Day 1: Arrive Bonaire — Orientation & Checkout Dive
Arrive at Flamingo International Airport. Complimentary taxi transfer to your accommodation. Pick up your deluxe 4-door manual pickup truck—your transport for the week. Afternoon orientation at the dive shop: review your 6-day unlimited shore diving package with free nitrox, schedule your 5 double-tank boat dives, and complete paperwork. Easy orientation dive on the house reef to check weights and buoyancy: expect to see parrotfish, angelfish, and maybe a resident turtle within minutes. Evening at leisure exploring Kralendijk’s waterfront restaurants. Overnight Kralendijk (7 nights).
Day 2: South Sites — Salt Pier, Hilma Hooker & The South
Morning double-tank boat dive to Klein Bonaire, the uninhabited satellite island with the island’s most pristine reefs. Drift along No Name Beach, photographing coral gardens and cruising hawksbill turtles. Afternoon shore diving at the south’s iconic sites: the Salt Pier (dive beneath massive concrete pillars where schools of tarpon cruise), the Hilma Hooker wreck (a 240-foot freighter that sank in 1984 under mysterious circumstances, now a magnificent artificial reef), and Red Slave with its coral-encrusted iron cannons from the island’s dark colonial past. Night dive on the house reef: octopus, moray eels, and the bioluminescence that makes Bonaire’s night dives legendary. Overnight Kralendijk.
Day 3: Klein Bonaire Boat Dives — Pristine Reefs
Full day on the water. Morning double-tank boat dive to Klein Bonaire’s northern sites: Carl’s Hill with its dramatic wall dropping 100 feet, and Jerry’s Reef for pelagic action. Surface interval on the white sand of No Name Beach with lunch. Afternoon return for two more shore dives: Thousand Steps (actually 67 steps, but they feel like a thousand carrying dive gear) and the beautiful double reef at Oil Slick Leap, where you giant-stride directly from a cliff into 30 feet of water. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight Kralendijk.
Day 4: Washington Slagbaai National Park
A day above water. Use your 4×4 pickup to explore Washington Slagbaai National Park, covering the island’s entire northern wilderness. The 34-kilometer driving route passes through cactus forests, past salt pans with flamingos, and along dramatic coastline with blowholes and hidden coves. Climb Mount Brandaris (241m), Bonaire’s highest point, for panoramic views. Visit the park’s beaches at Boca Slagbaai and Wayaka. Return to Kralendijk. Evening shore dive of your choice—perhaps Something Special with its resident frogfish. Overnight Kralendijk.
Day 5: North Sites — Karpata, La Dania’s Leap & Slagbaai
The north coast’s legendary shore dives. Drive your truck to Karpata, one of Bonaire’s most celebrated sites: a pristine reef with towering coral formations, enormous barrel sponges, and excellent wall diving. Continue to La Dania’s Leap, where you step off a cliff into the water (optional) for a drift dive along spectacular coral gardens. Afternoon at 1000 Steps (another name for a great site, despite the count). Evening shore dive at Bari Reef, documented as having the highest fish species count in the Caribbean—over 300 species identified. Overnight Kralendijk.
Day 6: More Klein Bonaire & Photography Focus
Morning double-tank boat dive to Klein Bonaire’s signature sites: Sampler, Bonaventura, and Mi Dushi. Focus on underwater photography: Bonaire’s reefs are famous for their macro life—seahorses, frogfish, and the elusive chain moray. Afternoon dedicated shore dives for photography at sites known for specific subjects. Late afternoon surface interval watching the sun set over the Caribbean. Optional night dive with a photography focus: Bonaire’s fluorescence is extraordinary under UV lights. Overnight Kralendijk.
Day 7: Final Boat Dives & Choose Your Site
Morning: your final double-tank boat dive to Klein Bonaire. Choose your favorite sites for a repeat visit. Afternoon: one last shore dive at your personal favorite—perhaps a return to Salt Pier for the iconic wide-angle shots beneath the pillars. Evening celebration: dinner at Kralendijk’s waterfront, comparing logs and favorite sightings. Overnight Kralendijk.
Day 8: Departure
No-dive morning (24-hour surface interval). Return your truck. Transfer to the airport.
