1000 Steps Beach

The stairway cut into the limestone cliff on Bonaire's northwestern coast is called 1000 Steps, and it has sixty seven, a joke made by divers carrying tanks back up it. At the bottom is a small coral beach and one of the island's most used shore-dive entries, with the reef sloping away from close in and visibility that is routinely very good. Turtles pass along this stretch regularly.

What you actually see

• The stairway - sixty seven limestone steps that feel like a thousand carrying gear.
• The shore entry - the small coral beach where divers and snorkellers get in.
• The sloping reef - coral starting close in and dropping away from the shore.
• The turtles - green and hawksbill turtles that use this stretch of coast.

When to go

Diving works year round on Bonaire's sheltered west coast. September to November is warmest in the water. The site is busiest in the morning.

Honest expectations

The climb back up carrying tanks is genuinely hard. Parking is roadside and limited, and break-ins have been a problem. Everyone entering the water needs the marine park nature fee.

Nearby

Karpata is north, and Kralendijk is south.