Bonaire Park Dives?

[tdchandl]

I agree best choices are the buddy safari for the north as the drive can be grueling. Nucove is a nice compromise as not to bad a drive with a few good site alternatives to choose. Fill the truck with tanks take snacks and liquids and enjoy.

 

[AndyG_DM]

As a regular to Bonaire for over 10 years I'd agree with the previous comments, but would add that if the park is where you want to be, treat it as a day trip, pack food , plenty of water, as many tanks as you can , leave early and make a whole day of it,(don't forget the tyre inflator!!) Failing that try Candyland and Taylormade up behind the Bopec site. Nothing to look at above the water (other than flamingos) but nice sites once you drop down, but they do get a fair bit of current.
Wheels down for me in Bonaire in 32 days and counting......wooooooo!

 

[tajkd]

I hate to be the dissenting voice but I found the park dives more filled with life compared to the other side. My buddy and I did 3 dives including the dreaded Biso Morte, which features a wall to scale down and a small cove that you need to hit on the way back in. That was a fun challenge. We found a bit more life on the sites in general and we'd definitely do more dives there. The park is all about planning; lunch, drinks, many, many tanks. I would have done 5 dives there if we had planned better.

 

[Kharon]

I thought Tolo was worth the trip. The road is "one way" but Tolo is only a very short distance in and the road is wider than the walled portions that are two way. Most everone just drives back from Tolo the way they came.

 

[tursiops]

I thought Tolo was worth the trip. The road is "one way" but Tolo is only a very short distance in and the road is wider than the walled portions that are two way. Most everone just drives back from Tolo the way they came.

Tolo isn't even close to the park.
Driving the wrong way on a one-way road is not a good thing to do, and even worse to recommend it.

 

[mala]

i found the park dives very rewarding and nice to have the whole dive sites with no others.
Probably the best diving in the island .
Its an adventure that would be lost if you did it on a boat.

 

[boat sju]

Most everone just drives back from Tolo the way they came.

In four visits to Bonaire, and we like to dive the northern sites a lot, I can only remember seeing one moron try this. Was it you?

 

[tdchandl]

One thing to keep in mind with buddy's 3 tank safari that if the resort is hosting large groups and your not a member of the traveling group this option may not be available to you. Happened on on our trip last year. The "groups" had all the safaris prebooked and locked out to others. Plan b nucove taylormaid etc much easier to access then doing the north end of the park in a truck.


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[Doctorfish]

Not saying I do not like the park dives, because I do. There are more fish, healthier soft corals and fewer divers. It is a trek, however. Tajkd provided good advice. It is an all day adventure once you add in the drive through the park roads, the dives and surface intervals.
Having experienced this adventure once, in a truck with lousy springs and no AC, I now dive the north by boat if feasible.

The park itself is unique and should be experienced. If you go, take a few minutes to look in the museum at the entrance. Some interesting stuff there. Your Stinapa receipt is your entry pass to the park, so hang on to it.

 

[rydog]

As others have said, its a trek to do the park. That said, we are going back in a little over a month for our 3rd trip and we will be doing the park again. I've found that its not just another wall dive in some of the spots but a maze of boulders (i'm talking about you Boka Bartol) and plenty of life. MAKE SURE TO BRING ID! They will not let you get in without it. Well, unless you are cute which worked for my wife... Bring tanks for 3 dives to make the trip worth it and stop at Boka Slagbaai which has a bar and restrooms. Not a bad dive to end the day.