Raya Heritage
Founded in 1976, by renowned underwater environmentalist Captain Don Stewart, Captain Don’s Habitat has been in the forefront of environmentally sound developments on the island of Bonaire. His vision is also reflected in the design of the resort. From the low impact construction methods to the use of solar water heaters and energy-saving devices. Every detail has been designed to have the least possible impact on the local environment. The rooms and facilities are nestled in lush landscaping carefully designed to eliminate harmful runoff into the fragile marine Ecosystem thriving right in front of Captain Don’s Habitat.
Walking through the resort, one can truly appreciate a broad spectrum of the flora and fauna of Bonaire. Iguanas, lizards, over 50 species of birds, and a wide variety of indigenous and imported species of plants and trees, create the perfect balance between world-class accommodations and nature. The lush landscaping takes care of the remaining nutrients. At Captain Don’s Habitat, we're very proud of our environmental legacy and we continue to play a very active role by assisting environmental groups and the local government in ensuring sound conservation policies and maintaining the natural resources.
Captain Don’s offers oceanfront dining at its best with experienced chefs and waiters ensuring that all meals are a true pleasure. They offer an international menu, daily local specials and the Pizza Temple with authentic Italian thin crust pizza and a wide assortment of specialty pizzas and toppings. The Deco Stop Bar is the perfect watering hole for guests and locals alike. Head to Bonaire to relax, play and get some spectacular diving in!
The 24 Ocean View rooms are fully air-conditioned rooms with a lovely view of the freshwater pool and the Caribbean Sea. Each room offers 2 queen beds, desk, cable TV, refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, hairdryer, laptop safe, full bath w/tub, telephone and secluded balcony or patio with comfortable furniture. These rooms also have free wireless internet.
The new Deluxe Junior Suites are located right on the waterfront and have one king-size bed and one queen sleeper sofa, each with a pillow top mattress. These 12 units also have a granite top wet bar with sink, microwave, coffee maker and small refrigerator. In addition, the units have a coffee table, small work desk with chair, flat panel TV’s, clock radio with iPod dock, laptop safes, closet, full bath with tub, toilet and hairdryer. On the patio or balcony, there is a small breakfast table with chairs and sun lounges. Free wireless internet is also available in these rooms.
The 3 Bedroom ocean view Villas come with a full kitchen, living room, separate bedroom, bathroom, with hairdryers, covered patio with a great view of the Caribbean Sea and Klein Bonaire on the ground floor and either 2 or 3 bedrooms, each with its own bathroom upstairs and are fully air-conditioned. In addition, each of the upstairs bedrooms has a small refrigerator and some have balconies and all have an ocean view. Each is tastefully furnished in Caribbean style and each has ceiling fans and cable TV.
The two 1 bedroom/1 bathroom bungalows are fully air-conditioned rooms with a lovely garden view. Each bungalow offers a spacious dining/living room, full kitchen, 1 large bedroom, 1 large bathroom, telephone, wireless internet, cable TV and covered patio with comfy lounge furniture.
There are sixteen 2 bedroom/2 bathroom Garden View bungalows sleep 4 people comfortably. They are complemented with tropical furniture in the air-conditioned living room, fully equipped kitchen, in-room telephones, cable TV, large covered patio area (great for relaxing and entertaining friends).
Check out Captain Don’s Habitat’s new 3 bedroom/4 Bathroom Garden View Cottage! It will make any family or group feel so at home you’ll never want to leave! This bungalow has been completely remodeled and is loaded with features like all new furniture, brand new bathrooms and a full size kitchen,a fully gated private entry with plenty of convenient parking, a huge master suite with en suite bathroom, hairdryer, rainfall showerhead, king bed and flat-screen TV, two additional bedrooms with twin beds, flat-screen TV’s, and each bathroom with hairdryers, a huge living room that is open to the dining area and full size kitchen with an additional full bathroom, AND a private patio area with a covered dining area complete with sockets, WiFi, a full size rinse tank and gear drying area to make after dive cleanup a breeze.
Total Diving Freedom has always been the concept at Captain Don’s Habitat. The dive team has spent the last few months completely updating and repairing their dive fleet! Over 50 world-class dives are within a 15-minute boat ride. Diving Freedom means 24 hours a day, 365 days a year with no rush or anxiety. Take a giant stride off our divers-only pier “baby dock” and you’re already looking at clusters of starlet coral, surrounded by colorful wrasse and gobies, and the drop-off starts in 30 feet, only a few kicks away. Shore diving is a must at Captain Don’s Habitat and around the island of Bonaire rated as the top shore diving destination in the world! Following accepted safe diving practices, you can grab a tank and go….whenever you want!
Captain Don’s Habitat Dive Operation offers training from the following training agencies…PADI, TDI and SDI and accepts all Universal Referrals for final completion of training …and is equipped to handle all of your certification needs including Rebreathers and Tri-Mix. Choose from over 20 specialty courses! Technical Diving Services is conveniently based out of our dive operation with its own technical diving dedicated classroom.
All needed equipment is available for rental. PLEASE NOTE WE CARRY INT VALVE ONLY. DIN ADAPTERS NEED TO BE BE PART OF YOUR OWN GEAR OR CAN BE PURCHASED IN THE STORE. the Vista Blue Store also has those last-minute items you may have forgotten, and spare parts like mask straps hoses, defog and much more.
Habitat is neither pretentious nor regimented. The multilingual, multicultural, professional staff are there to teach, assist, or advise in a relaxed and friendly manner. Whether you’ve been diving for years or are just starting out, Habitat diving will keep you happy.
Bonaire's best sights sit below the sea's surface, so strap on a scuba mask and start exploring. Swim or snorkel around Klein Bonaire or get a fish-eye view of the reefs that skirt areas like 1000 Steps beach. When you need a break from the underwater scene, bring your hiking boots and binoculars to Washington Slagbaai National Park or feed the affable equines at the beloved Donkey Sanctuary Bonaire. The good folks at Captain Don’s would be happy to hook you up with a fun tour or send you on your way in a rental vehicle to explore on your own.
Snorkeling
Discover the amazing house reef or venture out! Plunge into crystal clear, turquoise water and into one of the most diverse marine habitats on the planet. Not in vane Bonaire has protected it’s waters for over 30 years with numerous snorkel spots to choose from.
Kayaking
Quietly drifting on a kayak through our Bonairean mangroves, protected for decades, and teeming with egrets, herons, and juvenile fish.
Sailing
How about a romantic dinner at the sea, watching the stunning sunsets of Bonaire? Or maybe a more adventurous way to visit our diverse underwater life?
Island Tour
Discover Bonaire with this island tour. This is a relaxed way to see all the scenic and historic highlights of the lovely island of Bonaire in a half day. Starting in Kralendijk, see many historical buildings and landmarks such as the Government House and the Old Fort while your local guide shares years of stories. Continuing South, find the CARGIL Salt Company, a protected nesting ground of flamingos, and then see the stone Slave Huts, which served as shelters for slaves working the salt pans in the 1800s.
The vibrant colors of the Caribbean Sea contrast with the pink salt pans, snow-white salt mounds, and brilliant blue skies. The rustic northern coastline has a range of dramatic scenery including 1000 Steps, Devil's Mouth, and Goto Lake, a natural saltwater lake and one of the most beautiful places on the island, where you may spot brightly colored flamingos, shore birds, and lizards.
Next, visit Bonaire's first settlement, Rincon, built by Spanish explorers and the oldest settlement of the Netherlands Antilles still intact. Here, stop at the Cadushi Distillery, to have a taste of the unique Cacti Rum. We will come back to Kralendijk with the view of the wild east coast of Bonaire.
Today Bonaire, through the efforts of STINAPA Bonaire, is at the forefront of environmental conservation. At Captain Don’s Habitat, we’re very proud of this legacy and we continue to play a very active role by assisting environmental groups and the local government in ensuring sound conservation policies and the sustainable management of Bonaire’s natural resources.
Captain Don’s Habitat was the first resort on the island to install a state of the art wastewater treatment system designed by marine biologists of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, where our treated water is tested on a quarterly basis and shows a major removal of harmful nutrients that might otherwise end up on our reefs causing damage to our corals. The treated water is then utilized to irrigate our lush gardens that not only provide a wonderful aesthetic atmosphere to the resort but the lush vegetation also help to protect our fragile reefs by up-taking and utilizing nutrients that could be harmful to our corals. No fertilizers of any kind are used in the maintenance of our gardens.
At a very early stage, Captain Don realized the importance of conservation of Bonaire’s beautiful underwater resources. His endeavors led to the creation of the permanent mooring system and eventually to the Bonaire National Marine Park. For his efforts in marine environment conservation, Captain Don has received many awards and recognition all over the world.
