Best scuba diving in Bonaire – resorts, packages and specials

Bonaire Information

Known as the Shore Diving Capital of the Caribbean, Bonaire offers 60+ sites on the island's calm western shore where roadways connect to beachfront staging areas with short swims to reefs. Diving in Bonaire is made easy at full-service waterfront resorts offering rental vehicles to support drive-and-dive vacations. Resorts also operate dive boats that add an additional 26 sites around the uninhabited island of Klein Bonaire. Resort house reefs provide a third option, and can be accessed day or night directly from dive center docks. Ashore, Bonaire delivers a relaxed small island vibe, with waterfront dining, a picturesque waterfront and a wide range of eco-themed activities that include mangrove kayak tours, windsurfing, fishing, sailing and hiking and biking in a national park.

Specials

Starting from $1,706

Van der Valk Plaza Beach Resort Bonaire HOT DEAL!

7 nights accommodations, 6 days unlimited shore diving including breakfast, lunch, dinner daily and snacks, unlimited number of beverages, including domestic alcohol brands. Use of paddle boards, kayaks and snorkeling... Read More

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Starting from $1,483

Divi Flamingo Bonaire Dive Package - free night/free diving/free nitrox

7 nights Standard Room accommodations, 6 days of diving: (mandatory first dive day is a 1-tank aft shore orientation/check-out dive followed by 1 tank afternoon boat dive, 4 days 2-tank afternoon boat dives, last day 2 tank... Read More

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Starting from $1,097

Buddy Dive Resort Bonaire Madness - 2nd Diver Dives Free

7 nights accommodations, 6 days unlimited shore diving, free Nitrox, 7 days vehicle rental with insurance, breakfast daily, free WiFi, tax, service charges and round-trip airport transfers. Diving upgrades available in the... Read More

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Starting from $996

Captain Dons Habitat Bonaires - 50 Year Special

7 nights Deluxe Ocean View or Garden View rooms, 6 boat dives, 6 days shore diving, free Nitrox, Free BCD/Regulator Rental for 2 divers (per room booked), $50.00 in house credit (per room) redeemable at the dive shop, rum... Read More

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Starting from $1,154

Buddy Dive Resort Drive Dive - 2027 Marine Life Education - 2nd Diver Dives Free

7 nights 2-Bedroom accommodations, 6 days of unlimited shore diving, free Nitrox, breakfast buffet daily, 7 days vehicle rental with insurance, free WiFi, round trip airport transfers. One full week of fun with presentations,... Read More

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Starting from $1,231

Buddy Dive Resort Drive Dive Mania - 50% Plus OFF Truck Rental!

7 nights Studio accommodations, 6 days of unlimited shore diving, free Nitrox, breakfast buffet daily, 7 days vehicle rental (50% or more disc on car rental) with insurance, free WiFi, roundtrip airport transfers. Upgrades are... Read More

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Starting from $1,125

Captain Dons Habitat - Free Night/Free Boat Dives/Free Nitrox

Dive Special includes 7 nights Deluxe Garden View accommodations, 10 boat dives, daily shore diving, free Nitrox, airport transfers, hotel tax, fees, and service charges. Valid for travel through 12/3/27. Additional room... Read More

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Starting from $1,601

Buddy Dive Resort Drive Dive - Hilma Hooker Ship Wreck

7 nights Studio room accommodations with options to upgr to 1, 2 or 3-bdrm accommodations, 6 days boat dives with unlimited shore diving, free Nitrox, breakfast daily, 7 days vehicle rental, free WiFi, and airport... Read More

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Starting from $994

Buddy Dive Resort Drive Dive - Free Summer Shore Diving

7 nights 2-Bedroom accommodations, 6 days of unlimited shore diving, free Nitrox, breakfast buffet daily, 7 days vehicle rental with insurance, free WiFi, round trip airport transfers. Options for additional room categories or... Read More

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Starting from $1,361

Buddy Dive Resort Drive Dive - TeK Week

7 nights accommodations, 6 days of unlimited shore diving with options to upgrade to 1-tank boat or 2-tank boat dives with unlimited shore diving, free Nitrox, breakfast buffet daily, 7 days vehicle rental including taxes, free... Read More

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Packages

Belmar Oceanfront Apartments Drive Dive Package

Drive, Dive, Stay Package includes 7 nights in your choice of 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom or 3-bedroom accommodations, 6 days unlimited shore diving, free Nitrox, vehicle rental, free WiFi and roundtrip airport transfers. Add $170... Read More

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Buddy Dive Resort Drive Dive Package

7 nights in your choice of Studio, 1, 2 or 3-bedroom accommodations, choice of 6 days unlimited shore diving, 6 days 1 or 2-tank boat diving with unlimited shore diving, free Nitrox, breakfast buffet daily, 7 days vehicle rental... Read More

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Buddy Dive Resort Snorkel Package

7 nights accommodation, 7 days of snorkeling with equipment including 1-trip to snorkel Klein Bonaire, 1-guided cave snorkel/exploration tour, 1-guided mangrove snorkel/kayak tour, 1-hour land sailing, daily breakfast, breakfast... Read More

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Divi Flamingo Bonaire Create Your Own Dive Package

Dive Package includes 7 nights in your choice of Standard, Deluxe or Studio accommodations, 6 days of unlimited shore diving, optional upgrades to 1 tank, 2 tanks or 3 tanks for multiple days, or weekly, 7 days breakfast, welcome... Read More

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Divi Flamingo Bonaire Dive Package

Dive Package includes 7 nights in your choice of Standard, Deluxe or Studio accommodations, 6 days of diving (mandatory first morning shore orientation/check-out dive followed by 1 tank afternoon boat dive + 4 days 2-tank... Read More

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Divi Flamingo Bonaire Shore Dives Drive Package

Dive Package includes 7 nights in your choice of Standard, Deluxe or Studio accommodations, 6 days unlimited shore diving, 7 days truck rental, breakfast daily, welcome cocktail, free WiFi, roundtrip airport transfers, hotel... Read More

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Harbour Village Beach Club Dive Into Luxury Package

Dive into Luxury includes 7 nights accommodation, 6 days of boat diving plus unlimited shore diving, free Nitrox, breakfast daily, roundtrip airport transfers, use of fitness center, kayaks, paddleboards, hotel tax and service... Read More

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Van der Valk Plaza Resort Bonaire Dive Package

All Inclusive Dive Package includes 7 night accommodations in your choice of Laguna View, Garden View, Ocean View Rooms, Suites and Apartments, 6 days unlimited shore diving or upgrade to 6 days of 1-tank boat dives or 6 days of... Read More

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Divi Flamingo Bonaire 7 Night Dive Package (DAN) September 18-25, 2027

Core Concepts 7 Night Package (DAN Group) September 18-25, 2027. This is our traditional class which has been offered in some form since 1982. The program focuses on diving and hyperbaric medicine with emphasis on the latest... Read More

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Resorts

Buddy Dive Resort

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Harbour Village Beach Club

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Captain Dons Habitat

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Van der Valk Plaza Resort Bonaire

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Divi Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino

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Belmar Oceanfront Apartments

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Sand Dollar Condominium Resort

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Highlights

Dive primer

Water Temp: 78-82°
Visibility: 100'+
Wetsuit: skin to 3mm

Best time to travel

Year-round

Favorite dive sites

Salt Pier
Karpata
Forest on Klein Bonaire

Topside attractions

Mangrove Kayaking
Windsurfing at Sorobon
Sunday afternoons at Cai

Frequently Asked & Question

Diving in Bonaire

Favorable geography makes Bonaire the shore diving capital of the Caribbean. The island's boomerang shape shelters the west coast from prevailing easterly trade winds and ocean swells, no rivers flow from the arid landscape to mar visibility, currents are mild to non-existent, and reefs begin downward slopes just yards from shore. Hurricanes are extremely rare, as Bonaire sits south of the Caribbean's hurricane belt, and weather and sea conditions have minimal seasonal variation. Humans have also played a role in the island's rise to diving fame. The Bonaire National Marine Park was established in 1979, and the island's entire coastline is protected. All divers must purchase a marine park tag, which funds the park, and are asked to perform an initial checkout dive to fine tune buoyancy before visiting area reefs. There are more than 60 dives sites on the western side of the island, and another 25 on the low-lying, uninhabited island of Klein Bonaire, which lies less than 1,000 yards to the west. A coastal highway gives access to many sites, which are marked by yellow-painted rocks at turn offs and parking areas. A number of rental car agencies offer compact pickup trucks fitted with tank racks, and these are often seen parked all along the coastline. A number of dive resorts are clustered along the shoreline to the north and south of the town's main town, Kralendijk. Resorts offer a combination of shore diving on house reefs and daily boat dives to sections of the coast that cannot be easily reached by land, as well as sites on Klein Bonaire. Many resorts and dive shops offer shore diving packages that provide unlimited tank rentals and air fills. Physical descriptions of Bonaire's dive sites often seem repetitive, as many sites share similar characteristic. In general, sites begin on a beach, rock-covered shore or low coastal cliff, where near-shore shallows from 10 to 50 yards in width lead to the upper end of a sloping reef at depths of 25 to 30 feet. Some sites have scattered coral heads in the shallows, many have sand or rubble, and a few offer luxuriant coral growths right up to the waterline. From 25 feet downward, slopes are covered in thick growths of hard and soft corals that hold a wide range of tropical fish and other marine life. At depths of around 100 feet, many reefs level out into a deeper sand sledge that extends offshore to a second drop that is beyond the depths of scuba. Not all sites follow this common pattern. On the island's north coast, sites within Washington Slagbaai National Park begin in narrower coves tucked between rocky headlands. Along the island's southern coast, some sites offer sufficient current to stage a drift dive. The wreck of the 230-foot Hilma Hooker is easily reached from shore, and a pair of piers attract marine life. The long-time favorite, Town Pier, now requires a guide for access, while the expansive network of pillars at Salt Pier harbor a diverse array of life. A small number of adventurous divers visit the island's eastern shore when conditions permit. Here, sites such as White Hole offer drop offs, clefts and caverns that attract turtles, rays and schooling fish–plus, one of the best chances to see sharks.

Passport and/or Visa Requirements

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: US and Canadian citizens must have a valid Passport, valid through the lenght of stay. No visa is required for stays shorter than 90 days. EXIT REQUIREMENTS: The departure tax is USD $36.05 per person, which should be included in your international airline ticket taxes, so thre should be nothing to pay at the airport. Domestic departure tax is $9.27 to Curacao, St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius or Aruba and should also be included in your airline ticket taxes.

Immunizations

No vaccinations or preventative medications are required for travel to Bonaire. Check with the Centers for Disease Control on recommended vaccinations for travel at cdc.gov

Culture and Customs

Bonaire provides a low-key take on island life. Bonairean culture blends the traditions of Spain, Africa and the Netherlands. Locals who may initially display the discrete reserves of the Dutch quickly prove warm and accommodating of visitors. And despite decades of tourism, the service industry mentality does not dominate the cultural psyche. Cruise ships now call at the Kralendijk waterfront, but divers remain the main source of business for on-island resorts. Nightlife is more likely to mean a sunset dinner at the harbor followed by a stroll to an ice cream shop, or tall tales of underwater adventures shared at a waterfront tiki bar, with a reasonable bedtime in anticipation of tomorrow's adventures. And there are ample adventures to be found. Washington Slagbaai National Park covers the entire northern end of the island, creating an outdoor playground for hiking, mountain biking, birding and day trips to small surf-washed coves hidden within iron shore bluffs. The trade winds that cool the island also power kite boarders, and the sheltered waters of Lac Bay are home to Jibe City, one of the Caribbean's epicenters of windsurfing action. Blue water fishermen don't have to travel far to hook up with trophy catches, kayakers can find shelter in mangrove channels, and sailing charters provide a relaxing way to skim the coastline without venturing into open ocean. An experience unique to Bonaire are the cave snorkel trips that take swimmers into clear pools of fresh water hidden below the island's limestone substrate.

Electricity, Phone and Internet Access

Electricity is 127 volt, 50 cycle. Many dive shops offer stations for charging lights, strobes or delicate equipment. Most hotels offer WiFi and some local restaurants and bars offer WiFi. Surf-it hotspots are available with a Surf-it prepaid card from Telbo. Calling Bonaire requires dialing 011-599-7 and 6 digit number. Be sure to check with your cell phone carrier to see if they offer an international plan or you will be subject to roaming charges.

Water Quality

Bonaire offers desalinated sea water which is purified and safe to drink. Bottled water is also available for purchase.

Language & Currency

There are 4 main languages spoken in Bonaire, Dutch is the official one used in government and legal transactions, while Papiamentu is used in daily exchanges and spoken by the locals. English and Spanish are also widely spoken. As of January 1, 2011, the U.S. Dollar became the official currency of Bonaire. Credit cards are normally accepted in most restaurants, bars and stores. It is recommended you contact your credit card company before travel to make sure they know you will be using the card out of the country. ATMs are available which Cirrus, NYCE and other networks.

Time

Bonaire is in the Atlantic Time Zone (AST) and does not observe Daylight Savings Time. Bonaire is 4 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (-4 GMT).

Location, Size and Population

Bonaire is 24 miles long by 3-7 miles wide, approximately 111 square miles. The small island offshore, Klein Bonaire, which is uninhabited is 2.3 square miles. Bonaire is located just 30 miles from Curacao, 50 miles North of Venezuela and 80 miles East of Aruba. Bonaire is located in the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean Sea and outside of the Hurricane Belt. The population of Bonaire is 18,900 (2016).

Bonaire

Bonaire Information

Specials

Packages

Resorts

Highlights

Other Things to do

Frequently Asked & Question

Diving in Bonaire

Passport and/or Visa Requirements

Immunizations

Culture and Customs

Electricity, Phone and Internet Access

Water Quality

Language & Currency

Time

Location, Size and Population

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