Roatan Life - Retirement or New Lifestyle?
Escaping the “real world” to the beautiful island life on Roatan? Awesome! When moving to the island, it is important to recognize that full or part time island living is not the same as being in vacay mode on Roatan! When you are ready to move, you need to be able to answer these questions…
1. What type of island life is for me? Do I want to be secluded in the jungle or socialize daily? Island living on Roatan on the West side (Lawson Rock – West Bay) is often compared to a small town life, aka everyone knows everyone. Which knowing your neighbors is a great way to feel at home or grounded when living in a transit environment. On the East end, there are several expat groups but offer more jungle seclusion if that is what you are looking for.
2. Am I ready to be retired or do I want a new simple lifestyle? When moving to Roatan, it is important to have your finances in order. There are some jobs available in the diving and tourist industry, volunteer positions, but the salary or pay is nothing compared to N American standards. So be prepared to cutback and enjoy the simplicity of island living. There is no need to keep up with the Jones’ here! One option to keep working is to buy an income producing small business on the island or open up a new one! Ask me for some business ideas that are missing on Roatan.
3. What is there to do on Roatan? When moving to the island, it is crucial to have an idea of what the simple life means. The island offers a great deal of activities including diving, snorkeling, fishing, paddle boards, beach time, yoga, beach & jungle walks, and many opportunities to volunteer with local charity and church groups.
4. What can I do if I need or want to work on Roatan? It is truly best to keep your eyes and mind open to opportunities to make island living practical. I came to Roatan as a Realtor from Colorado, became a dive instructor that managed a few vacation rentals then interviewed to become a small hotel manager. These doors kept opening for me even without experience in my prior life but the skills mastered can be applied to any opportunity! As luck would have it, I circled back to selling Real Estate as finding homes, condos and businesses for people is truly fun on Roatan! I love sharing my enjoyment of island living.
5. Can I be flexible? Living on Roatan requires flexibility in all aspects of your life from food & drink choices, wifi, electricity and living standards. Island living comes with many pros including the great weather, cost of living, simplicity, but the cons are there are limitations in a 3rd world country. For example, your favorite wine or cheese may be difficult to find, wifi is NOT as fast but it works, power and water cuts happen from time to time, and lastly there will be geckos in your house! Ha, we love them here as they eat mosquitos and spiders!
