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Beautiful Bonaire: The Best Shore Diving In The Caribbean

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Overview

1000 steps make of rocks and concrete leads divers to Bonaire's pristine beaches and beautiful turquoise blue waters

Introduction

Bonaire is the second-largest island in the Netherlands Antilles, and has sandy terrain contrasted by inviting blue waters. Under the waters, color abounds as rainbow-hued fish dash in between coral. Bonaire's relative lack of tourism means much of its coral has gone undisturbed, and many who have ventured to Bonaire believe that the diving and snorkeling is the best in the Caribbean. Bonaire is a very eco-friendly island, with local populations not wanting to disturb the fragile infrastructure of the coral, nor interrupt the peaceful atmosphere with heavy development and fast-paced nightlife. As a result, Bonaire's beaches and waters have remained safe, beautiful, and intact. Flamingos have become a symbol of the island, as they wander the landscape of multi-hued salt plains, enjoying their ideal sanctuary.

Geography

Bonaire is the eastern-most Caribbean island of the 'ABC' islands, which consist of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao. Located in the Netherlands Antilles, Bonaire is only 50 miles north of Venezuela, 30 miles east of Curacao and 86 miles east of Aruba. Bonaire covers an area of 112 square miles and is only seven miles wide at its thickest point. A small island called Klein is also a part of Bonaire, though it is uninhabited. Klein, or Little Bonaire lies close to the western shore of Bonaire near the island's capital town, Kralendijk.

History

The island's rich history dates back to the late 15th century, when it was discovered by the Spanish. Before the Spanish arrived, Bonaire was already inhabited by the native Arawak Indians. The Arawak word for "Low Lands" was "Bojnay," which was eventually adapted into the word, Bonaire. Much of the rich cultural heritage and diversity of the island’s history can still be found in many of Bonaire’s landmarks, architecture and in its native population.

Economy

Tourism is one of the island’s main industries even though it is one of the less visited islands in the Caribbean, and as a result, it provides jobs to many local people. In addition, the sale of Marine Park tags to tourists participating in water sports and scuba diving supports park management and services to protect the marine ecosystems of Bonaire.

Factfile

Capital

Kralendijk

Language(s)

Dutch, Papiamento, English

Currency

Netherlands Antillean Guilder (NAFI or ANG)

Time Zone

UTC-4

International Dialing Instructions

Dial Exit Country Code + 1 +599 + The Number

Power

Voltage

220V, 240V

Frequency

50Hz

Plug Type(s)

C, E, F

Climate

tropical

Diving Season

Year Round

Tourism Office(s)

Website

http://www.tourismbonaire.com

Phone

+1 599 717 8322

Police

911

Fire

911

Hospital

911

Hyperbaric Chambers

Office

599 717 8900

599 717 7180

Emergency

599 717 8187

Trip Planning

Customs and Immigration

Citizens and permanent residents of most the Americas, European Union, and Caribbean countries do not need a visa to enter Bonaire; however, travelers from most African and Asian countries will need to apply visa prior to arrival. All visitors will need a valid passport to travel to Bonaire, and most visitors planning to stay in Bonaire for longer than two weeks are required to request prolongation of their stay after a 14-day period, and must have their passport, return ticket and proof of financial resources, if requested, in order to apply. Citizens of the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, along with any other countries with whom the Netherlands has reached an agreement on visa requirements, are allowed to stay up to 90 days without a visa. Since immigration policies change frequently and without prior notice, all travelers are advised to verify Bonaire's current immigration requirements with the local authorities prior to leaving home. For more details, please visit the Bonaire Customs and Immigration Department at Flamingo Airport.

All firearms, spear guns, and similar weapons are prohibited by Bonaire Customs. There is an airport departure tax for all guests over the age of 2, payable after checking in at Flamingo International Airport. Some discounts may apply for seniors. For information regarding customs and a list of restricted imports and exports, please call the Customs and Immigration Office of Bonaire at 599-717-6880.

Health and Insurance

Most visitors to Bonaire do not need special vaccinations before entering the country. However, travelers over age one must provide a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate if they are coming from infected areas. All travelers are advised to ensure that their routine vaccines are current before traveling to Bonaire to help avoid infection.

As the CDC often recommends, travelers to the Caribbean are encouraged to take an anti-diarrheal medication with them when visiting one of the islands. In most areas, the water in Bonaire is safe to drink and the food is cooked with low risk of disease or illness.

In Bonaire, there is one major medical center; the San Francisco hospital is a medical center with 35 beds and decompression facilities. The hospital also is equipped to evacuate passengers by air to Curaçao and Aruba. Throughout the Netherlands Antilles, hospitals offer three classes of services, including some with air conditioning and some without, and group halls ranging from two to 30 people in one room. Patients are accommodated according to their level of insurance.

It is recommended that all tourists purchase a travel insurance policy that will cover theft, loss, accidents, and medical emergencies. If you plan to participate in adventure sports such as scuba diving while on vacation, please verify that your policy will cover you for these events. All necessary prescriptions along with a letter from your physician detailing your medical condition and the medication being carried with you should accompany all visitors to Bonaire.

Traveling There

It may take an extra flight or change of planes to get to Bonaire, as there are few direct flights into the island from major world destinations. Flamingo Airport or Bonaire International Airport N.V. (BON) offers many services to arriving and departing travelers. Some of the major airlines that offer scheduled service to Bonaire (often through Aruba) include U.S. Airways, Dutch Antillies, United Airlines, and Continental Airlines. Travelers should consider the length of the flight, mandatory stopovers, and price when selecting an airline carrier.

If you are traveling to Bonaire via the sea, you’ll be glad to learn that Bonaire’s reputation throughout the cruising community is as a safe and friendly port. Moorings are painted red and they are available for a modest, daily fee. Mooring reservations and assigments are arranged via channel 17. There are also two full service marinas on the island, and all boaters are obliged to check in with Customs and Immigrations upon arrival. Anchoring is prohibited!

Visitors can also arrive in Bonaire via cruise ship. Between December and April, the high tourist season, an average of four ships per week stop at the island of Bonaire on their Southern Caribbean tours. Some of the major cruise lines that stop at Bonaire include Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, and Holland America. Many of the ships also visit other islands of the ABC islands as well as some of the Windward Islands of the Eastern Caribbean.

Traveling Around

There is no public bus service on Bonaire. However, dive operators will haul their guests wherever they need to go. The entire island can be seen in a day or two, therefore many tourists choose to rent a car, and some hotels will throw in a cheap car rental package when you book. Driving is on the right and you must be 21 years of age to rent a car. Most international car rental agencies are located at the airport, and offer discounted rates for pre-booking. Taxis are available from the airport to hotels in Kralendijk or nearly any place on the island and are relatively affordable.

There is no ferry service of any kind between Bonaire and Aruba, Venezuela, or Curaçao. Scheduled travel between these locations is limited to air travel. It might be possible however, to charter a boat for a personal or private tour.

Accomodations

Visitors to Bonaire will find a wide variety of choices of places to stay, and more than a dozen resorts are registered with the Bonaire Hotel and Tourism Association. Bonaire has a number of resorts that have been rated as some of the best in the Caribbean. If you are looking for apartments for larger groups, there are condominium rentals and a number of private villas to choose from. Some hotels also offer babysitting services, making Bonaire a family-friendly island. Bungalows on the beach, sea view cottages or comfortable homey rooms ranging from budget to five star, are available. Dive-specific resorts are also located on the island in Kralendijk. There are no camping facilities on the island of Bonaire. Taxes on accommodations will be added to your bill; beware of rentals that do not mention these taxes in advance as this can unexpectedly add to your total if you are traveling in a group and if you haven’t factored hotel taxes in the room price.

Local Attractions

The friendly people of Bonaire are often cited as a highlight of the trip to the island; some travelers say that the locals are always ready to help a lost tourist in need or recommend a great place to eat. Flamingo watching is also another favored pastime. The 500-year old Indian inscriptions at Onima are also worth checking out; while you do, guides recommend you bring some bread crumbs and feed some of the sixteen lizard species you’re sure to run into. Be sure to save some time to visit the butterfly farm and donkey sanctuary- you’ll be glad you did!

Other Activities

In addition to first class scuba diving excursions, Bonaire offers many other activities for tourists and visitors. Sailing, cycling, kayaking, windsurfing, shopping, sightseeing, horseback riding, and spending a day at the spa are only a few of the many activities offered in Bonaire. Also, there are many kid-friendly activities for families on holiday, such as club and classroom programs offered by a few local hotels and resorts. Everyone who uses the water for sports or activities is required to purchase a marine tag at their hotel or from their tour operator.

Dining Out

Dining on Bonaire provides a wide variety of cultural experiences. Caribbean influences color the local cuisine with papaya, plaintain, Wahoo and funchi. The Dutch influence also promises the blend of European flavors of smoked meats and wonderful cheeses into many dishes. The flavors of Dutch Indonesia, as well as Chinese, Indian, Thai, and African can also be found in several local dishes. Casual to upscale dress is recommended for most sit-down restaurants, while beachside bars or cafes allow swimwear to be worn.

Nightlife

Besides night diving and snorkeling, the opportunities for dancing, bar-hopping, and gambling are plentiful in Bonaire. Carnival is the main attraction in February, while early October also welcomes heightened nighttime activities during Regatta time. Attractions are found mostly in the city or on the ocean promenade. Please note that some attractions, including casinos, are not open on Sunday evenings.

Shopping

One thing you that won’t find on Bonaire are endless shops selling the same trinkets and souvenirs at ever changing prices. What you will find is a main shopping avenue, a few mini malls, and lots of interesting establishments tucked away just a bit off the main highway. Each store is unique and stocks merchandise that is competitively priced with goods from the United States and Europe. Many hotel shops carry watches, Dutch cheese, Cuban cigars, and fine china. Local artisan shops offer everything from paintings to jewelry and handcrafted gold.

Scuba Diving

Overview

The majority of scuba diving in Bonaire takes place very close to the Western and Southern shores of the island. Additionally, there are dives encircling nearly the entire cost of Klein Bonaire, an island just off the midwest coast of Bonaire. Most dive operators are open year-round in Bonaire, as the water temperatures average 80F (29C). Many of the dive sites are reef dives, but Bonaire also offers the opportunity for shallow water snorkeling, night diving, cave diving, pelagics, and wreck diving. Of the numerous dive and snorkel sites in Bonaire, a good number are labeled as advanced dives, while leaving plenty accessible to beginners as well. Marine life such as lobsters, barracudas, turtles, rays, seahorses, filefish, and anemones are abundant across all dives on Bonaire.

Dive Sites

Bonaire has approximately 63 marked snorkel and boating sites on the main island and about 26 marked sites on the shores of the uninhabited island Klein Bonaire - totaling more than 80 named sites altogether. An impressive number of these sites are accessed by the shore, while all of the Klein dives are accessed by boat. A few inland snorkeling and diving opportunities are accessible in Rincon, Boca Onima, and Spelonk. Visibility is generally good to excellent, reaching visibilities of 150 feet and therefore making it an ideal destination for underwater photographers. The fringing reef which surrounds Bonaire is a National Marine Park can be seen literally from the shoreline down to depths of 30 meters, although some dives reach a depth of about 50 meters. Currents in Bonaire are generally light to moderate, however some of the dives marked as advanced experience regular strong currents. Because reefs are located in shallow waters, divers are encouraged to take extra precautions not to damage the reef, and gloves are prohibited.

Top Dive Sites

Karpat is one of Bonaire’s most visited shore dives, where novice divers can pose for a picture alongside one of the embedded ship anchors. 1000 Steps is another dive accessible to novice and intermediate divers, where there is the chance to observe hawksbill turtles or manta rays - and there are really only 64 steps to get from land to shore. Jerry’s Reef and Tori’s Reef are also popular dives. Jerry’s Reef is known for turtle sightings as well as spotted eagle rays. Its alternative name, Jerry’s Sponges, stems from the crinoids, elephant ear sponges, and fern-like black coral that can be seen at depths ranging from 9-30 meters. Tori’s Reef is hailed as the number two dive site in the Caribbean for fish diversity, and can be found at depths of 6-30 meters. Divers can see the entire reef as well as strands of elkhorn coral and rare fish and eels hiding in the aggregations of fire coral. Some of the popular advanced and expert dive sites in Bonaire include Playa Bengi, Playa Funchi andBoca Slagbaai, all part of Washington Slagbaai National Park; these sites offer views of whale sharks, manta rays, spotted trunkfish that approach many divers, and some of the most pristine coral on the island. Each year in June, Bonaire hosts a Dive Festival, which attracts divers from around the world.

Special Requirements

Every diver who has not dived on Bonaire within the previous year must attend a diver orientation seminar to become familiar with the Bonaire Marine Park regulations; sessions which provide this information are usually available in the mornings. Every scuba diver is required to attend and must obtain a Marine Park tag, which is necessary to legally dive in the waters of Bonaire. The proceeds help support the country’s park management and services.

Dive Operators

There are more than 20 dive operators in Bonaire; and the majority of them are members of CURO, the Council of Underwater Resort Operators, meaning they practice uniform procedures to protect their marine environment and use minimally invasive techniques when visiting the reefs and waters. Guests are required to adhere to all laws and best practices for maintaining the conditions of the water.

Hyperbaric Chambers

In case of a diving accident or emergency, Bonaire has one of the Caribbean's best staffed recompression chambers. The chamber is located adjacent to the San Francisco Hospital Emergency Room, and people in need of treatment must go to the hospital to gain access to the chamber. Divers are advised to discuss, finalize, and agree upon an Emergency Assistance Plan, which includes a listing of all local medical emergency contact numbers, prior to beginning any dive. If and when a diving emergency arises, divers are strongly urged to follow any agreed upon plan.

Conservation Efforts

Bonaire’s conservation efforts are among the best in the Caribbean. The Bonaire National Marine Park is approximately 2,700 hectares in size, and includes more than 400 species of fish and coral. The country has outlawed sand removal for construction, and conch fishing. Efforts like the Marine Park Youth Education Project, Sea Monitor Project, and removal of invasive lionfish species are a few of the additional conservation projects in Bonaire.

Maps

Location:

Caribbean
Bonaire

Keywords: diving guides, caribbean dive travel, bonaire dive travel, bonaire diving, bonaire national marine park, council of underwater resort operators (CURO), klien bonaire, karpat, 1000 steps, playa bengi, boca slagbaai Author:

Melissa Gwaldis

Related Tags: Diving Guides

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Beautiful Bonaire: The Best Shore Diving In The Caribbean

Accordion Content

thousand_steps_bonaire.jpg

Introduction

Geography

History

Economy

Customs and Immigration

Health and Insurance

Traveling There

Traveling Around

Accomodations

Local Attractions

Other Activities

Dining Out

Nightlife

Shopping

Overview

Dive Sites

Top Dive Sites

Special Requirements

Dive Operators

Hyperbaric Chambers

Conservation Efforts

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You are here

Warning message

Beautiful Bonaire: The Best Shore Diving In The Caribbean

Accordion Content

Introduction

Geography

History

Economy

Customs and Immigration

Health and Insurance

Traveling There

Traveling Around

Accomodations

Local Attractions

Other Activities

Dining Out

Nightlife

Shopping

Overview

Dive Sites

Top Dive Sites

Special Requirements

Dive Operators

Hyperbaric Chambers

Conservation Efforts

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