Your Detailed Guide On All The Best Places To Snorkel In Bonaire

Bonaire is the shore diving capital of the world so if you love snorkeling, it needs to be on your travel bucket list. The water around the island is a protected nature park which means you can walk in from the beach and snorkel amongst incredible reef areas and lots of wildlife. Here’s my guide on all the best places to snorkel in Bonaire with everything you need to know to plan your adventures. If there’s anything else you’d like to know, just let me know in the comments. Otherwise, I hope it helps you make the most of your time there.

Your Detailed Guide On All The Best Places To Snorkel In Bonaire

Disclaimer

There are affiliate links included in this post. This means at no extra cost to you, I earn a commission if you book through the link.

A NOTE ABOUT DIRECTIONS

To avoid repeating myself, when I am saying ‘to the left’ or ‘to the right’, I am referring to the water facing direction.

That is, if you are standing on the beach with your front to the water and back to the beach.

Andrea I & II

Coordinates: Andrea I – 12°11’17.6″N 68°17’47.9″W, Andrea II – 12°11’29.2″N 68°17’51.8″W

Parking: At both sites, you can go down to park in small area near the beach or on the side of the road further back

Beach area: Small sandy and rocky areas

Water entry: A little rocky – look for the yellow rock

These are two separate snorkeling sites, however I snorkeled from one to the other so I am merging them here. If you prefer you could simply visit one and then drive to the next.

Though they are similar, Andrea I was my favorite and one of my favorite snorkeling spots overall.

I loved the huge reef area that was home to lots of cool wildlife. I saw some huge fish here, turtles, and overall it was aesthetically a pretty underwater garden.

Since the reef starts close to the beach you have a large area to snorkel in that is not too deep. It gives you the chance to see a lot of detail from the surface. Just keep this in mind as you are snorkeling so you don’t accidentally get your body scratched on the coral as you swim.

Oil Slick

Coordinates: 12°12’01.2″N 68°18’30.6″W

Parking: Large parking area

Beach area: Not really a beach area, just a rocky small rocky area by the entrance

Water entry: Ladder entrance or jump in!

Oil slick is another one of the amazing places to snorkel in Bonaire that you don’t want to miss.

This one is cool because the entrance to the water is elevated so you have the option to jump in. The jumping spot is from the rocks to the right of the ladder. The water is clear so it looks shallow from above, but it’s much deeper than it looks.

If you prefer you can also climb the ladder to enter the water.

No matter how you get in, you’ll be treated to a large reef area with plenty of wildlife to snorkel with. It’s a little deeper so you need to dive down to get a close up look, however it’s still beautiful from the surface.

1000 Steps

Coordinates: 12.210868, -68.321567

Parking: Side of the road

Beach area: Open rocky area

Water entry: Sandy area to enter

1000 Steps is probably one of the most popular places to snorkel on Bonaire.

It wasn’t my favorite, in fact I thought it was a little overrated, however it is still a great place to visit.

In that gorgeous clear Bonaire water, there is plenty of reef to snorkel around and lots of wildlife to see. I like the variety of coral and plant life in the water here which gave different sections a completely different look from each other.

Despite the name, you don’t actually need to climb 1000 steps. There is a small set of stairs to get to the beach but it gets the name because it feels like 1000 after you’ve been diving and climb them with all your diving gear.

Karpata

Coordinates: 12°13’10.1″N 68°21’07.7″W

Parking: Free parking in a small lot and overflow area

Beach area: There’s no sandy beach, only a small rocky area

Water entry: You can slide off the large rock or there is a sandy area directly to the right of it

If I had to pick a favorite place to snorkel on Bonaire, it would be Karpata.

Once you are in the water you can snorkel over a large stretch of dense reef and this is what I loved about it. I loved that it was such a large reef because there was so much to see.

There is certainly no shortage of plant, coral, and wildlife here. One day I saw about 5 turtles in a row! We also saw squid, eels, and lots of fish.

As far as where to snorkel, I enjoyed heading to the left of the beach entrance and following the reef.

Salt Pier

Coordinates: 12°05’00.5″N 68°16’54.6″W

Parking: Gravel area on the side of the road

Beach area: Mostly rocky

Water entry: Look for an open area – there was a snorkeling fin to mark an open entry spot when I went

The Salt Pier was probably my second favorite spot because of the uniqueness of the site.

It starts with an open area that is quite bare. However, I saw feeding turtles here every time I went snorkeling which was really cool. Keep in mind if they’re feeding you want to allow them to do that so don’t crowd or interrupt them.

As you snorkel out to the pier you are able to snorkel around the beams where there is more of a reef area and large groups of fish. I saw a few huge barracuda here which was pretty cool.

The beams add a unique vibe, almost like it’s an underwater lair for the fish.

Invisibles

Coordinates: 12°04’35.2″N 68°16’47.5″W

Parking: Side of the road

Beach area: Sandy beach area

Water entry: Walk in from the beach – just keep an eye out to avoid the rocks

With that gorgeous, bright blue glow to the water, Invisibles is another beautiful place to snorkel in Bonaire.

Some areas can be bare and just sandy, however there is enough reef and wildlife to give you plenty to see. The shallow sandy entrance means you can enter easily and choose a depth you are comfortable snorkeling in.

The beach is a sea turtle nesting area so just keep clear of any nests – they will be marked, and don’t leave trash or other hazards like holes in the sand.

Since they nest here you’ve got a decent chance of spotting turtles in the water too. The water clarity is amazing and they stand out against the sand allowing you to see all the details on their shells.

Red Beryl

Coordinates: 12°02’47.7″N 68°16’03.2″W

Parking: Side of the road

Beach area: Sandy beach area

Water entry: Walk in from the beach – just keep an eye out to avoid the rocks

Another quiet place to snorkel on Bonaire is Red Beryl. I enjoyed snorkeling from Red Beryl to the Margate Bay Area just next to it.

The underwater landscape is very similar to Invisibles where it’s fairly shallow and sandy. Even though it is quieter than some of the bigger snorkeling areas, there’s still enough reef to keep it interesting.

Keep a close eye over the coral because I saw a huge octopus here and it was probably one of my favorite wildlife spots of the trip.

I really liked snorkeling here in the afternoon, then parking the beach chairs in the sand to watch the sunset with a cold drink.

Lac Bay

Coordinates: 12°05’34.2″N 68°14’12.4″W This is for Sorobon Beach

Parking: Large lot

Beach area: Sandy

Water entry: Walk in from the beach

One option is to go to the Hang Out Beach Bar area. Not only can you get a great Pina Colada here, but there’s a large beach area in front of it where you can swim and snorkel. It’s a popular place for windsurfers, so you’ll just need to keep clear of them.

Another option was to stop before getting to the beach bar area (coordinates 12°05’21.6″N 68°14’08.3″W.)

We parked off the main road and walked to the edge of the water as there were large puddles on the dirt road closer to the water. This beach area was gross and full of trash. It’s a great place if you want to do a beach clean up, but probably not somewhere you’d want to hang out.

From the beach we waded out to an island off the coast which was fun to see before getting back in the water and snorkeling up towards Sorobon.

There were a lot of cool conch shells to see, all sorts of fish, and I’ve heard it’s a good spot for rays.

Klein Bonaire

Coordinates: 12°09’20.4″N 68°18’11.8″W

Parking: n/a

Beach area: Large sandy beach

Water entry: Enter from the beach or do the drift drop off

Klein Bonaire translates to ‘small Bonaire’ and the name pretty much says it all. It’s a small island off the west coast of Bonaire and you’ll need a water taxi to get to this snorkeling spot.

I highly recommend the ‘drift drop off’ which is you will be dropped at the main area first where you can leave your bag. Then you return to the water taxi and they drop you in the water next to the reef. The current will drift you back to the main area where you first left your bag.

It’s easy to float down with the current and was a great way to see a lot of the reef.

There’s nothing on the island so make sure you bring some water and snacks. For snorkeling, 2 hours is plenty of time there, but it’s a nice spot to hang out longer if you want to enjoy the gorgeous sandy beach.

I went with Epic Water Taxi to get there and back which cost around $25 total.

What snorkeling gear do you need

Here’s a list of things I recommend packing for your snorkeling adventures. I’ve linked the products I regularly use as well.

• Underwater camera
• Floaty selfie stick – Important to have one that can strap to your wrist and I like this one because it is quite long.
• Snorkel and mask
• Fins – I’ve had these since 2015 and love them. They’re still in great condition.
• Something to de-fog your mask – I pack this in a travel size container and use it on my mask before I snorkel (description here.)
• Waterproof satchel – great for your valuables – keys, bank cards, etc.
• Waterproof bag – handy for rainy days and you can also snorkel with it.
• Lightweight towel – do yourself a favor and use a lightweight one instead of beach towel. Easier to pack and carry around.
• Reef safe sunscreen – you can also buy this locally.
• Sandals or water shoes for rocky areas – my sandals came in handy at places where the beach was rocky.

I have updated my Amazon page with a Snorkeling Favorites list if you want to see everything in one place.

Requirements for snorkeling in Bonaire

The water surrounding Bonaire is a protected marine park managed by STINAPA. You need to pay a nature fee before you can enter the water.

This can be paid quickly and easily online through the STINAPA website.

Keep a screenshot or print the confirmation in case you get checked when you are at the beach.

Important rules for snorkeling in Bonaire

Since it is a protected marine park, there are a few important rules to be aware of. You can see the full list with more detail on the STINAPA website.

Don’t touch any of the coral, plants, or wildlife. When you touch the coral, you damage it. There is also a lot of fire coral so avoiding it is going to save you some nasty scratches as well.

Be careful when entering the water because you can’t walk all over the coral to get in. You’ll want to be avoiding that anyway so you don’t step on any urchins.

Look for the painted yellow stones because they are your guiding lights while in Bonaire.

Many of the popular spots will have painted yellow stones for the entry and exit area of the beach. These areas are usually at a clearer, sandy area where you can walk in before you start floating.

If there is not entry and exit rock, just look for the clearest area and start floating as soon as it is deep enough.

How to interact with wildlife when you are snorkeling

You will see so much wildlife while you are snorkeling in Bonaire. It really is heaven for nature and wildlife lovers.

Of course you cannot touch them, but here are a few extra tips on what to do when you see animals for amazing interactions.

Most animals are used to having people around, so as long as you don’t do loud, fast, movements, they will usually be OK with having you there.

If you come across a cool animal, keep your movements very slow and steady and don’t splash too much. You’ll find they’ll be a lot more likely to stay around.

For turtles, remember that they need to come to the surface to breathe. I saw a lot of people hovering over the top of them and this means the turtle is blocked from coming up for air. Stay to the sides of them, never directly above.

If you move slowly around the turtles you’re much more likely for them to stay around you.

Use a long selfie stick on your GoPro for better photos. Most of my photos look close but my body is quite a distance away because I use a longer selfie stick underwater. I’ve always found it easier to get nice photos of animals because I can move slower while still being close enough for a good photo and they don’t startle as much from the camera being there.

Where to stay in Bonaire

Guesthouses are the way to go in Bonaire. This is not the high rise, all inclusive hotel type of destination.

I stayed at Casa Mantana and absolutely recommend it. I actually think that my trip was so amazing because of the warm and friendly hosts and their fantastic guesthouse.

From the second I arrived it felt like I had friends on the island and they were always there to offer recommendations and help with any questions I had.

The rooms were comfortable and had everything you need for your stay. I especially loved the extra items including the cooler and beach chairs which were perfect for sunset viewing.

Wherever you chose, there are plenty of guesthouse options available on Booking.com which is what I use to book accommodation when I am traveling.

How to plan a vacation to Bonaire

For more of the planning tips, check out my detailed guide on how to plan a vacation to Bonaire. This will give you everything you need to know to prepare for an amazing trip.

When you’re planning you’re itinerary, check out my guide on the best things to see, do, and eat in Bonaire. There’s more to the beautiful island than snorkeling – don’t miss these awesome gems while you’re there!

If you found this useful, return the favor by sharing it or following me on Instagram!