Lac Bay Bonaire Snorkeling Guide [Rated + Reviewed]

All of my snorkeling guides contain my personal snorkel rating key (including Lac Bay), which of course, is subjective. What you see in this magical underwater world of ours all depends on the day, time, and ocean conditions. 

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!

Fellow snorkel lovers, this one’s for you.

We’ve explored Bonaire top to bottom and narrowed it down to our top 14 must-visit snorkeling sites, complete with rankings and reviews.

The map above provides a quick overview of where Lac Bay is located on Bonaire. It’s one of the few snorkeling spots situated on the island’s eastern side.

Figuring out where to park and how to access the reef can be a bit challenging and does take some effort, but it’s manageable with the right guidance.

As you can see from the map above, there are two options for parking.

One option is to park at Jibe City and walk in between the two sets of buildings until you reach the water.

The second option is to park at an unmarked, unofficial sand parking lot BEFORE you reach Bistro Sorobon.

When we were there, someone had lined up large boulders in a line to designate the area but left enough space for a car to squeeze through. 

After you park in the sandy lot, walk towards the inlet and AROUND the periphery towards the RIGHT (see photo above) until you see a little sandy path.

This path leads to the dilapidated fish shack.

Your entry point is to the left of the fish shack.

It’s going to take some effort to reach the reef. 

Walk about 15-20 minutes straight out into the bay until you are about waist deep or you start to see patches of tube sponge coral.

Put on your fins and begin snorkeling in the direction of the wave break over the reef.

Be sure to keep a safe distance from the actual break point. Do not get too close.

Follow the reef along the area where the waves are crashing, and you’ll eventually reach what I like to call the “staghorn forest.”

It’s a thick, vibrant stretch of staghorn coral so dense, you can even spot it from satellite images!

See my map above.

Do NOT swim over the staghorn coral.

Lac Bay is world-renowned for windsurfing, which also means it’s not a good idea to snorkel here on particularly windy days.

If you’re entering the water from Jibe City, use caution and be very aware of windsurfers. The walk out to the reef takes about 15 to 20 minutes, and it’s important to stay alert as you make your way through the shallow water.

Avoid snorkeling right after entering the bay. Windsurfers may not be able to see you.

Instead, stay upright and continue walking until the water gets deeper or you begin to see coral formations beneath you.

We decided to skip the challenge of dodging windsurfers and chose to enter the water from the fish shack instead.

There are no windsurfers in that area, which made for a much more relaxed and safe entry.

While the walk out to the reef is a bit longer from there, it felt well worth it not having to worry about the risk of a windsurfer crossing our path.

We did not enter at Jibe City, but I have heard the entry is easy with a sandy bottom.

The entry point at the fish shack was straightforward and very shallow.

You’ll walk through some seagrass on the way, so wearing dive booties is a good idea.

It might feel like a long walk, but you’ll reach the reef before you know it.

The photo above gives you a good idea of how far you need to walk before you can start snorkeling the reef at Lac Bay.

I took it looking back toward both of the entry points.

Just a heads-up: snorkeling here is definitely a workout!

Between the long walk through shallow water and the bit of wave action while snorkeling, my legs were sore for a couple of days afterward. But, it was totally worth it.

Also, we never rent snorkeling gear. We always bring our own tried-and-tested equipment, which we’ve used across multiple snorkeling trips.

If you’re curious, I’ve linked my personal gear recommendations here. These are the exact items I trust and bring on every snorkel adventure.

The swim out at Lac Bay is shallow, which makes it great for snorkelers. While we did experience a bit of wave chop, it was nothing we couldn’t comfortably manage.

Visibility was excellent, allowing us to fully enjoy the reef.

If you’re a coral lover, this is your place. We saw a wide variety, including tube sponges, elkhorn, brain, staghorn, and a few scattered sea fans.

As always, I brought along our trusted underwater camera (the same one we use on all our snorkel trips!) to capture the vibrant marine life we encountered.

Some of the highlights included two barracudas (one large, one small), a pair of Caribbean reef squid, and an adorable porcupinefish with those unforgettable big eyes.

Other fish we spotted included a banded butterflyfish, blue tang, sergeant majors, trumpetfish, and French grunts.

Although we didn’t spot any octopuses or rays during our snorkel, other visitors have reported seeing them at Lac Bay. Keep your eyes peeled!

Spending a day at Lac Bay easily earns a spot on our list of the top 11 things to do in Bonaire.

We’re always excited to explore new snorkeling spots, and while the 20-minute walk out to the reef might seem challenging at first, don’t let it stop you. If you’re reasonably fit and comfortable in the water, the experience is well worth the effort.

That said, while Lac Bay was definitely enjoyable, we personally found other sites such as Angel City and Klein Bonaire to offer even more exceptional snorkeling.

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Questions about our Lac Bay snorkeling experience?  

Let me know in the comments below!