Diving in Bonaire: An Overview
Part of the Dutch Islands known as ABC (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao), Bonaire is the little sister of the three - a peaceful island with an unhurried lifestyle, surrounded by amazing coral formations.
Bon Bini! ('Welcome' in Papiamentu - if you just learn one phrase, make it this one).
If you have always wanted to go to the Caribbean but were worried about hurricanes, then look no further as we have found the perfect spot for you. Outside of the hurricane belt, and north of Venezuela lie three islands: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao - the ABCs. Here, the weather is almost perfect all year round (almost, because there is always room for improvement…) with a constant temperature of around 28° C.
The three islands are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and despite the fact that they're so close to one another, the experiences on offer are quite different. Aruba is the most developed, and known as 'Little Miami' due to the proliferation of American tourists drawn by its stunning beaches.
In contrast, Bonaire is the least developed, and enjoys a laid back atmosphere. It is about the same size as Curacao, but Bonaire has a tenth of the population, and its ideal diving conditions attract travellers from all over the globe. There's no rushing or traffic jams here, just a pure Caribbean experience, and great diving.
Bonaire has a dive spot at every corner!
If you are looking for sharks and huge schools of fish, then Bonaire is not the right place for you. However, if you are searching for dive sites where brain corals can reach more than 2m in diameter, where you'll find the tallest stag horn corals you have ever seen, and where bright purple sponges and endless series' of gorgonians stretch out before you, then look no further.
Divers could easily tick off many boxes on their wish lists with a single trip to Bonaire. Calm conditions, good visibility, amazing reefs and soft corals, critters… and because Bonaire is surrounded by a fringing reef created by geological events long ago, most of the dive sites are within steps of the road making the diving here extremely easy, and ideal for those learning to dive too.
Some of the best spots are around the tiny island of Klein Bonaire, where you can also observe amazing mangrove ecosystems. Another favourite site of ours is near Salt Pier, where the fish life is simply incredible.
