On this small island, most of the Bonaire snorkeling accommodations are in or near Kralendijk. If you are wondering where to stay for access to the snorkeling, it does not really matter as you will be driving anyway.
There are beach resorts, dive resorts, bed and breakfasts, apartments, condos, and vacation rentals available. Having a kitchen in your unit is common on Bonaire. Some waterfront accommodations have snorkeling directly from their property and though you will likely see fish, most of it does not have live reef, with the exception of staying on Lac Bay.
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Stay at One of the In-Town Resorts
In Kralendijk there are some hotel style beach resorts like Divi Flamingo Beach Resort and Casino, and Plaza Beach and Dive Resort. One benefit to these resorts is that they also have restaurants. In town there are also apartments near or on the waterfront like Bonaire Seaside Apartments, which are easy walking distance to restaurants. You will find the snorkeling is decent from any in town beach, not great.
North of Town Snorkeling Accommodations
On the north end of town there are a series of resorts like Harbour Village Beach Club, Chogogo Dive and Beach Resort, Buddy Dive Resort, Hamlet Oasis Resort, and Eden Beach Resort. In this same area there are some waterfront condos like Sand Dollar Condominiums and Den Laman Condominium. Though you can snorkel from all of these accommodations, we think the best are Hamlet Oasis for Cliff and Den Laman or Chogogo for Bari Reef. Many of these places have on-site restaurants.
Where to Stay South of Town
In Belnem, south of town past the airport, there are some waterfront apartments like Belmar Oceanfront Apartments, Bellafonte Luxury Oceanfront Hotel, and Bonaire Happy Holiday Homes. In this area there are also bed and breakfasts like Oasis Guesthouse Bonaire. Staying in this area requires a drive to get to the restaurants in town. The snorkeling from waterfront resorts in this area is decent, not great.
Snorkeling Accommodations East of Town
On Lac Bay on the east side of the island there is a resort Sorobon Luxury Beach Resort. With a long walk in the water and a lower wind day, you can access great snorkeling from that resort. This accommodation provides restaurants and there are snack bars and another restaurant on Sorobon Beach.
Affordable Apartments and Alternatives
If you are looking for more affordable non-waterfront options look for apartments. A couple more affordable dive oriented accommodations are DiveHut Resort and Caribbean Club Bonaire.
Snorkeling Vacation Rentals
You could also book yourself a vacation rental. They come in all sizes and price ranges. TripAdvisor has many options available.
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Grocery Stores and Restaurants
The more in town you stay the closer you will be to restaurants, which are primarily in Kralendijk. Be sure to bring mosquito repellent to outdoor restaurants in the evenings.
The restaurants on Bonaire are pretty expensive, so we lower the expense by doing some cooking for ourselves, and the grocery stores are well stocked to do so. Most of the large grocery stores are on Kaya Industria. The newest one is called Van Den Tweel and in our experience was great, but many of the labels are in Dutch, so there is a learning curve. Grocery stores do not supply bags, so bring your own, or pay for a reusable one. Sometimes your apartment will have some you can use.