Have your sights set on staying in Bonaire? You’ve made a great choice—the island has some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world. But, where to stay on Bonaire? There are a few dozen choices for places to stay in Bonaire, and the best place to stay in Bonaire will depend on a few factors like whether you’re looking for a resort, hotel, or private villa. You’ll also have to decide where to stay in Bonaire—in busy downtown, just outside of town, Lac Bay nature reserve, or small colonial Rincon.
If you want the best on-site snorkeling. Get a villa rental nearby Andrea I & II dive/snorkel sites or head to Sorobon Beach Resort—these are our two favorite locations. If you’re looking for a resort with a great beach (they are few and far between on Bonaire), check out Harbour Village or Sorobon Beach Resort.
Want to learn more about the best places to stay in Bonaire? Read on.
VACATION RENTALS AND AIRBNB BONAIRE
If a Bonaire Airbnb-style rental sounds up your street, you’re in luck. There are quite a number of private accommodation options across the island including condos and villas.
North of Town Bonaire House Rentals
There are lots of private villas to the north of the main strip located around the Andrea I & II dive sites. This area is not right in the heart of the action—while this means you’ll need to drive/taxi or be up for a long walk into town, the upside is that you have plentiful options for private villas with pools away from the hustle and bustle which could be perfect for your family or group. You’ll need a vehicle to get to town and other sites around the island. However, you obviously have several of the best walk-out dive/snorkel sites right on your doorstep as well as a couple restaurants dotted along the shore in between these villas and downtown.
Click here to check out the houses at Andrea I & II that are our favorite places to stay in Bonaire.
If you don’t like the idea of being too far away from town, there are condominiums on the north end of the main strip. Our favorite rental spots in this area are the Sand Dollar Condominiums and Den Laman Condominiums. They’re both self-catering apartments right on the beach. Some of the condos have amazing views (dependent on location). There’s a little patch of good snorkeling here down the concrete steps, plus you can do a drift snorkel all the way down to Hamlet Oasis and walk back. From the condos, you’re around 30 minutes’ walk to the center of downtown, and there’s a handful of bars and restaurants right around this area too.
Click here to find condos at Sand Dollar, which is one of our 3 favorite spots to stay on Bonaire.
Downtown Bonaire Rentals
If being in a convenient location is most important to you, you’re better off doing an Airbnb Bonaire Kralendijk (the capital “city” of the island). Here, you’ll be surrounded by shopping, dining, and all the amenities. If you stay downtown, you could get away without needing a car. However, if you wish to venture out of downtown at any point, you’re best off getting a rental car since there is no public transport. Alternatively, you could hire a driver. While staying downtown may be ideal for some, for us, it’s not our favorite. The place is very busy during cruise ships days. We prefer staying further out from all the hustle and bustle and with easy access to great snorkel sites.
South of Town Bonaire Vacation Rentals
Staying south of downtown is also a good choice since this is where many of the pretty beaches are. Do be aware, although pretty, the beaches are mostly rocky cliffs—Bonaire isn’t a beach island in general. Here you’re also closer to southern attractions like the Salt Pier, the Salt Pyramids, and Lac Bay.
Other Areas of Bonaire Villa Rentals
Lac Bay—Lac Bay is a nature reserve and so there isn’t too much development in the area. Sorobon Beach Resort is the only place to stay on Lac Bay, and is an excellent choice for a house right on the beach with easy access to plenty of fun activities. Lac Bay is incredible for snorkeling and windsurfing, and it offers a nice beach area for Bonaire. Note that you’ll be far from the action of downtown and amenities. This is our second favorite spot to stay after the Andrea I & II villas.
Rincon—This little town is the oldest town on the island. It’s inland and has a bit of a colonial feel to it. There’s a lot of hiking trails around this area. It’s very quiet around here, but you’re only around 25 minutes’ drive from downtown Kralendijk.
HOTELS BONAIRE & BONAIRE ISLAND RESORTS
There’s no shortage of resorts and hotels on Bonaire. The best resorts in Bonaire do tend to be very expensive, but you can also find a more budget-conscious hotel in Bonaire. This could be the best overall option for you if you’re on a budget since most private accommodation on the island is high-mid to high-end. You can also find Bonaire luxury hotels if you’re not a fan of resorts. Bonaire hotels luxury options include the Bellafonte and Courtyard by Marriott.
North of Town Bonaire Hotels
This is where many of the most popular dive resorts are located. From here, you have quick access to good diving at Bari Reef and Cliff Dive Site. The snorkeling is just so-so. There aren’t many resorts past the main strip besides Caribbean Club Bonaire, so if you want to stay up by Andrea I & II, you’ll want to opt for a vacation rental (see above).
Best resorts and hotels north of town:
- Eden Beach Resort
- Harbour Village Beach Resort
- Buddy Dive Resort
- Hamlet Oasis
- Captain Don’s Habitat
- Bamboo Bonaire
- Caribbean Club Bonaire
Downtown Hotels in Bonaire
Looking for the best hotel Bonaire has to offer in central downtown? The downtown hotels and resorts offer easy access to restaurants and bars for those that like to be in a livelier area. Do be warned—you’ll be close to the cruise ship dock, where hundreds will file in on cruise ship days. There’s only really one resort here since there’s simply less space for resorts downtown. The hotels here are generally well-priced and so could be the best hotels in Bonaire for you if you’re budget conscious.
Best Bonaire hotels and resorts in downtown:
South of Town Hotels on Bonaire
Staying in hotels and resorts around the airport means it doesn’t feel overcrowded, especially on cruise ship days. Surprisingly, there’s not really any noise nuisance from the airport.
Best Bonaire hotel and resort stays south of town:
- Van der Valk Plaza Beach Resort Bonaire
- Bellafonte Luxury Oceanfront Hotel Bonaire
- Delfins Beach Resort Bonaire
Other Areas of Bonaire Resorts & Hotels
Lac Bay is a nature reserve and popular snorkeling and windsurfing destination. The water is shallow and calm for nearly half a mile out. For us, the best resort in Bonaire is the Sorobon.
It’s our second favorite place to stay after the Andrea I & II villas. Not much development around here at all, so there’s only one resort and one hotel by the same name which feel quiet and secluded.
Only resorts and hotels in Lac Bay:
Bonaire All Inclusive Resorts
More interested in an all-inclusive resort Bonaire? Unfortunately, these aren’t too common. There aren’t many all-inclusive resorts in Bonaire as it’s not really known for this like other Caribbean islands, but some resorts do offer an all-inclusive option. Many of the resorts that are not all-inclusive do have on-site restaurants though. We found only two all-inclusive Bonaire resort options on the island.
All-inclusive resorts Bonaire:
Van der Valk Plaza Beach Resort Bonaire
Divi Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino
Best Dive Resorts in Bonaire
Would you prefer to stay at the best dive resort Bonaire? There are tons of these on the island since it’s such a big diving destination. We’ve included only the best Bonaire dive resorts, but there are plenty others.
Best dive resorts Bonaire:
