Harbour Village

came from Caracas and built the resort and developed it. It opened in 1990. They ended up managing it, as well, and the second generation manages it today.” Harbour Village Beach Club is a collection of a few private residences, some rentable beach houses, and dozens of beachfront and mari- na-side suites and rooms. “60 percent of our guests come from the U.S.; about 35 percent from Holland; and the other 5 percent from other places,” says Gonzalez. The resort is open all year round, and guests have access to the Club’s amenities, including its seaside restau- rant, La Balandra; its two swimming pools; its spa and fitness center; its water sports center; and its 60-slip marina with mega-yacht dock. Central to the resort’s offerings is its 5-Star PADI Instructor Development Dive Center - Great Adventures Bonaire. “Most hotels on Bo- naire are dive hotels,” Gonzalez affirms. “They’re attracting divers and that’s the main focus of their business. And our dive shop is very profes- sional and complete.” Great Adventures offers instructional courses for all levels and two daily boat drives on two custom-built dive boats - a 30’ Island Hopper and a 46’ Newton - to any one THE HARBOUR VILLAGE BEACH CLUB PHOTO: FREDRICO CABELLO of the island’s 90-plus dive sites. “We have great diving,” states Gonzalez. “You have your suite on the beach, you walk out on the beach, you walk to the dive pier, which is right there, hop on the boat, and go diving, if you like. Shore diving is also possible right from Harbour Village’s beach with a dive site located next to the hotel.We have concierge dive services, as well, which means we have a private concierge for guests that takes care of their equipment from the time they check in to the time they check out.” Those services include: preparing and loading equipment on boats, unloading equipment from boats, preparing and transporting equipment to the entrance for shore diving excursions off property, and rinsing, storing, and preparing equipment for travel. “We try to differentiate ourselves with the service,” Gonzalez adds. “And we really try to tailor each vacation experience to the particular guest.” Because Bonaire’s coral reefs are so import- ant to its ability to attract divers, the island has been a protected marine park since the 1970s. “Because it has fewer travelers than other islands, the reef has been well-preserved,” says PHOTO: LORENZO MITTIGA