Looking to stay someplace charming, cozy and uniquely Caribbean on your next dive trip to Bonaire?

Bruce Bowker’s Carib Inn, founded in 1980 by one of Bonaire’s original dive pioneers, is all of that and more. The legendary Bruce Bowker first began exploring the island’s dive sites in the 1970s, when Bonaire diving was in its infancy. He devoted his life to Bonaire’s dive development, saving Klein Bonaire from developers and to the global dive industry at large. Today, Bruce Bowker’s Carib Inn is a one-stop shop for the island’s best diving — and all the tropical relaxation you crave between dives, too. And while Bruce passed away in 2020 after a tragic fall while working on a renovation project, his legacy and spirit still live on at the resort. Guests who have been arriving to dive here for decades share stories and enjoy their best underwater and topside lives at a resort where the best scuba diving experience is simply second nature.

Today, Bruce’s niece, Lynne Culbreth, welcomes guests to the one-of-a-kind family resort and onsite PADI 5-star dive facility, where you’ll find many of the same staff members have been working here for decades as loyal clientele arrive year after year to a place that always feels like coming home to family.

Carib Inn is a waterfront property that is centrally located on Bonaire, a short stroll from the restaurants, bars and shops of the pretty little town of Kralendijk. The resort’s two dive boats make it easy to access the island’s famous dive sites to the north and south, as well as those off Klein Bonaire. And divers can look forward to enjoying two one-tank boat dives scheduled daily and departing right from the resort dock. Unlimited bottom time is a thing here — not only during shore dives on the fabulous house reef, a mere 50 feet offshore, but on the scheduled boat dives, too, where you’ll never be rushed to end a dive. The dive boat staff allow you to enjoy the underwater views as long as your dive computer safely allows.

Shore diving is also a favorite pastime for guests at Bruce Bowker’s Carib Inn. A ladder descending from the resort’s dock makes it easy and comfortable to enter the water with your gear and make the short swim to the house reef to spot turtles, octopus and other classic Bonaire marine life. If you plan your visit for the days right after the full moon, you can look forward to seeing a rare ocean phenomenon during shore dives, too. Ostracods (tiny seed shrimp) light up the waters during night dives during a magical underwater experience that only happens here and a few other places on Earth.

Rooms at the resort make it easy to settle in and get comfortable during your stay, whether you’re visiting for a couple of days, a week or longer. Almost all rooms have full kitchens (there are a few with kitchenettes only) should you prefer to cook meals in a few nights, for a break from the island’s admittedly fabulous dining scene in Kralendijk. Two stand-alone houses at the resort — the Blue House and Green House — have three and four bedrooms, respectively, and beautiful private outdoor patios and gardens. They’re ideal for groups of divers who want to stay together in a setting that truly feels like your dive home away from home.

The resort’s onsite dive shop is known for being one of the best on the island not only for retail therapy but also for any gear repairs you might need (another legacy of Bruce Bowker, who was a wiz on the tools).

After a great day’s diving and enjoying the resort’s lovely swimming pool, there’s only one place to wind down — the property’s waterfront gazebo, where friends new and old swap fish stories and toast the setting sun, along with another epic dive day done.

Contact

+599-717-8819

[email protected]

caribinn.com