Bonaire
Caribbean
Bonaire
£2.50
Bonaire: The Shore Diving Capital of the World
Bonaire basically invented the concept of "Eat, Sleep, Dive." This island is the undisputed king of shore diving and the ultimate destination for DIY adventure. It’s not about luxury yachts or rigid boat schedules; it’s about pure freedom. You rent a pickup truck, load the bed with tanks, and drive the coast looking for those famous yellow rocks that mark the sites. There is no one telling you when to jump in or when to come up. It is just you, your buddy, and 24/7 access to one of the healthiest fringing reefs in the Caribbean
Why We Chose This Sticker Design
We designed this sticker to feel like a postcard from your dashboard. We simply had to feature the trusty yellow pickup truck parked on the sand because, let's be honest, that truck is the true icon of a Bonaire trip. We utilized a split-shot composition to emphasize just how close the reef is to the road—you literally park, gear up, and walk in. Below the surface, we featured a vibrant Parrotfish and a cruising Sea Turtle to capture that colorful, easy-going Caribbean magic that makes this island "Diver's Paradise".
Diving Bonaire
Bonaire is the shore diving capital of the Caribbean, and the setup is unusually simple: rent a pickup truck, load it with tanks, and drive the coast road looking for the painted yellow stones that mark each site. There are more than sixty of them. The island's marine park has been protected since 1979, with a permanent mooring system and a long-standing ban on anchoring and spearfishing, so the reef is in notably good condition. It sits outside the main hurricane belt, so it dives well all year.
- Best time to dive
- Year-round — Bonaire sits outside the main hurricane belt
- Difficulty
- Beginner friendly — easy shore entries and gentle reefs
- Water temperature
- 26–29°C
- Visibility
- 20–30m
Top dive sites
- •1000 Steps — Well-known shore dive with a memorable staircase
- •Salt Pier — Pilings covered in coral and schooling fish
- •Hilma Hooker — Accessible wreck lying on its side around 30m
- •Klein Bonaire — Uninhabited islet with the healthiest reef
What you’ll see
Frequently asked questions
Why is Bonaire so good for shore diving?
Geography and policy together. The reef runs parallel to the coast and starts close in, so a short swim from the shore puts you on a healthy drop-off, and the leeward side is sheltered enough that entries are calm most days. The island marks each site with a painted yellow stone by the roadside, and dive operators rent trucks with tank racks. Combined with marine park protection since 1979, it makes independent, self-guided diving genuinely easy.
When is the best time to dive Bonaire?
Any time. Bonaire lies far enough south to sit outside the main Atlantic hurricane belt, so it dives reliably all year, with water between about 26 and 29°C. The leeward coast where most sites are is naturally sheltered. Occasional winter swells can stir up the northern sites for a day or two. There is a marine park fee, payable annually, which every diver must buy before getting in the water.
