Welcome to Clearwater Paradise Resort

 
 
 
  Excellent  
    
 Based on 150 reviews 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Nick s 
 
2023-09-06
 
 
  
A fun and relaxing week
The island of Guanaja is a very interesting place and the diving is phenomenal! And we barely saw another dive boat the whole time. We found the resort to be very comfortable. The food was very good and the staff was friendly and helpful. Since my wife and I were traveling with two older kids, we really liked the 3rd floor game room that had a pool table, foosball table, dart board and other games. Since not all of our family are divers, they took us to some great snorkeling spots. The island is very mountainous, and on another day the kids went to a waterfall after going fishing where they caught some tuna and a mackerel. Definitely recomend this place and we will be coming back,
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Luisa Fernanda D 
 
2023-03-11
 
 
  
Vistas y servicio de buceo increíble
La pasamos muy bien en Clearwater , el servicio de buceo del hotel es increíble . La vista es hermosa y la mariscada tejana es increíble . Gracias por el excelente servicio de george , el dueño del hotel .
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Cubric 
 
2023-03-03
 
 
  
Third Visit & Will Return Again
Fourteen divers from all corners of the U.S. descended upon Clearwater Paradise Resort for a 10-day group trip in February 2023. This was my third trip to Clearwater, and will not be my last. On a secluded portion of the sparsely populated main island we were situated. Guanaja is just a smidge larger than its better-known Bay Islands sibling, Utila. Roatan is half-again larger. The is no way off the property except by boat, so if you are not a diver, other activities are very limited. Some group members enjoyed a tuk-tuk tour out of Mangrove Bight. Low Cay is the main population center and was a destination point on a previous trip. I would recommend experiencing it just once. Our group saw boats from two other dive operators on “our side” of the island – the northern tip in the Mangrove Bight area. We never dived within proximity of other divers during our trip. Not a single plane flew overhead. To call this location remote might be an understatement. And, to beat all odds, we experienced our first earthquake underwater – a 5.5 magnitude temblor centered 22 miles north-northwest of us. Those shock waves were intense! A group of 14 divers can be difficult to manage, but Clearwater did well with two boats and crew that numbered 6-7 on each trip. Two to four guides were in the water on all dives. The were some newer members of the team, but our group of experienced divers handled the few hiccups along the way well. The resort itself is well appointed. Eight ensuite rooms and a two-bedroom apartment over the dive shop handled our group’s size without complaints. All rooms are air conditioned with an assortment of comfortable queen and twin beds. The view never gets old. The landscaping is lush and well maintained. Freshly cut coconuts are a treat after a day of diving. Meals are served on a long communal table. Nearby is a full bar. With such a large group, service was sometimes slow, but food was plentiful, and no one went hungry. Everything is prepared on the property. If you have special dietary needs or preferences, notify the staff early on, for certain provisions can be difficult to access on short notice. Highlights included a crab and lobster bake, and homemade pies. The third floor has a nice game room with billiards, darts, and foosball. Wifi is not bad; it was good enough for us to stream the Super Bowl without a problem. Air temps were comfortable and a jacket was rarely necessary. February avoids the excess heat and humidity, but no-see-ums (like on all the Bay Islands) can be a problem for some visitors anytime of the year. And then there is the diving. Water temperature was 79-80°F in February. Topography is what sets Guanaja apart from Roatan and Utila. This is clearly the swim-through capital of the Bay Islands. Titos remains the most mesmerizing maze of caverns, caves, overhangs, and swim-throughs this veteran group has ever experienced. You will run out of air before you run out of places to see in the labyrinth of Titos. Pavilion is another interesting underwater adventure with a similar setting. Lots of nurse sharks, and they are all quite interested in any lionfish hunters in the group. For the budget conscious diver looking to escape from overbooked dive destinations with large “cattle boats,” Clearwater Paradise Resort may be the best option in the Bay Islands. It’s like visiting a friend’s house who just so happens to run a dive resort. Getting to Guanaja is worth the hassle, which can include arriving in Roatan and jumping over to La Ceiba aboard Lanhsa Airlines, then a quick flight to Guanaja, then a 30-minute boat ride to the resort. Luckily, our group was large enough to charter a plane from Roatan to Guanaja and back again.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 MichaelB1151984 
 
2022-11-13
 
 
  
Clean, quite and comfortable dive operation for a couple of older/slower divers.
Spent 8 days at the lodge, relaxing and diving with my wife. The lodge is very comfortable and clean, food was cooked from scratch daily and was outstanding and plentiful, George took care to stay within our dietary restrictions, except the homemade ice cream and all the fresh deserts which were impossible to resist. The panga boat was down for repairs so we took our daily dives on the big boat which is super comfortable. our dive guide and captain were outstanding. We are an older couple that prefer to move slowly thru underwater our 70-80 minute dives through the beautiful reefs and canyon walls were amazing. George joined us for a couple dives thru the labyrinth, definitely one of the greatest dives we've ever experienced. We are already planning our return next year. The lodge is located away from other dive operations and we didn't see any other divers or boats. There were a few issues setting up transportation from Roatan as the ferry schedule changed on us and then the airline to the island also cancelled on us, George took care of everything. If you travel to Guanaja you are traveling to a remote unspoiled place, so don't expect to much for entertainment and shopping opportunities. My recommendations: Bring lots of bug spray the sand fleas will eat you if you forget to apply it. Bring clean newer cash for tips or get local currency before you arrive. water temps were a constant 85 degrees a rash guard was plenty warm. Wall dives were 40-70 feet deep and top of reef was 15-25 feet deep.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 TGruntfuttock 
 
2022-04-04
 
 
  
Truly a paradise
This place truly is a little piece of paradise. George is a great host and the staff were wonderful. Chino is an excellent dive master; think swimming through underwater grottos accompanied by nurse sharks. Food was tasty and very plentiful. Fish tacos made from freshly caught lion fish and fresh plantains, bananas, bread fruit, mangoes, avocados, etc. from the garden. Can’t wait to visit again.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Scott Gareiss 
 
2022-03-22
 
 
  
Amazing honeymoon dive trip @ Clearwater Paradise Resort in Guanaja
Our visit to Clearwater Paradise was an amazing honeymoon over both my wife’s birthday and Valentine’s Day. We stayed for 7 days on a Saturday to Saturday trip. Travel: We traveled from the midwest through Houston to Roatan on United and then flew a prop plan to La Cieba and on to Guanaja on CM Airlines operated by TropicAir (who we’ve flown before from Belize City to San Pedro). George, the owner, arranged the CM Airlines tickets for us as part of the booking which was very helpful. The flight from Roatan was a bit delayed on island time as they say, but did not cause any problems. George and one of his staff greeted us at the airport and loaded our luggage on their boat and poured welcome wine and beer for the short boat ride from the airport to the resort. Accommodations: There was another couple arriving with us and we both got upgraded to suites which was pleasant surprise. The rooms were very clean and spacious with a living room with couch and chair, bedroom and bathroom with walk in shower. Guanaja isn’t a public water and power that you can take for granted kind of place, but George keeps things comfortable with a solid water system and a generator for electricity. The generator came in handy several times during the week. We had hot showers and electricity throughout. There is a pool on the lower deck and a game room upstairs with pool and darts and such. We never did play any games, choosing instead to sit on the main patio enjoying conversation with George every evening. Only hiccup for the accommodations was that the air conditioning in our room wasn’t working. The weather was perfect for open windows and breezes blowing through the screens, so we were quite content. George, to his credit, tried to find the parts needed every day while we were diving and offered also a regular room with air conditioning. We opted to stay in the suite for the extra space and enjoyed the fresh air. Diving: We only saw one other dive boat and dive group the entire week!? Talk about feeling like you have the ocean all to yourselves!We’ve been to the Florida keys, Cozumel and Belize several times each. This was our first time to Guanaja. We’ll be back! There was some weather the first part of the week, so we lost Day 2 and 3 to weather. Once we got back in water, we made up half of our missed dives with a 5 dive day, a 4 dive day, and 3 dives on our last day for a total of 15 dives for the week thanks to short boat rides and dedicated staff (resort package is based on 3 dives per day). There are dive sites all around the island but we stayed on the north side where the wind and water was calm. George has a large boat for south side trips, but we only needed the small boat for the small group and short trips on our side of the island. Easy back rolls off the side of the boat and slipped out of our gear and handed it up to the captain for an easy climb up the ladder. Favorite dive sites were the Pinnacle (very cool Christmas tree shaped structure 135 ft deep at the sandy bottom rising to 55 ft deep at the small flat top - we did a 4-lap spiral from the bottom to the top) and Black Rock Canyon (several individual sites here, all with amazing vertical channels over 40 ft deep with numerous swim throughs and tunnels - by far the most fun swim throughs of all our trips). My wife saw an octopus on our night dive and we both saw a friendly octopus in broad daylight on one of our Black Rock dives. The reefs were very healthy and colorful with numerous reef fish and lots of critters. Dining & Extras: George is the chef! We asked for lots of fresh fish and seafood and he lived up to the challenge with excellent meals. Given all the special occasions for our trip, George and his staff went above and beyond by decorating our room for Valentine’s day, serving. private upper balcony candlelit steak dinner for our anniversary, and happy birthday decorations along with a crab boil and a birthday cake to really make my wife feel special and spoiled. If you want a host that will go to great lengths to celebrate special occasions, then George and his staff will exceed your expectations. Recognition: Dive crew Chico and Jefron were great dive guides, pointing out critters and letting us dive long dives instead of coming at the hour mark for schedules sake. Dive shop team Selvin and Sarco kept us ready to go with our gear and tanks and quick turns on our surface intervals that let us make up missed dives. The ladies, Ledia and Yahida, were the heartbeat of our time in the resort with clean and decorated room, beautiful table settings with fresh cut flowers, and of course amazing food (George might be the chef, but the ladies turned the food into a dining experience!). George is a great host and has a generous and hard working team that took great care to make our trip memorable. Notes for next time: pack legit bug spray for the airport arrival and departure as they don’t spray for sand flies. You will get bit if you don’t spray and the essential oils don’t get the job done. I hate DEET but I hate bug bites more. Plan for time to get a COVID test before your flight from Roatan back stateside if that’s still a thing. We got the United Airlines approved home test with e-Lab service and successfully took those the day before we left only to find out that the government in Roatan is part of the COVID economy and requires a local test lab administered test regardless of what United says. We had plenty of time to deal with this little wrinkle and made our flight without issue, so all worked out. Overall: Loved the trip and will return!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Bridget Placek 
 
2021-12-21
 
 
  
Life-changing experience
I visited George and Ginger 5 years ago, and I've thought about my trip almost every day since. I was 14 and very enthralled by the ocean. I had a passion for diving that George fueled-- he taught me things that I didn't even know I didn't know, planned dives with lots of dive-throughs (he knew those were my favorites) and wholeheartedly encouraged my ocean obsession. The opportunity to go on up to 2 dives per day was one that I never dreamed I'd have. As the most avid diver in my family, I was able to dive more than I would be anywhere else, thanks to George. Ginger provided wonderful home-cooked meals that I wouldn't have dared try elsewhere, and my palate has been permanently expanded. the boat was gorgeous-- I got to see the ocean from up higher than I pictured. Perhaps my favorite part was the opportunity to form lifelong friends. My trip overlapped with another couple's and, 5 years later, we still frequently write each other. We all played Jenga late into the night, laughing harder than ever, lounged in the pool, and conversed during days spent on the boat. I formed a lasting relationship that wouldn't have been formed anywhere else. George and Ginger's changed my life so dramtically that here I am, 5 years later, writing a review. I want nothing more than to go back and perhaps someday I will.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Molly 
 
2021-10-19
 
 
  
Want to be spoiled? This is the place for you!! ❤️
Talk about spoiled!! If you like to be spoiled, this place is for you! The hosts, George and Ginger, were so friendly and welcoming. George picked us up at the airport in a boat as there are very few roads on Granaja. Leaving the airport and going to Clearwater Paradise was an adventure in itself! We were welcomed by a wonderful group of local guys who work for George. George and Ginger proceeded to feed us gourmet meals from morning until evening. But… Let’s talk about the diving!! I believe this is a rare experience in this day and age, but we had the entire south shore of Granaja to ourselves! My friend and I would go out in the morning with our guide and the boat captain (Yes!! Just4 of us on the boat!!), and we would be the only ones out there diving!! One day, we saw another boat with divers and we felt so “crowded”, ha ha!! Talk about spoiled!! The day that George took us out himself ( mind you he has thousands of dives to his credit), He took us on an 84 minute dive through the coral canyons, valleys, caverns, swim throughs and just about anything you would want to see or swim through! It was unforgettable!! Thank you to George, Ginger and the guys for an unforgettable experience. I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone!!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Joe Daneau 
 
2021-03-04
 
 
  
Our group of divers from Hawaii had a great time. Clearwater Resort Rocks.
This is a small isolated dive resort which is perfect for these difficult times. It was like having the Caribbean sea all to ourselves. The accommodation where clean and comfortable and staff was great. George and Ginger made sure we had lots to eat and drink. George just bust a... all day taking care of us. Coming from Hawaii I can honestly say the diving and dive staff are awesome. Look forward to returning next year. Thank You Clearwater Resort !
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Karen 
 
2020-09-25
 
 
  
Dive club trip from Roatan
A group of us from Roatan headed over to Guanaja for three days of diving and relaxing. What a great time we had at Clearwater Paradise Resort. George and Ginger were gracious and accommodating hosts. We were well fed and had lots of ice cold beer (after diving). Wuiti, the dive master, was knowledgeable and took us to the perfect sites. All of the staff was friendly and very helpful. We will be back and hopefully for a longer visit.