on weekends, Continental has several flights Thursday through Sunday. Departure tax is a pricey $35.00.
Royal Playa rates include boat transportation to and from Oakridge, accommodations, all meals, three dives a day, and resort activities. Ground transfer and return from Roatan airport is $50.00.
All inclusive dive packages with equipment all $150 per week? 8 days including diving $900 per week between Dec. and Apr. Low season is $850.00 $25. A day for gear. $150 for day rate including breakfast, lunch and dinner and overnight.