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Hola! Welcome to the Hot List by Hotala!
The Hot List by Hotala is meant to inspire people of all backgrounds to get up and explore the beauty of the world around them. To us, the demographic doesn’t matter. Whether you’re a pioneering adventurer or a dreamer with a bucket list, a family looking for their next vacation spot, or a couple hoping to relax at an exclusive getaway, The Hot List has something for everyone!
In today’s newsletter, you’ll visit the best in Caribbean destinations diving right from the comfort of your house. Our researchers had a lot of fun learning about these top-3 diving paradises. We hope you’ll enjoy reading about them as much as we enjoyed writing about them!
And so, without further ado, we give you…The Hot List: Top 3 Islands for Destination Diving in the Caribbean!
Diving Destinations in Caribbean (Photo Credit: @gaiascuba, @marce_ochoa_franco, and @dive.to.travel)
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Curacao
Hop on a boat to Klein Curacao!
Curacao is the largest of the three “ABC” islands that make up the southwestern coast of the Caribbean Sea (the other two being Aruba and Bonaire). Curacao is a splendid Dutch Caribbean paradise with a little bit of everything for everyone, with easy, beautiful beaches that make it a favorite with snorkelers and divers in particular.
One of Curacao’s most eye-catching features is the gorgeous, colorful fringe reef surrounding its entire circumference. In fact, one of the most popular events on the island’s calendar takes place sometime between September and October. During this time, 7 days after the full moon, you can watch as the island’s coral begins to bloom and spawn!
Waters in Curacao are mostly calm, with visibilities ranging between 50-100 feet in the water. This makes conditions excellent for observing coral reefs, macro life, and marine life. You’ll find that most dives on Curacao range between 16 to 262 feet deep, and those surface temperatures are mostly warm throughout the year (averaging at mid-80 F in the summer and late-70 F in the winter).
Here are some of the exciting diving sites that this lovely paradise has to offer:
Alice in Wonderland, Curacao (Photo Credit: @misterbucketlist)
Klein, Curacao (Photo Credit: @novamadesco)
Superior Producer, Curacao (Photo Credit: @denisevallipuram)
Deep dive into Curacao’s wonders
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Bonaire
Explore a 236 ft long freighter wreck at Hilma Hooker!
The second island on this list is the second of the ABC islands mentioned earlier. Whereas Curacao had a little bit of everything for everyone, the main focus on the island of Bonaire is its watersports—particularly its diving. So much so, in fact, that Bonaire is commonly known as the “shore diving capital of the world”! What’s even better is that nearly all of the diving sites on Bonaire are completely beginner friendly. Bonaire’s diving infrastructure is meticulously maintained, and all 60 of its diving sites are easily accessible by a single main road that runs the entire length of the island.
Bonaire is usually available to divers throughout the year. Yet despite officially lying below the hurricane belt, the island has been known to have the odd storm or two between the months of June and November. Marine life in Bonaire is mostly relegated to small and medium-sized reef life, with some notable macro subjects.
However, what cements Bonaire’s reputation as the shore diving capital of the world is the freedom it offers its divers. All dive sites are marked with a large yellow stone with the site’s name and range between “easy access” to “extreme.” Whether you prefer a boat dive or shore dive depends on your own preferences.
Here is a list of some of Bonaire’s most well-loved diving sites:
Hilma Hooker, Bonaire (Photo Credit: @stan_de_haas_photography)
Karpata, Bonaire (Photo Credit: keithclyall)
Klein, Bonaire (Photo Credit: @valescavanzwieten)
Deep dive into Bonaire’s beauty
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Roatan
Swim through underwater mazes at Mary’s Place!
Located just off the coast of Honduras, Roatan is the largest and most developed of the Bay Islands. It is also the Caribbean’s best-kept secret. With more than 100 dive sites that cater to divers of every experience level, Roatan offers the best of both nature and luxury. Indeed, with its pristine beaches, warm waters, and rich marine life, how could we not make Roatan our number 1?
You may be surprised to know that Roatan‘s reputation as the Caribbean’s best-kept secret is more than just a modern occurrence. The island had successfully managed to stay out of European colonizers’ way for much of its history. However, its eventual colonization has created a unique modern Garifuna culture. Locals speak English, Creole, and Spanish, making it more accessible to tourists of various backgrounds altogether.
Based at the foot of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, Roatan has some of the healthiest coral reefs in the Caribbean. Diving in the Bay Islands offers a variety of hard and soft corals, with beautiful tropical fish, macro life, and turtles. In addition, Roatan’s shark dives are not to be missed under any circumstance. Some resorts in Roatan even offer dolphin dives where semi-wild dolphins play and interact with divers on the ocean floor!
Here are our top diving spots in Roatan!
Mary’s Place, Roatan (Photo Credit: @roatandivecenter)
Dolphin’s Den (Photo Credit: @mocean_art_)
El Aguila, Roatan (Photo Credit: @estherabad9)
More Featured Photos
(Photo Credit: @jordanakellerr)
(Photo Credit: @central.dive.curacao)
(Photo Credit: @unterwasserfrank)
(Photo Credit: @subwaywatersports)
(Photo Credit: @wadson_reis)
(Photo Credit: roatan-diving.com)
(Photo Credit: @bluefinncharters)
(Photo Credit: Stubble Photography)[Hottest]
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And that’s our Top 3 Islands for Destination Diving in the Caribbean!
Whether your personal idea of heaven sounds like sunbathing on the white, sandy beaches of Curacao, shore diving off the coasts of Klein Bonaire, or playing with the sharks and dolphins in Roatan, we hope that you thoroughly enjoyed reading this week’s version of The Hot List!
If you read anything this week that caught your fancy, please consider forwarding this newsletter to friends and family. After all, dreams are always better when they are shared.
Until next week, enjoy and safe travels,
Team Hotala
One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.
Henry Miller
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