Bonaire's Easiest Accessible Dive Sites -
Shore diving for beginners and less mobile divers
Bonaire staat bekend als een paradijs voor duikers, de onderwaterwereld is prachtig en het warme water maakt dat je vaak en lang kunt duiken. En dan heeft Bonaire ook nog eens talloze kantduikmogelijkheden. Het eiland biedt ons een unieke kans om direct vanaf het strand zo in zee te stappen. Ik schreef al meer over diving on Bonaire with general tips & tricks, you will find hier. In this article, you will find the easy dive spots on Bonaire. The places where you can easily enter the water, ideal for divers who are a little less stable or just starting out. With accessible entrances such as sandy beaches, stairs or boat ramps.
That way, you don't have to worry about tripping and hurting yourself.
The Challenge of shore Diving on Bonaire
Tips for easy entry and exit
Note the Yellow Stones
On Bonaire, yellow stones mark the dive sites. You are supposed to enter the water there to avoid damaging coral at other sites. Check out the area around that entry point before you put on your diving suit to check in advance where any problems might arise.
Walk like a crab
Enter the water sideways with knees slightly bent and carefully find the next stable step. This way helps avoid slipping on slippery coral debris or rocks. Put your weight firmly on your one foot first to make sure it is steady before taking the next step.
Ask for help getting in and out. There is absolutely no shame in supporting each other - entering the water together is safer and gives more balance. Getting into the water hand in hand is fun too!
Stay away from corals
Once you have reached the water, keep paying close attention. Follow the light blue sandy paths to deeper water and stay away from dark spots. Never touch the coral and avoid stirring up sand. It's not only good for the coral, but also for yourself, as you will find fire coral in many places. Trust me, you don't want to touch that!
Beware of Waves
As you enter the water, keep a close eye on the waves. Don't turn your back to the sea and stay focused on oncoming waves, keeping you steady.

The Top 5 Easy Dive Sites on Bonaire
Here is a list of dive sites on Bonaire that not only offer a wonderful underwater experience, but are also accessible without too many obstacles.
1. Bari Reef
Bari Reef is located in Kralendijk, between the newly opened Tui hotel Chogogo and Den Laman flats. A sandy beach allows easy access to the water and has an easy sandy entry, making it ideal for less mobile divers and beginners. The pier belongs to the diving school - be careful there, as boats also moor there.
Parking is available right at the dive site. If you stay at Sanddollar, this is your home reef and you can enter the water even more easily to enjoy an impressive diversity of fish species. Perfect for underwater photography!
2. Salt Pier
At first glance, Salt Pier is not an easy dive site on Bonaire. But what many people don't know, Salt Pier has two entry points. The entry point to the right of the pier is the tricky one. The bottom is uneven and you have to step on and off the edge of the coral.
But from the entrance on the left, you can easily enter the water via a sandy channel. You are then a little further away from the pier itself. It is just no punishment at all to swim that extra bit, because in the shallows there swim many turtles.
Salt Pier is my favourite dive spot on Bonaire I think, the piles of the pier really give it a special atmosphere.
Note: in the presence of a moored boat, diving is not allowed here.

3. Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland is accessible via a beach, with no steep steps. The site has two reefs, with the first reef closer to shore.
The entry starts with a soft, sandy stretch, which makes access much easier. Once you are in the water, the slope gets deeper pretty quickly and the path leads you to the start of the first reef. For divers who want to keep it easy, this first reef is already a wonderful location to explore

4. Something Special
Something Special is a really fun dive. A combination of natural reef, with ‘trash’ Think concrete blocks, metal objects and even car tyres that have developed over the years into hiding places for numerous fish species and other marine animals.
The entrance at Something Special consists of a soft sandy path from the little beach. The pebbles of the little beach do slide a little under your feet, so some caution may be called for.
Parking is not always easy: there is a small car park near the dive site itself, right on the beach where the entrance to the water is located. That parking area fills up very quickly. You need a bit of luck there.
Another option is parking at the restaurant ‘Between 2 Buns,’ You have to walk a little bit for this, which may make it less convenient. You are not allowed to park here during restaurant opening hours, it is meant for guests of the restaurant. But for night diving, it is a good location!
Next to Salt Pier, this is one of my favourites!
5. Donkey Beach
This is another nice sandy beach, where you can easily walk into the water. Parking is right next to the road.
Tip: the foodtruck nearby is a must!

Extra: Easy Diving on Bonaire from Resorts
If you want really easy diving spots on Bonaire, you can opt for a resort with direct access to the sea.
A few examples:
1. Buddy Dive Resort
- Buddy Dive's house reef is easily accessible with stairs that lead you straight to the water from the dive shop. Despite not staying here, I did have some really nice diving here, really super friendly people there!
Buddy Dive also offers a drive-through refuelling station, allowing you to quickly fill tanks for a shore dive somewhere else on the island.

2. Captain Don’s Habitat
- This resort has its own reef that is famous among divers and has a natural transition from shallow corals to a deep reef wall.
3. Sand Dollar Condominiums
- The reef in front of Sand Dollar is right next to the Bari Reef. This reef is famous for its biodiversity, and you can easily access it from the resort side.
4. Divi Flamingo Beach Resort
- Divi Flamingo has an accessible reef right in front of the resort, with easy steps leading you directly to the coral. The resort offers a complete dive centre and has facilities for underwater photography.
With these tips and recommended locations, you can fully enjoy beautiful Bonaire, without worrying about awkward entries and exits. Dive carefully, leaving only air bubbles!