After a couple of nights in bustling West Bay, I was craving solitude. I stumbled upon Puerta Azul and was lucky to get one night at this boutique bed and breakfast. As soon as I arrived, I knew one night was never going to be enough. Since I only had one night, Talia, the owner who is from Boulder, Colorado, allowed me to check in early so I would have 24 hours to experience her slice of heaven on Roatan.

I stayed in Bungalow #5. I love the simplicity of dark wood and white linens in the room with accents of blue and green hues only in the artwork and tangerine flowers by the colorful water tray. The bathroom is spacious and the shower is oversized.

You also get your own private hammock on a porch with green vines wrapping around the columns. My bungalow had a partial view of the sea. A short sandy pathway leads from the lush rainforest to a picturesque small sandy beach in Sandy Bay.

After I checked in, I went on an adventurous walk to Lawson Rock Deli, which Tali recommended. I say adventurous because it involves scampering over some rocky stretches. I accidentally took a stone staircase up to a private home. The owner came outside seeing my perplexed look on my face when I got to the time. She graciously led me to the front of the home, chatted for a bit and learned of their Colorado connection, and she pointed me in the right direction to the condo complex where the deli is located. After a wonderful Greek salad and Barena, also called the “ladies beer,” I ventured back traversing the sandy shoreline, rocky spots and tidal pools. In one spot I saw a blue crab. While stalking it, I didn’t realize it was hunting its lunch until I capture a Nat Geo moment as I was filming it. Check out my TikTok in for that moment.

Thankful to return to the peaceful sanctuary of Puerta Azul, I went through the blue door it’s named after. The door is the entrance to the dock that extends over 400 feet. I was going to go snorkeling right off the dock, but instead I relished in the solo time as I swayed in one of the hammocks at the end in the late afternoon sun.

Thoroughly in vacay mode, I retreated to my bungalow to freshen up before dinner. I went back out on the dock to catch a beautiful sunset then grabbed a glass of wine and sat in one of the beach chairs watching day turn into evening. I had put in my order for dinner with Ms. Rosa earlier in the day. I debated between the catch of the day or Caribbean shrimp. Ms. Rosa suggested shrimp. As I sat on the deck sipping a wine, Talia brought over the most wonderful looking dinner of coconut shrimp, coconut rice and roasted vegetables. It was a perfect ending to the evening.

The next morning I took off on a walk to the left of Puerta Azul to explore what’s that way. It took me to the small community of Sandy Bay. I enjoyed exploring the neighborhood and walking along the beach. Back at Puerta Azul I enjoyed a wonderful breakfast quesadilla of eggs, beans, and avocado Ms. Rosa had fixed. I took a post-breakfast snorkel straight from the end of the dock and enjoyed a few minutes of swaying in one of the hammocks before I headed back to my bungalow to pack up and check out.

Not wanting to leave Puerta Azul just yet, I headed back to one of the beach chairs in the shade to work for a couple of hours and enjoyed a little more time of serenity to the blue door’s paradise in Roatan.

Author Jennifer Broome has traveled extensively in Central America. For more on what to do in Roatan check out post How to Spend a Week in Roatan, Honduras.