18 Palms Bonaire Snorkeling Guide [Rated + Reviewed]

by Nichole | Last updated Jul 31, 2025 | Bonaire, Best Snorkeling Caribbean

With over 60 dive sites in Bonaire, it can be tough to know where to start. As experienced snorkelers who’ve explored reefs from Belize and Bora Bora to the Maldives and Indonesia, my husband and I have snorkeled countless spots around the world and across Bonaire.

One of our favorite finds? 18 Palms Bonaire. It’s a fantastic site with easy access and plenty to see.

Here’s everything you need to know: how to get there, where to snorkel, and the cool marine life you might encounter.

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Table of Contents

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Bonaire Snorkeling Rating System

We love planning “snorkations.” To help compare all of our snorkeling destinations, I have created a snorkel rating system.

Please see the rating key below.

OVERALL SNORKEL RATING KEY

🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿 = World-class snorkeling and worth traveling just for the snorkeling alone!

🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿 = Incredible snorkeling and should be on your list of top things to do!

🤿 🤿 🤿 = Decent snorkeling and worth the effort!

🤿 🤿 = Worth consideration if you are running out of things to do!

🤿 = Not worth it!

If you love snorkeling as much as we do, this list is for you. These are our 14 favorite places to snorkel in Bonaire, ranked and reviewed.

Snorkeling Map of Bonaire

18 Palms Bonaire Snorkeling

Snorkeling entrance to 18 Palms in Bonaire

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Rating: 🤿 🤿 🤿

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How to Get There

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How to get to 18 Palms in Bonaire

Getting access to 18 Palms can be a bit tricky and honestly, it just comes down to luck.

Here’s why: to snorkel at 18 Palms, you have to go through the Van der Valk Plaza Beach Resort. There’s a guard at the entrance who decides whether non-guests are allowed in on any given day.

One year, we were turned away. The next year, we were let in without a problem.

The resort does offer a $125 day pass, which includes a sunbed, drinks, lunch, two snacks, pool and beach access, and towels.

But we were just looking to snorkel for about an hour, not spend the whole day.

We explained that to the guard, and they directed us to Toucan Diving, the dive shop located on the property.

After checking in there and showing our STINAPA passes, we were allowed to head straight to the beach and snorkel the reef at 18 Palms.

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Snorkeling Map

A map of where to snorkel at 18 Palms

At 18 Palms, we geared up on the small beach just to the left of the rock wall.

My husband and I always bring our own gear, and after years of testing different equipment across multiple snorkeling sites, we’ve narrowed it down to our absolute favorites (you can check out our top picks here!).

From the beach, we walked into the water and around the wall to the right until it was deep enough to slip on our fins.

(See the photo above for a look at the entrance.)

Once in the water, we snorkeled both left and right of the beach. The left side had more concentrated pockets of “fish soup” and a great variety of sea life.

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Entry

18 Palms has one of the easiest entries.

I always wear dive booties, but it does have a sandy bottom.

Water is calm and easy to navigate.

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Bonaire Fish Sightings

Now for the fun part. What can you expect to see?

We spotted large, colorful parrotfish, several schools of feeding blue tang (similar to what we experienced at Bari Reef), a school of bar jacks, juvenile yellowtail damselfish, four-eye butterflyfish, Spanish hogfish, and clusters of tiny fish nurseries.

We also saw big schools of French grunt, which tend to gather around structures like pillars (you’ll often find them at Salt Pier) or tucked into staghorn coral, like we’ve seen at Lac Bay.

As for coral, we came across brain coral, lettuce coral, and even a few patches of elkhorn.

To really make the most of the experience, I always bring my favorite underwater camera!

Colorful parrotfish feeding with blue tang at 18 Palms in Bonaire

Brightly colored juvenile yellowtail damselfish at 18 Palms

School of French grunt

Snorkeling with a school of bar jacks at 18 Palms

Large colorful parrotfish posing for my camera

Fish nursery

Close up of blue tang at 18 Palms

Snorkeling with a large school of blue tang in shallow waters at 18 Palms

Final Thoughts

Snorkeling in Bonaire is an absolute must. It’s hands-down my favorite activity on the island!

18 Palms was a fun and rewarding snorkel spot, filled with plenty of “fish soup” to explore. The water is shallow, the entry is easy, and there’s a lot to see.

The only catch?

Access can be a bit unpredictable. Unless you’re a guest at the resort or purchase a day pass, getting in depends entirely on the hotel guard that day. Sometimes you’re lucky, sometimes not.

I’m Nichole, the author of all the blog posts on Enriching Pursuits. Think of me as your geeky discerning travel friend who dives deep (Google Page 20, forums, travel groups deep!) to uncover the best ways to enjoy exceptional outdoor adventures and foodie experiences.

My husband and I are experienced snorkelers, day hikers, and casual cyclists who also love delicious street food, an incredible glass of wine, and the occasional Michelin-starred meal.

Balancing full-time careers, we cherish every second of our vacation days and love sharing tips to help you do the same. If this sounds like your kind of travel, subscribe below or drop me a note with any questions. I’d love to hear from you!