Advice for Belmar

[tendi]

Staying at the Belmar in a couple weeks. Anyone been there recently? Anything you wish you would have taken that you left at home?

Restaurants you recommend?

We have 6 boat dives...is it better to drive up to Buddy to get on the boat or do they take you to the same sites if they pick up at the Belmar. I want to make sure we are boat diving sites that are easy shore dives. Any info is appreciated!

 

[Jersey]

Yes, late Feb to Mar 11 but we stayed at Buddy. We brought everything we needed and then some. But wish I had checked my gear better - my Oceanic Pro-Plus II was leaking at the swivel which wasn't good. I know some folks on the boat were staying at Belmar (as well as Caribbean Club). Not sure if they pick up at Belmar or if you have to get up to Buddy. All our boat dives were to Klein. Typically boats go to sites that are not easily accessed from land - Klein, northern sites (Rappel, Bon Bini Nas Cas, Country Gardens, Jeff Davis) and Small Wall. Once a week they go to the Hilma Hooker. Someone asked about doing Something Special and they were told no as it's so easy to shore dive.

Restaurants this trip:

• Rum Runners at Capt Don's - good and right next door.
• Blue Garden - Brazilian, nice, thought it a bit pricey for the fare.
• Cuba Compagnie - love to sit watching the sun go down and sip mojitos. Seafood thermidor and salty bread, yum.
• It Rains Fishes - waterfront white linen service and food. Good, reasonable wine list.
• Capriccio - Italian, one of my top 3 on island. Carpaccio, homemade pasta, great wine list.
• La Cantina del Mar - gem. Next to the brewery, tucked back into a courtyard. Offers a traditional menu plus 4 or 6 course Chef tasting table that was unusual and delicious. Locally sourced ingredients, a course made from their Bonaire Blond beer, fish, goat cream cheese, seaweed...I'm a foodie and have seen Chef table in metro city run $150 - $300 (or more). The 6 course meal was $62, maybe high for Bonaire, but oh so good. (Previously owned At Sea also on my top 3 list)

Dinners usually ran $130-$150 for 2 apps, 2 entrees, drinks/bottle of wine and tip. And normally leftovers which became lunch the next day.

Other restaurants we love but didn't visit this trip - Mona Lisa, Mi Banana, Rose Inn, At Sea, Wils Tropical Grill, Sebastians. You can also find KFC, Subway and Watta Burger for lunches or quick dinner. MAKE RESERVATIONS. We saw so many people were turned away, counted 40 people during our dinner at Cuba Compagnie.

After dinner ice cream - Gio's and Lovers are my go to, but there is a new gelateria in the Illy Coffee shop and a creperie. Didn't get around to try them. In Rincon post-dive, we found the recently re-opened Prisca's ice cream, now run by niece of Prisca. We believe it's made with goat milk, it's got such rich fat on the roof of your mouth feel. You are on your own finding it, sold out of the window of the house! I'm sure someone can point you there. They had 4 flavors the day we stopped, sold in 4 oz containers at $2.50/each, we got one of each.

 

[diver0008]

I want to make sure we are boat diving sites that are easy shore dives.

?

 

[diversteve]

I'm almost positive Buddy keeps a boat at Belmar now - one of the Belmar photos shows it moored out off the dock. Obviously the Klein Bonaire sites are the ones to ask about, Rappel is a good dive also that you can't get to from shore. We also dove Jeff Davis from the boat - I don't remember it.
Our boat (Toucan Dive) left from the Plaza and all the boat dives we did were north of town. No dives south of Belmar are boat only so ask Buddy to go north. Bonaire Dive & Snorkel Sites | InfoBonaire Forest off Klein Bonaire should be on your top 10 list.

B4 it was a Buddy's shop your condo key got you into the public spaces of the shop 24/7 for tanks, Nitrox analyzer etc - probably still does. Upstairs units also have lockers in that area - ground floor units have individual dive lockers behind the back door - those are all 2BR IIRC - we stayed in a Classic Superior.

It's not obvious but there's no food around Belmar - all the places suggested above - I agree with several - are in town or north of town. I think the only restaurant in Belnem is at Hotel Roomer which was OK for breakfast our first morning. The nearest food is now probably the restaurant at the new Courtyard by Marriott which is off the lagoon by the airport or a few minutes farther to the south end of town.

+1 for It Rains Fishes. Nice meal, nice harbor view even though it's across the road from the water. Add Donna & Giorgio's to the list.

 

[tendi]

?

Oops....I want to make sure we are boat diving sites that AREN'T easy shore dives. Duh!

 

[Jersey]

I'm almost positive Buddy keeps a boat at Belmar now - one of the Belmar photos shows it moored out off the dock. Obviously the Klein Bonaire sites are the ones to ask about, Rappel is a good dive also that you can't get to from shore. Forest off Klein Bonaire should be on your top 10 list.

It's not obvious but there's no food around Belmar - all the places suggested above - I agree with several - are in town or north of town. I think the only restaurant in Belnem is at Hotel Roomer which was OK for breakfast our first morning. The nearest food is now probably the restaurant at the new Courtyard by Marriott which is off the lagoon by the airport or a few minutes farther to the south end of town.

+1 for It Rains Fishes. Nice meal, nice harbor view even though it's across the road from the water. Add Donna & Giorgio's to the list.

Yes! Forest, Bonaventure and Southwest Corner are some of the prettiest sites for my $$. Correct, you won't find food around Belmar, almost all restaurants are in or around Kralendjik. We still have never made it to Donna & Giorgios (or Osaka for sushi) friends rave about it. Another reason to go back. Also Mezze, the Middle Eastern restaurant across from At Sea, looked and smelled great. They were on holiday for most of our trip. Barrel Wne Bar is nice to sit and have a glass, they now serve food and have live music.

 

[uncfnp]

Its been about 5 years but our first trip we stayed at a condo adjacent to Belmar and used the small Buddy Dive shop there for our tanks. Very satisfied with the location and the house dive. I don't know if it is still there but there was a placed mannequin in the sand at the edge of the reef at about 110 feet. I'll see if I can find the photo.

As for food options south of town, our last vist there were often several food trucks parked in that area including Cactus Blue, a burger truck (I don't recall the name) and our personal favorite the Kite City food truck.

We also saw a menu board and diners at a place just past windsock but we did not try it and don't know the name. But it always seemed to be busy when we passed.

 

[tendi]

I hope the mannequin is still there! I heard they were hit by a hurricane.

 

[scuba127]

I'm pretty sure that Belmar does not "keep" a boat at the Belmar docks. They may pick divers up there. I stay at the Belmar most of my trips and rarely see a boat docked at the Belmar docks.