Captain Don's Habitat Bonaire reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

4.0 Very Good

  • Cleanliness 4.0
  • Location 4.7
  • Rooms 3.9
  • Service 4.0
  • Value 4.0

810 TripAdvisor reviews

TripAdvisor users rated this property 3 out of 5

Habitat under stress

LakeEireOhio (Lakewood, Ohio) on Mar 21, 2026

Captain Don’s is an iconic dive resort and was the first of its kind when it opened. It has many unique features such as dive freedom where you’re allowed to dive anytime you want with unlimited tanks. The house reef is a great place to learn and refine your skills. There are two sides to captain Don’s, the original, which has a tired and dated feel and the new side, which is much more upscale. We stayed in a two bedroom bungalow, and while it met our needs and had good air conditioning and water pressure, it truly felt dated with worn and tired furniture. The restaurant is still attractive and has a wonderful setting on the water but is in need of maintenance. The morning breakfast is 1.5 stars out of 5. The staff has a hard time keeping up with the morning demand of coffee and keeping the buffet supplied. Lunch and dinner share the same menu and is fairly limited. The restaurant is its own business and you either need to pay after each meal or fill out a request to have everything charged to your room. From an accounting standpoint, it’s just easier to use a credit card. The restaurant has a reputation on the island as being average. We booked our dinners at the other surrounding resorts for variety and increase dining experience. The island has changed in the last 10 years. With the introduction of significant Dutch and Chinese money, there are new resorts that compete with Captain Don’s. What sticks out at the resort is the dive operation, the ease of getting on and off the boats, shore diving, and a very accommodating staff.

TripAdvisor users rated this property 5 out of 5

Fun DMs, Delicious Food, Great Rooms

Evan S on Mar 15, 2026

Captain Dons is an awesome place to spend a Bonaire vacation, I've gone this year and last year in January, the divemasters are loads of fun, never had a bad meal there, and the bungalows are very nice. You can also rent out a truck and take tanks for shore diving if you don't want to do more charters. The cleaning staff does a marvelous job and they work very hard. Additionally it's very secure and safe, do however bring a lock for dive gear down in the locker area and to be sure don't keep anything expensive outside. 10/10 spot, happy diving.

TripAdvisor users rated this property 3 out of 5

Mixed review

Erik F on Mar 10, 2026

Rooms are outdated with annoying defects Price/performance not good. Rumrunners is good with near perfect personal. Dive shop and personal are the reason we come here!,

TripAdvisor users rated this property 5 out of 5

Still crazy after all these years!

roelofprins (Brussels, Belgium) on Mar 09, 2026

Still crazy after all these years! Captain Don’s Habitat remains one of the best diving destinations on Bonaire. Even after 50 years, it still is vibrant, has superb accommodations, a great restaurant with a mean burger and the island’s ultimate chicken Caesar salad, a really fun bar (try the hot smoked rincon!) and, of course, an unequalled diving operation. The dive masters are super helpful and make diving fun for all ages and experience levels. I was certified in 1977 and have seen lots of dive operations. This is one of the best. Loved it, and will be back!

TripAdvisor users rated this property 5 out of 5

Loved our villa

731emman on Feb 28, 2026

Had such a wonderful time! Our group of 7 rented one villa and one room which was perfect. The mix of shore diving and boat dives were all beautiful. The staff were friendly and helpful. Dive during the day, cocktail and food after, and nights spent on the villa’s patio made for the perfect trip. Snorkeling right off the pier was great for a couple members of our group who don’t dive.

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