Thinking of Going to Bonaire!

[RJP]

RJP,

Name one that has all she wants though, resort on the beach, close to other dining options, dive shop on-site. I was hard-pressed to think of one on Curacao. The closest I can think of is the Marriott in Piscadera Bay or Lions Dive south of town.

She's not planning on renting a car. So that sort of rules out the more isolated western resorts like Lodge Kura Hulanda. Must be the better part of a $100 cab ride out there although they do have a shuttle that takes guests into town regularly - it runs between it and Hotel Kura Hulanda downtown. Also anything between there and Blue Bay isn't beachfront. Neither is much south of town.

I guess there's the Avila but they don't have a dive shop on site. I can't in good conscience recommend Sunscape, it's older and a kids resort. Not my idea of relaxing. The Renaissance is way too close to the Megaport to be a contender. Plus they shuttle divers to the Marriott in Piscadera Bay to go out with Caribbean Sea Sports.

Know any others?

She'll need to give on something. The truth of the matter is that if she wants a Caribbean beach to laze about - she doesn't want Bonaire. Full stop.

Harbor Village has a little spit of trucked in sand... but I wouldn't classify it as a beach in terms of the vision one conjurs up when they think "Caribbean beach." Plaza has probably the best beach on the island and that's man-made as well, and there's nothing to walk to from the Plaza.

Bonaire "beach lazing" seen here...

Curacao beach lazing seen here...

Marriott happens to be my base of operation whenever we go to Curacao and it does indeed meet all the criteria. My non-diving wife and non-diving kids love it, and I can get in 10-12 dives during the course of a week without them even really noticing. As my wife says "Bonaire is where divers go to vacation. Curacao is where vacationers go to dive."

It would be a shame to go almost anywhere and not get a car for at least a few days.

 

[drrich2]

I don't think she's going to get everything she wants in one place. I mentioned Curacao in case shore diving & beach in the tropics, somewhat similar to Bonaire, would appeal. To condense her desires down, she wanted:

1.) Place with (or near) a beach you can laze around. We still need to know just what she needs in a beach.

2.) 'Near' a small town or somewhere to 'get away' from the hotel if she felt like eating somewhere else. Yet won't rent a vehicle. So she's got to be walking distance from, or have access to a shuttle, bus or (get your wallet ready) taxi service for, a town with food.

3.) Place 'near' dive sites. As in 'near' without a rental vehicle? Walking to a restaurant is one thing; walking from Buddy Dive down to Bari Reef in scuba gear is another! She either needs to mostly do boat dives (in which case why Bonaire), or get used to diving the house reef a lot.

4.) May not go with a buddy. Unless she's content to dive solo, then she may need boat dives, unless she plans to find a dive buddy on island.

I love Bonaire; have not been to Curacao. I have often read people posting well about the Dive Bus, which if I understand correctly picks people up and takes them around for guided shore diving? Here is a link to places they pick up from & drop off back at, from what I understand.

Diver Steve, would Curacao work well if she hooked up with the Dive Bus?

Richard.

 

[diversteve]

If you look at a Willemstad Map - most of what you see is where the Dive Bus operates. Seaquarium Beach - where Lions Dive is the farthest east - then they pickup all the way thru downtown and across the bridge to Piscadera Bay - the bay 2 miles north of downtown. So they work anywhere along there, pick up and either go to one of the more remote sites farther south - remote meaning little/no facilities or one of the sites nearby north of Piscadera Bay. For purposes of this discussion I use North/West & South/East interchangeably. It seems N/S when you're there but actually most of it is E/W.

Two issues with the Dive Bus besides it being all shore diving. 1. They're not going to want to hang around the beach after the dives. They have other clients to return to their resorts. 2. It's not a lot cheaper than boat diving. Although some of the operators take their boats to shore dive sites also - I've seen several moored at shore dives we're doing. There's also several better dives you can't get to from shore - anything near the East End (no roads) or the famous Mushroom Forest. Watamula is about the best boat dive there also - it's west of Westpunt so most in town boat operators don't even go there - too far and too much gas. They are really good and fun people though - the owners Mark & Suzi really like what they do and it shows.

Just about every good dive on Curacao - even the remote ones to the West - have an on-site operator. And there is a bus - we saw them several times out west. IDK how reliable it is but it would be possible to carry-on a backpack with mask/fins etc. and rent everything else on location. Except that some dive sites are also up to a mile from the main road turn-off also. Any kind of serious shore diving on Curacao requires a car. Cabs are pretty pricey on Curacao also. Makes the Marriott a good option since it's about 5 miles from the airport. Downtown is a $40-50 ride. We stayed out in Lagun - about 2/3rd's of the way west. A friend flew in a day later - she called us when she was quoted $60 one-way by a cab driver. We drove 1/2hr. back and picked her up.

 

[RJP]

4.) May not go with a buddy. Unless she's content to dive solo, then she may need boat dives, unless she plans to find a dive buddy on island.

My MO on Curacao is to take the family to some beautiful beach with lounge chairs, powdery sand, palm trees, crystal clear water, a beach bar, and a dive op. I set up chairs, umbrella, etc and tell the dive op where I'm sitting and that I need a buddy for shore diving. I then hang out with the wife and kids, play in the water, read a book, etc generally having a fine time. It doesn't usually take long for a diver or two to come over and ask if I want to join them on a shore dive. I then don my gear, turn to my wife, and say "I'm gonna go do a quick dive... want me to grab you a pina colada on my way back?"

 

[diversteve]

Harbor Village has a little spit of trucked in sand... but I wouldn't classify it as a beach in terms of the vision one conjurs up when they think "Caribbean beach." Plaza has probably the best beach on the island and that's man-made as well, and there's nothing to walk to from the Plaza.

We talking about the same Harbour Village? http://www.harbourvillage.com/art11/slideshow_home/01.jpg I think it's better than the Plaza's. It certainly is in terms of being able to walk into the water without stepping over the ironshore. Except for the area by 18 Palms and in front of Coconut Crash which as you say is all hand-crafted.

But granted it's no Grace Bay Beach or Seven Mile Beach. Really neither is much on Curacao.

 

[RJP]

Makes the Marriott a good option since it's about 5 miles from the airport. Downtown is a $40-50 ride.

They have (at least used to have) a shuttle between Marriott and Renaissance (downtown) which we would use instead of a cab downtown.

Marriott does also have car rental right there. Not very expensive and driving in Curacao is easy-peasy. I'd suggest a week at the Marriott with some shore diving on site, some boat dives with Caribbean Sea Sport, and rent a car for maybe two full days to drive up to Westpunt for a day of shore and boat diving with Go West (including surface intervals lounging on the beach at Playa Kalki. Hit up Sol Food for dinner and then drive back to the Marriott. Next day I'd drive to Porto Marie and/or Cas Abou for some diving and beach lazing. Caribbean Sea Sports is the dive op at Cas Abou so that can be easily arranged. Then drive back to Marriott, shower, and head to Willemstad for dinner, return the car the next morning. Then a few more days of diving from Marriott.

---------- Post added November 3rd, 2014 at 11:24 PM ----------

We talking about the same Harbour Village? http://www.harbourvillage.com/art11/slideshow_home/01.jpg I think it's better than the Plaza's.

The one time I stopped in there to check it out it didn't look like that. Very little sand, and not as "enhanced" as that photo. My memory of it was a bit more "meh" than the photos on their website. Closer to this shot...

 

[diversteve]

I only saw the beach from the water while going by almost daily on a boat so I'll defer to you. I was under impressed by Plaza though.

I like your Curacao plan. I might include a couple of restaurants though - Landhuis Daniel and Bistro Le Clochard.
And Surf/Turf down on Pierbaai if the OP stays at Lions Dive instead. A very different experience...lol.

Lagun isn't a bad beach either. And there's a fun beach bar up on top of the cliff to the north - perched so it looks out over the bay.

Every time we stopped at Porto Mari someone wanted to buddy up with us.

 

[RJP]

I was under impressed by Plaza though.

Never said I was "impressed" with the Plaza's beach. I just said I thought it was the best on Bonaire.

Of course, being "the best beach on Bonaire" is a bit like being the world's tallest dwarf.

 

[lmorin]

She posted "nice beach". I think of a beach as a place where you can actually get in the water...lol. Admittedly there is that little piece to the south up against the Den Laman dock where you can enter the water. Plus the pool is in the parking lot - who thought that was a good idea...

The Sand Dollar beach is nice, but small, and sandwiched between the BDA dock to the south and a cement platform on rocks to the north. About 40 yds +/- long. It is easily accessible from the shore and has chaises provided by Sand Dollar. Here are some photos taken by folks who posted them on TripAdvisor. Den Laman can be seen at the left of the first image.

 

[mbs]

I thought the pool/beach at the Plaza was half decent for lounging around... At least what I saw of it while suiting up and walking in for the shore dive There are a few restaurants within walking distance - What Richards is named now. Unbelievable is a bit further, not sure what the one right outside the gate is called now... Even the main downtown is walkable as long as a 15-20 minute walk is ok.