Family questions - some divers and snorklers

[carolsarinah]

I am looking for a place that is good for families where some are too young to dive but love to snorkle. The goal is to find good beach snorkling.

Thanks

Carol

 

[Martha]

Bonaire is excellent for snorkeling (and diving, of course). We were there in Dec. with our 6 and 11 yr. old and they had a great time snorkeling. They spent a lot of time at Donkey Beach, which has sand to play in and snorkeling just a few steps away.

 

[Knight1989]

I'd throw Curacao in as well. Excellent diving and some of the best snorkeling in the world

 

[herman]

Curacao and Bonaire would be my choices as well. As much as I love Bonaire, IMO Curacao has the better beaches for family outing type activities.

 

[saholz]

The Plaza Resort on Bonaire has a really nice beach with excellent snorkeling right in front of the resort. It's a also a good, larger resort and is easy walking distance to Richard's and Ye Olde Inn restaurants. The walk into town is an easy 15-20 minutes, with a large selection of excellent places to eat out. I've stayed at the Plaza twice now and have always enjoyed it.

I recently came back from a stay at Sunset Waters in Curacao. It also had a beach, although not as nice as the Plaza's, and pretty decent snorkeling right in their lagoon. It's a small place with not much going on in the way of activities, other than the diving and snorkeling, and it is a 30 minute drive from town. Still, it was a wonderful place to relax and dive for a week.

 

[Dutchman]

DIVI Resort in St Croix USVI. It is closer and in the United States.

 

[pigletfish]

I'd recommend St. John, USVI. For example, there is a great snorkel spot called Waterlemon Caye. In spots the water is only inches deep and is a teeming fish nursery. In water less than 3 feet deep we saw lots of parrots, butterflys, and other tropicals. A little deeper than that, we saw turtles, stingrays, and a large permit. St. John also has solid diving, gorgeous beaches, and is a lush and beautiful island. Lots of vacation rental options; check out: www.vrbo.com. Cheers!

 

[cleung]

There's a good beach snorkel site at St Thomas. Of course, there's always the Florida Keys which should have something for all ages as well as non-divers.