Bonaire's flashier neighbour deserves equal billing for beginners: dozens of pocket-sized coves on the west coast — Playa Kenepa Grandi is the pin-up — drop onto healthy reef within a few fin-kicks of the sand. The Tugboat wreck at Caracas Bay sits in five metres of water, shallow enough for snorkellers to tour. Between swims there's Willemstad's pastel Dutch waterfront, a UNESCO site with proper restaurants. Below the hurricane belt, it's reliable year-round; hire a car to beach-hop.
Featured in Ten tropical snorkel and dive spots perfect for first-timers · Tropical