Diving enthusiasts seeking a memorable underwater experience can find spectacular destinations throughout the Caribbean, but here are five locations that experts typically include on their lists of all-time favorites.
Whether you’re an experienced diver, a first-timer or have kids in tow, partnering up with a dive operator that is certified by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) is always a good idea. Most operators offer one-, two- and three-tank dives.
Night dives, scuba lessons and equipment rental are typically available. For those who prefer an underwater experience without the fuss of oxygen tanks, snorkeling is often an option. Some hotels and resorts offer both accommodations and diving packages.
1. Shore diving in Bonaire
Located in the Netherlands Antilles, Bonaire is a small island in the southern Caribbean. When Capt. Don Stewart, an avid diver and marine enthusiast, established the first dive operation on Flamingo Beach in 1962, he began Bonaire’s diving industry.
The shores of the Bonaire National Marine Park offer pristine reefs, sea grass beds and mangroves and an abundance of mountainous star corals. Divers will find leaf and scroll corals with fine stands of black coral. There are a number of small wall dives along the coast. A $25 Marine Park tag is required by all divers ($10 for snorkeling); this allows access for one calendar year.
Shore diving is one of the least expensive ways to explore the island’s clear, turquoise waters. With visibility averaging more than 100 feet, divers of any experience can enjoy the reefs near shore. To haul your gear for shore diving (or to visit other attractions), it’s best to have a rental vehicle to get around in.
Stay: Plaza Resort Bonaire. Offers dive programs such as unlimited one-day shore diving, includes tanks and weight, $135, 1-800-766-6016, www.plazaresortbonaire.com/
Eat: Banana Tree Restaurant, at Plaza Resort Bonaire. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Offers buffet breakfast 6:30-11 a.m.
Dive operator: Bonaire Dive & Adventure. Six boat dives, including equipment rental and unlimited tanks for six days $270. Kaya Gobernador N. Debrot 77A, Bonaire. 011-599-717-2229, www.diveandadventure.com
Info: infobonaire.com
2. Santa Rosa Wall, Cozumel, Mexico
Twelve miles off the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, this island is primarily an undeveloped jungle with beautiful white beaches and clear azure water for great diving and snorkeling. It resembles an aquarium full of marine life. Divers will be awed by an abundance of colorful corals and bright sponges, many varieties and sizes of tropical fish, groupers up to 20 pounds, intimidating barracudas and even a few sharks. This is a popular deep drift dive area with visibility up to 200 feet and features reefs, caves, tunnels, swim-throughs and a wall that drops 40 to 160 feet. Since this is a fairly deep diving area, the sport is recommended for those with intermediate skill level.
Stay: Casita de Maya. Boutique hotel with several restaurants within walking distance. 65 Ave. Bis x Blvd. Aeropuerto | Quintana Roo, Cozumel 77600. 281-214-1122, www.casitademaya.com
Eat: Diego's Family Restaurant. Serving Mexican cuisine 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Adjacent to Casita de Maya
Dive operator: Aqua Safari, Rafael Melgar Avenue between Fifth and Seventh Streets South, 011-52-987-872-0101 www.aquasafari.com; dive trip departure site — two-tank dives $70; add a third-tank dive to a shallow reef $12.
Info: islacozumel.com.mx
3. Mona and Desecheo Islands, Puerto Rico
A 360-acre island that lies uninhabited in Mona Passage, a strait between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, Desecheo Island was discovered by Christopher Columbus. After a 45-minute boat ride from Puerto Rico, divers can enjoy more than 100-foot visibility to explore caverns and unexploded artillery amidst bright coral and sponges. Diving is aimed at experienced divers due to possible strong currents.
The tiny 25-square-mile Mona Island, on the south side of Mona Passage, is a five-hour boat ride from Boquerón, a coastal town on Puerto Rico. Overnight camping is permitted on the uninhabited island. In addition to five miles of very white beaches, it also features mangrove forests, spectacular coral reefs, sea fans and a profusion of reef fish. It has an unusual marine-originated cave system, the largest in the world.
Stay: Parador Boquemar, End of Rt 100, Int Rt 101, Poblado Boquerón, Cabo Rojo, PR 787-851-2158, www.boquemar.com/DefaultEng.htm — English- and Spanish-speaking staff
Eat: La Cascada Restaurant. Serves Creole and Continental cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Located in the Parador Boquemar Resort. 787-851-2158
Dive operator: Mona Aquatics, near the Parador Boquemar Resort, Carretera 101, Boquerón, Cabo Rojo, PR — offers two-day dives. $75-$115 per person. 787-851-2185, www.monaaquatics.com
Info: gotopuertorico.com
4. Blue Hole, Belize
This well-known diving destination came into the public eye in 1972 by French ecologist Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Sixty miles from Belize City in the Blue Hole National Monument, it is the largest underwater circular limestone sinkhole in the world. It has a 300-foot diameter and is almost 450 feet deep. As divers go deeper into the dark blue abyss, they can observe detailed stalactites that hang where the top of caves once exited, along with unusual limestone formations. Also, it is one of the most diverse reef ecosystems in the world with exotic marine life and many types of reefs. It surrounds the hole, extending 1,000 feet in diameter with two channels for boats to navigate through. It takes about two hours to reach the site by boat. When diving at 120 feet, the water is very cold — wet suits are required. Recommended for experienced divers.
Stay: La Perla Del Caribe Resort, San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, Belize. Two- to five-bedroom villas, close to beaches. Grocery provisions available. 011-677-9999 http://laperladelcaribe.com
Eat: Rojo Lounge. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. San Pedro, North Ambergris Caye. 011-501-226-4012, www.azulbelize.com/rojo.html
Dive operator: Aqua Dives Belize, across from the airstrip of Sunbreeze Beach Hotel, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. Three-tank dive, $185-$203. 011-501-226-3415, www.aquadives.com
Info: travelbelize.org
5. West Caicos Wall, Turks & Caicos Islands
Almost 600 miles southeast of Miami in the British West Indies, eight environmentally protected islands make up this country where English is the official language. Providenciales, also known as Provo, is the most developed of the islands and has a large amount of coral reefs, which have made it a place divers seek out.
The West Caicos Wall is not far from shore and features a spectacular vertical drop to a 7,000-foot abyss. In addition to the unique area terrain that includes extensive marshes and mangrove swamps, divers can see eagle rays, manta rays, humpback whales and an occasional shipwreck. Reefs are also near shore for convenient beach diving. “There are no strong currents, the water surface is smooth and the reef is close to the shore — great for families,” said Philippe “Fifi” Kunz, owner of Caicos Adventures, a dive outfitter in Providenciales.
Stay: Sands at Grace Bay Resort. Hotel and dive package: three-night/two-day, two tanks. Seasonal rates range from $525-$1,000. Turks and Caicos Islands, British West Indies. 877-777-2637, www.thesandsresort.com
Eat: Hemingway's, a casual beachfront restaurant open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. for breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Sands at Grace Bay Resort. Menu items include conch chowder and pan- seared fresh grouper with veggie salsa. www.thesandsresort.com/content/dining/default.aspx
Dive operator: Caicos Adventures. Two-tank dives range from $85-$125. La Petite Place, Grace Bay Road, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, British West Indies. 649-941-3346, www.tcidiving.com
Info: turksandcaicos tourism.com
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