Bonaire Diving
I have traveled to Bonaire twice. Once I stayed in a private villa and did one day of boat diving and 6 days of shore diving. We used a dive operator that has several locations around the island for exchanging tanks. We had a rental pickup truck and drove from one dive site to the next. The dive sites in Bonaire are marked by yellow rocks next to the roadside. It was easy to make 4 dives a day and a night dive.
The second time, I stayed at a dive resort and did mostly boat diving, with a couple of shore dives . These dives were at Bonaire and Klein Bonaire. Three dives a day and a couple of night dives in front of the resort. Bonaire is famous for large baitballs and we also saw frogfish, seahorses, and all the usual critters.
Many dive operators and dive resorts are available to choose from. There are also plenty of hotels, condos, and private villas for rent. Kralendijk is the main town and capital. This is where you’ll find the majority of shops and restaurants, including our favorite, a Mediterranean one serving delicious food. The town can be very crowded if a cruise ship is in port.
On non-diving days, a visit to Washington Slagbaai National Park is an interesting diversion if you have a sturdy vehicle. The windward side of the island also draws windsurfers from all over. The population is mostly locals and Dutch expats. Everyone was super friendly and the island seemed to be really safe. Be sure to pick up some salt produced here. It’s very good and does taste different than ordinary salt. We will be glad to return at any time.
