Considering a trip to Bonaire

[fins]

Hi All,

My wife and I are considering a trip to Bonaire this spring. We've been to Aruba and Curacao so why not make it a clean sweep of the ABC's

Here's our situation. My wife does not dive but she loves hanging out on the beach and she will do some snorkeling if the water is really calm. Curacao has worked out very well for us. We've been there four times, the first three times renting houses and the last time at Habitat Curacao. So what we're looking for is a place to stay with a nice beach for her to hang out on, easy enough entry for her to step in and cool off, some shade on the beach etc. that she can enjoy while I am out diving, whether that be a trip out on the boat or a shore dive right at the resort.

So with that in mind, what are you recommendations for places to stay (we would like to be on the water, or at least very close)?

For those of you that have been to Curacao, is there a beach on Bonaire that might be akin to Seaquarium Beach/Cas Abou/ or Porto Marie? (nice beach, easy entry, beach chairs, shade, food service, etc.) We just loved spending our afternoons at those beaches following my morning dives.

As for where to dive, as I am basically a single diver I'm really looking for places that it would relatively easy to find someone to buddy up with.

And as long as were at it, restaurant recommendations would also be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

 

[oly5050user]

I have a few people going with me to Bonaire May 4-11..interested..pm me..staying at Buddy Dive.
includes hotel-buffet breakfasts-rental vehicle per condo-unlimited shore dives-unlimited nitrox-6 boat dives-50% off hotel restaurant/bar(up to $75. discounted).Airport to hotel transfers-Buddys has 3 pools and activities for non divers that will keep them busy.There will be people to buddy up with for you to dive ..

 

[tedtim]

"Beach" is a relative term. Compared to many other places that I have visited, there really is no beach on Bonaire. A number of the resorts have small patches of sand, but to call them a beach would be a bit of a stretch.

If it is really the sand your wife craves, then Bonaire may not be the best option. If it is relaxing on the shoreline then there are many places to stay. We have recently stayed at Den Laman and the view from the deck was fabulous.

As for restaurants....try It Rains Fishes, Cactus Blue, Lions Den at Buddy Dive or even Pasa Bon Pizza (especially for the margarita pie).

 

[laurelgsc]

Eden Beach has a medium sized sand patch with a bar that does food breakfast, lunch and dinner. Wannadive has a dive shop right there. The water is easy access and Eden Beach has chairs for rent and a pool right there are well. There is a resort right there or you could stay elsewhere. Hope this helps.

 

[dave4868]

Take a look at Plaza Resort Bonaire. Plaza Resort Bonaire Luxury Accommodations and SCUBA Diving

Five years ago my wife and I enjoyed a two-week stay at the Plaza. She only snorkels and loved the beach and shallows there. I would do most of my diving early in the day and join her later.

The beach was fine for us. It was fairly coarse sand, but had some shade from palm trees. Easy gradual entry to shallow, calm water. A freshwater pool was nearby. The rooms were nice, the grounds beautifully landscaped.

Don't know how it compares to others, since it was our only Caribbean trip so far and it was five years ago.

Toucan Dive Op was excellent and had facilities right on site. Toucan Diving Bonaire Scuba Diving and Snorkeling

I'd stay at the Plaza if I went again.

Dave C

 

[drrich2]

Hi:

We stayed at Eden Beach resort 3/07 & liked it fine. The stove was gas so you had to light a pilot light, and the temp. guage on the over didn't have numbers, so you kind of had to 'wing it' when cooking. WannaDive is a well-regarding Dive Op. in Bonaire.

It's a small white-sand beach. Bonaire is a wonderful place but granted not a big 'beach destination.'

For good food, I've eaten at & recommend Richard's, Will's Grill & Papaya Moon.

I like the Lonely Planet book on Bonaire, & the small book 'Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy,' which is quite popular with forum members.

Richard.

P.S.: The main thing I learned in Bonaire was walk in in your boots, when put your fins on in about 4 feet of water. Come out the reverse of that. Don't put fins on onshore before walking in.

 

[Tennessee Slim]

I live on Curacao, have dived Aruba and Bonaire (natch) and agree with every syllable in tedtim’s post.

 

[Alex777]

Sounds like your wife would enjoy Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman. Hotels and restaurants galore. And lots of good quality dive ops.

 

[diversteve]

We're just back from Curacao and did a week in Bonaire a couple years ago so here's my input:

When you say Seaquarium Beach are you talking about the strip of beach in front of Lion's Dive? If so Eden Beach is very similar, beach bar, small sand area, some trees. Good place to chill out. It's on the Front Porch dive site.

Although Buddy's appears to have a beach, it's just a bunch of sand on top of ironshore. No real access to the water unless she walks over to the dive dock.

You can walk in at Sand Dollar condos, but I wouldn't call it a beach. And there's ironshore everywhere. They do teach discover scuba there so it is possible to get wet. It's the kind of place I'd wear boots to wade in since there's probably sharp coral rubble just offshore.

Bari Reef is right there. It's the #1 site in the Caribbean for counted fish species. I had a pretty good time snorkeling in 10' of water, there's a lot of hurricane debris from an old pier and the resort that was trashed there some years back. When I was there, a family of squid lived in the shallows. Bonaire Dive & Adventure is the on-site operator for both SD and Den Laman condos to the south. They have a naturalist on-site and you can do a REEF fishcount. Just a nice dive.

Just south of there is Harbour Village, it's more upscale and has some nice beach. But the diving there is marginal as there's a lot of coral rubble and the reef kind of turns out there slightly. Fine for boat diving but for shorediving most people would stay slightly farther north.

Divi Flamingo has a small strip of beach, some trees and the resort amenities are right there. Only casino on the island if she gets bored. And you can dive their reef or off their boats. Probably the only place close enough to walk to town from.

The suggestion for Plaza is a good one, they have enough beach to have volleyball, water toys, a beach bar - go to the Friday night bbq even if you don't stay there. It's a long walk between the divesite and their dive operation though as the shop is located on the south end of the resort off the lagoon - by the boats and the divesite (18Palms) is near the north end. I've heard they started staging tanks there recently.

Pink Beach is a dive site on a beach. Never dove there so I'm not sure of the conditions once in the water. But it is listed as a divesite and snorkel site. No facilities there either. It's one of the few beaches I can recall seeing that actually had sand.

Bonaire is different than Curacao in that you won't find private operators or improved facilities at any dive site like what's at Porto Marie.

I can't think of anything similar to Porto Marie on Bonaire. Except maybe the Lac Bay/Jibe City kitesurfing bay. But a 10-15min. drive back to dive anywhere decent. There is a nice locals beach just past it.

A big difference between diving Curacao and Bonaire is that you don't have the long drive between sites on Bonaire. No driving in to a site like Porto Marie and then back out to the main road and on to the next one.

South of town from the Hooker to Salt Pier, the dive sites are along the road that parallels the shore and you'll find one every couple hundred yards or so. At most of them you park within 50' of the water, at a couple we parked about 20' from the water. Some are so close together that you'll see multiple site markers (yellow rocks) at the turnoff.

At most sites you'll see other divers at the next couple of nearby sites - at least in the morning.

The northern sites, though a little more spread out, are probably within 1/4 mile of each other in some areas. They generally require parking and a short walk across the road to the water - but no more than about 50 yds. typically. And some like Witches Hut are right on the water.

At a certain point going north, you'll enter a one-way restricted road - around 1000 Steps as I recall - once you commit, it's a 20min. drive inland through Rincon and back to town. Nice drive and you get to see the 2nd largest town on the island (more goats than people) as well as some views of the East Side.

 

[Stichus III]

Pink Beach is a dive site on a beach. Never dove there so I'm not sure of the conditions once in the water. But it is listed as a divesite and snorkel site.

I did dive Pink Beach in July of 2007 and I liked the dive very much. It is a very diverse dive site with many large and striking sponge formations. It is located in front of the solar salt plant.

The beach however is not there anymore. It really used to be pink, but it was wiped out in 1999 by hurricane Lenny.

There are not many good beaches in Bonaire. Lac bay, which is located at the North shore and is a little out of the way, has a beach (which is a nude beach if I’m not mistaken) and Harbour Village has a beach. Most other places have what remained of a beach after Lenny.