1000 Steps

Named for the steep staircase entry — 67 actual steps that feel like a thousand with full gear — leading down to a wall dive that drops from a shallow terrace to beyond 30 metres, with healthy coral gardens and consistent marine life.

Overview

1000 Steps (BNMP #16) is one of Bonaire’s most recognisable dive sites, set on the northwest coast just south of the Washington Slagbaai National Park boundary. The name is the joke: there are 67 stone steps cut into the limestone cliff, but after a full dive in tropical heat with tanks on your back, the climb back up earns the exaggeration. Below the surface, the site features a classic Bonaire wall profile — a shallow terrace at 6–9 metres descends into a steep drop-off that continues past 30 metres. The reef is in good condition with dense hard-coral formations including brain and staghorn corals, gorgonians, and sea whips. The site is more than just the wall: the sandy beach and calm conditions in the shallows make it a frequent snorkelling stop, and the site can be dived at night without the stair penalty being an issue.

Site Information

• Location: Northwest Bonaire, BNMP Site #16
• Entry Type: Shore entry
• Site Type: Wall dive
• Difficulty Level: Intermediate
• Maximum Depth: 30 meters
• Typical Visibility: 20–30 metres
• Current: Usually light
• Best Time: Morning for calm conditions; arrive early to claim parking

Marine Life

Regular sightings include barracuda, large tarpon in the shallows, sea turtles, and schools of blue tangs. Porcupine fish, trumpet fish, parrotfish, angelfish, and sergeant majors are common on the wall and terrace. Moray eels inhabit crevices in the reef. The sandy beach zone is worth checking for flounder and garden eels. Night dives reveal octopus and lobsters.

Dive Profile

Descend the stairs to the sandy beach and enter the water from shore. Swim out to the reef edge at around 6–9 metres and follow the wall northward or southward as preferred. Most of the productive diving is in the 9–25 metre range along the wall face. The slope continues steeply past 30 metres but offers little additional benefit for recreational divers. Plan a relaxed out-and-back profile — the site rewards slow observation rather than distance.

Entry and Exit

The 67-step staircase from the road-level parking area is the only shore entry. The steps can be slippery when wet; take your time and use the rail. With a full kit, most divers make two trips — fins down first, then tanks. Boat entry is available as an alternative and eliminates the stair challenge. Exit is at the same beach.

Tips

• Arrive early — the limited parking fills up, and mornings are cooler for the stair carry
• Consider boat access if knee or hip issues make the stair carry uncomfortable
• The wall is to the right (south) after entry; swim left along the terrace for the sandy areas and garden eels
• Night dives here are very accessible given the easy beach entry once gear is staged
• Bring a dive light for crevices at any time of day

Safety

The staircase demands care in wet conditions. The drop-off begins fairly quickly after entry — maintain buoyancy awareness from the moment you leave the terrace. Current is usually light but can pick up at depth. Always carry an SMB on the open-water sections of the wall.

Photography

The wall is excellent for wide-angle reef-and-diver compositions with strong ambient light in the morning. The terrace coral formations photograph well at shallower depths. Tarpon in the blue alongside the drop-off are a classic Bonaire shot. Macro subjects — moray eels, arrow crabs — are plentiful in the reef structure.

Nearby Sites

Karpata lies a short drive north and shares a similar wall profile. La Denia’s Leap and Weber’s Joy / Witches Hut are in the same northern corridor. The Washington Slagbaai National Park boundary is just north of the site.

Sources: Divers-Guide – Thousand Steps, Sunwise Bonaire – 1000 Steps, Scuba Diving Smiles – Bonaire Northern Sites. Last updated 2026-05-24.