Warm, crystal-blue waters, unmatched marine life, and countless dive sites – these are the main reasons divers love the Caribbean. Then there’s also the sunshine, relaxed atmosphere and lots of resorts created especially for divers. Choosing the right place to stay will make your Caribbean dive vacation simpler and more fun. Experienced and attentive divemasters, being close to the sea’s best treasures and basic hotel amenities for a comfortable stay – that’s what you need. Here’s a list of 7 Caribbean dive resorts where you can surely have a wonderful holiday.
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1. Sunset House, Grand Cayman
This lovely boutique hotel is located in George Town, a 15-minute walk from the center. It’s not a large, luxurious resort, but a cozy, family-owned hotel where you can feel welcome. The hotel staff is friendly and caring, instructors professional and experienced. Rooms at the Sunset House are simple but comfy. First of all, though, there’s a great sea pool and marvelous shore entry points. Many fabulous sites can easily be reached from the hotel by boat and straight from the coast. 30 meters off the coast from Sunset there’s the wreck Mermaid, one of the divers’ and snorkelers’ favorite spots. For another kind of water fun, the hotel features a pool with a waterfall and Jacuzzi. In case you want to rest on land, enjoy the heavenly food, drinks, and views of the Caribbean Sea in the bar.
2. Green Turtle Club, Bahamas
In the crystal-blue water surrounding Abaco Bahamas, you can find exceptional reefs and astonishing abundance of sea life. On the little island called Green Turtle Cay, located in the Outer Abacos, there’s a great resort & marina complex offering access to these beauties. Green Turtle Club features lovely bungalows and waterfront villas, a fantastic pool and variety of hotel amenities, yet what’s most important for divers, is the Brendal’s Dive Center. In 2006 the center received the prestigious Bahamas Tourism Cacique Award and no wonder it did so. Both the owner and other instructors are friendly, experienced and able to motivate their students, even those who find it a bit difficult to get started with diving. Not only the perfect guiding, but the sites themselves are very convincing too: enchanting caves, lionfish, dolphins, turtles and lots of other gems. Whether you’re a master of diving or it’s your first Caribbean dive vacation, Green Turtle Club is the right choice.
3. Turneffe Island Resort, Belize
Belize, comfortable rooms, private villas, restaurant, and spa are available for the guests of the Turneffe Island Resort. It’s not only a hotel though, but a diver’s heaven. Within a few minutes from the resort, you can find over 70 fabulous sites, including the famous Elbow and the sunken shuttle wreck Sayonara. Colorful reefs and the variety of marine life are amazing. The resort has an exclusive program offering 15 dives a week. There’s a possibility to rent diving equipment as well as underwater cameras. Certified instructors always support their students, help in managing the equipment and point out the greatest examples of local marine life, from eagle rays, loggerhead turtles, and giant grouper to nurse and reef sharks.
4. Bohio Dive Resort, Turks & Caicos
Located on the stunning island of Grand Turk, Bohio Dive Resort is surrounded by pristine waters with excellent visibility. Marine life in these deep-blue depths is wonderfully abundant: divers may brush their shoulders with large animals such as humpback whales, turtles, dolphins, or smaller fish, like batfish, seahorse, scorpion fish and trumpet fish. Numerous sites situated nearby the resort call out to be explored: wrecks, old anchors, walls covered with coral and other jewels. A unique opportunity to dive during the night is available too. Shore entry is possible, but in case a boat is needed, it picks you up from right in front of your room. As for those, they’re comfy and offer lovely views of the sea. In case you want to take a rest from diving, in the Bohio Dive Resort, you surely won’t have a problem with looking for activities: rest on the beach, get a massage in the spa, try horseback riding or have a drink at the waterfront bar.
5. Anthony’s Key Resort, Honduras
Roatan, where the Anthony’s Key Resort is situated, attracts divers from all over the world. This stunning island is a favorite spot for water sports enthusiasts, much of its tourism revolves around diving and sailing. Anthony’s Key Resort features over 50 lovely bungalows located on a small, private isle, from where you can catch a water taxi and, anytime you want, get to the mainland within two minutes. Dive boats depart from the main dock in the resort’s center several times a day. Nearby sites are terrific and diverse, from large shipwrecks and deep fissures to tranquil eel gardens and shallow terraces. In the blue depths, you may pass by an eagle ray, a sea turtle or an occasional migrating whale shark. Take your children for the Caribbean dive vacation – Anthony’s Key Resort offers perfect programs for the little ones on their way to discovering a new passion. After a day (or night, because night excursions are available) of diving, relax by the swimming pool, get a spa treatment, join the local fiesta or try out a new sport, like horseback riding, kayaking or golfing.
6. Lions Dive & Beach Resort, Curacao
With the access to Curacao’s clear waters, Lions Dive & Beach Resort is a beautiful place to spend a Caribbean dive vacation at. It’s located right next to the famous Seaquarium and Dolphin Academy, where you can take a part in interactive programs with turtles, sharks, sea lions and adorable dolphins. Through the resort’s beach you can easily practice shore diving and for the trips requiring a vehicle, there’s a marina full of boats and daily departures. In case something’s missing in your equipment, there’s a shop with all the diving and snorkeling gear you might need, as well as quality rental and repair station. Lions Dive & Beach Resort features a spa, body wellness club, bars and restaurants to keep you busy before and after dives. Accommodation is available in rooms, suites, apartments and a luxurious penthouse.
7. Scuba Club Cozumel, Cozumel
This gorgeous dive resort, based on the idyllic Mexican island of Cozumel, is surrounded by vibrant blue waters. There’s lots of various species living in the blue depths of the sea and you don’t even have to go far to find them, fabulous diving is possible offshore of the resort. The nearby iron limestone wall is a home for lobsters, crabs, colorful reef fish, octopus, and seahorse. For further explorations, Scuba-Cozumel offers dive boats with all the necessary equipment. Three times a day the dive masters organize trips to the fascinating sites that can be reached through a 10-50 minute boat ride. Scuba Club Cozumel features spacious rooms designed in Mexican style. There’s also a restaurant serving local delights and Mexican beach parties.
