My DH and I will be visiting Bonaire in mid Jan. on a cruise. I have very painful feet due to a chronic condition, and can comfortably only walk short distances, like 50-100 ft---- but swim like a fish. I will be traveling with a small transporter wheelchair. My plan is to take a taxi to a site and we plan on snorkeling with our own equipment. My question involves the best access for my needs. A rocky beach will be a problem, Ladders will be difficult. Any recommendations for short walks, level or sandy beach, or walkway where the chair can be used? I appreciate your help in advance. ~Nancy

Nancy
From the Cruise Dock to Divi's beach is about 600 yds. along the water front road. You can pretty near push your chair right into the water there. :-) It's a very small, but sand beach. The "ZEE BAD" gate at Divi may be locked but you should have no problem getting in.
Mickey

Nancy, you won't need a taxi to go to Divi. Just take your transporter through the gate, it will be open for the Cruise passengers. You can actually get your transporter all the way to the dive shack on the end of the pier and use the step for some great snorkeling. You can snorkel over to the sun pier and when you go around it you will be at the beach and a small bar. Have an adult beverage and then snorkel back to your transporter.

Be careful as the Divi Dive Pier stairs are slippery!

Are we talking stairs as in staircase, or a stair ladder into the water? I've been known to go up and down on my behind if need be. Any photo so I can see what is involved? Once in St Thomas I signed up for the tram ride, only to find a climb of 2 stories up a concrete staircase to get to the ride. No elevator. I went up and down on my butt. Ruining a pair of denim shorts. Uggh. It's good to know things before hand. I was hoping for an entry into the water that doesn't involve stairs, unless it's just a few with a hand rail. any other location suggestions? I've been on Google Earth, and I can see how close we are to the ship, But with stairs, I might otherwise I need to consider another site, or perhaps a boat ride........ Thanks for your comments, I do appreciate them.

Hi nancy at Capt Don's habitat you can take your transporter to the edge of the dock and do a giant step or roll in off the dock.. to come out you could come up the staircase on your butt..any stairs that might be underwater at times will be slippery so do be careful.. I believe Don's will charge you a small charge to use the lockers and outside shower area.. there is a ramp down to the dock area.. this is one of the places that our Wounded warriors dove from so the dive staff are very used to having people with handicaps

there is also a bar on the premise and a restaurant and I believe a spa so you might have more things to do while you are there after your snorkel.. BTW the snorkeling from that site is terrific..

Freddie, thanks--I was able to go to the Capt Don's website and see the location. I'm small enough and DH is brawny enough, I'll get a boost out of the water somehow! Now...it you guys could advise me about my other cruise ports, I'd be all set! Are any of you here familiar with Aruba? I've taken a tour of the island and snorkeled that sunken German boat before - Yikes that water was so cold and rough, barely half of us even got off the boat into the water. It felt like swimming off the Jersey coast in summer when the water rarely makes it over 72 degrees. I was thinking Al and I would taxi out to one of the resorts and use their beach for the afternoon. Any thoughts on these?

Nancy, welcome to Bonaire Talk

Another option would be SandDollar/Den Laman. The dock there is the same as other docks, no stairs to get to the dock. Then the ladder in and out. They also have about 6 small steps that go out to the sea. It's a sandy beach so no rough entry there. Or get in on your butt on the ladder, and come out on the sand and walk up the small set of stairs. I have a pic somewhere, let me see if I can find it.

Hi Nancy, found it. In the picture, just above the sandy area you can see the small set of stairs. There are 5 or 6. There is also a restaurant at Den Laman, which is on the right and open to the water

I'm from NJ and our beaches are not free. So can one go to any of these condo/resorts and just use their steps to get into the water? Free beaches, not a concept I'm familiar with!

So, if we do any of these choices you have suggested, can I leave my chair, shoes etc. with someone/someplace? With a snorkel trip on a boat, I wouldn't have that problem.......

i know at Don's that you could arrange to have the chair taken back to the locker room or to someplace public where it would be safe..you would just have to ask..Or perhaps you could bring a bicyle lock??

Most of the shore dive/snorkel resort locations on Bonaire are free! Capt'n Don's charges for use of some facilities, like the showers.

As noted above Divi is likely within range of your chair. Sand Dollar/Bonaire Dive & Adventure is my favorite (but I am biased by family there!). It has the largest diversity of fish in the Caribbean.

I am sure you will very much enjoy any of these sites you visit.

Nancy, I have no suggestions but do hope that you'll post a trip report. I think your experience will be most helpful for so many others.
Looking forward to hearing all about it - I know it will be Fabulous!!!

Nancy
It seems like no one read what I wrote. I said 600 yds. along the water front to the Divi BEACH. No stairs or slipperiness involved Probably 60 feet to the water from your transport.
Mick

Thank you all for the input. What a generous group you are to respond so timely. Now to check on chat groups like this for the other ports we will visit....Aruba, St Martin, Dominica, and Grenada. We are low key travelers. Don't need the hotels and pools, we like the snorkeling, natural surroundings, botanical gardens and chatting up the locals. This cruise offers us a chance to see many possible choices for future vacations........I'm excited. Hopefully the wheelchair won't be necessary next time.....

I hear ya, Mickey!!! Would I be able to lock up my wheelchair or store it somewhere there?

Nancy, I would imagine you could put it in the dive shop. You might want to email them and ask ahead of time to make sure. Here is their website.

http://www.bonairediveandadventure.com/

Cap Don's is the only one that charges to dive or snorkel the reef. Most do request that you check in with the dive shop to let them know you are there. Sand$ does ask you fill out a disclaimer (which takes about 5 minutes and is worth it).

Back from my cruise. After going to Cap Don's in a taxi with my wheelchair,(and the driver waited until we were sure we could find the dive shop--- nice guy). 2 people directed us to the shop which greeted us with the sign, "Closed. gone diving. back at 4 pm." I was quite upset. I had equipment, DH didn't. I checked their website and was sure we could rent what we needed there. Also in FAQ, they mention snorkeling as an option. After asking what we should do next--an employee said, "we don't rent snorkel equip." Another said, sorry, but we are booked full up and we only take diving boats out. I was trying not to get too upset, our time on the island was getting shorter.....Time for plan B. So we "walked" to Den Lamans and had a great snorkel, friendly staff. Good food in the restaurant, too! Wahoo quesadillas! Vacationing? I recently read to lower your expectations and have plan B ready!

The amazing thing also is that many times Plan B is better than Plan A ever would have been. Glad you had a good time at Den Laman. The snorkeling is truly special out there, isn't it? Thanks for letting us know how it all turned out.