When it’s time to relax and recharge, a fabulous resort is unquestionably needed. A resort that is tranquil, with an incredible ocean view and a quiet, private beach.

A resort with a full menu of spa services to truly get pampered.

A resort with spacious, luxurious rooms and suites that beckon you to stop, unwind and enjoy.

A resort with a tropical paradise for leisurely strolls.

And, just in case you decide to get out of that beach chair or hammock, a resort on a casual, friendly island that has plenty of things to do.

We found it…

Harbour Village Beach Club in Bonaire

When visiting an island, the resort can make or break your experience and, in this case, we credit Harbour Village with causing us to recently fall in love with Bonaire. Having been to Aruba or Curacao multiple times before, we’d never been to Bonaire and jumped at the chance when we were invited to explore a new Dutch Caribbean island and a luxury resort.

The top resort on Bonaire, the Harbour Village is filled with lush greenery and flowers and has a long, serene beach, all the amenities you could ever want or need, a fabulous restaurant and bar, and attentive staff.

Our suite in paradise

Our premier, oceanfront one-bedroom suite was a huge, well-appointed apartment with a balcony overlooking the beach. It was simply outstanding.

A romantic, netting-draped king size bed took center stage in the majestic bedroom retreat. With two closets, a desk, a comfortable chair and ottoman, and a flat-screen TV, the bedroom was spacious, relaxing and well-equipped.

The bath was huge with a large standalone shower with rainfall head, granite double vanity and a claw-footed tub that was perfect for leisurely bubble baths.

With a stunning beach view, the living room was decorated with upscale Caribbean furnishings, including a couch, overstuffed chair and ottoman, dining table, and a cabinet housing another flat-screen television. Sliding doors lead from the living room to a table and chairs on our private balcony overlooking the ocean.

A fully-equipped kitchen with Bosch appliances and a full-sized refrigerator was more than ample to prepare a meal or snack and also contained a Nespresso coffee maker.

The Resort

We like to explore a hotel upon arrival and set out for a walk around Harbour Village’s four acres of grounds.

As the palm trees swayed and the ocean breeze cooled the afternoon, we strolled along the beach. Tranquil and serene, the private beach runs the length of the property, with La Balandra, the resort’s restaurant, on one end of the beach and Great Escapes, the resort’s water sports and dive center, on the opposite end.

Continuing to wander, we located the main swimming pool and then moved on to the hotel’s courtyards with their fountains, benches and lush landscaping. Every pathway was lined with meticulously maintained plants and flowers as we wound our way throughout the resort.

Located on the inner side of the resort, the Harbour Village Marina has 60 boat slips or docks for yachts and is a fun spot to sit and watch the marina activities.

La Balandra

Styled like a ship, the resort’s bar and restaurant, La Balandra, overlooks the water and beach and serves great food and drinks. While at Harbour Village, we dined in the restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and had drinks in the bar on numerous occasions. The food was excellent and the staff was helpful and friendly.

How fresh was the catch of the day? Each morning during breakfast we’d learn what the fish for the daily special would be as it arrived and the chef would make his selection.

When evening rolled around, we’d return to La Balandra to discover how the daily special had been prepared and enjoy the delicacy by candlelight next to the sound of the waves gently lapping on the shore beside us.

Things to do

Watersports

Bonaire is a watersports paradise and Harbour Village operates a water activities center on the property called Great Adventures Bonaire. A PADI, five-star Instructor Development dive center, Great Adventures offers an array of dive services as well as snorkelling equipment, underwater camera rentals, air-tank filling, kayaks, paddleboards and other related gear.

Spa services

A day at the spa is a necessity to reach full rejuvenation and The Spa at Harbour Village offers a full menu of massage and salon treatments.

Bird, fish, and animal watching

While Bonaire’s underwater world is truly spectacular, for those that would prefer to experience Bonaire with a Piña Colada in hand, a vast assortment of fish, birds, and animals can be seen above ground at the resort – and many from a chair at the bar.

The level of service, the quality of the accommodations and hotel amenities, and the tranquil environment easily make Harbour Village Beach Club the only place to stay in Bonaire.  The resort is a secluded paradise and, whether you dive or not, is a not-to-be-missed destination on its own.

Back to top

Disclosure & disclaimer: Special thanks to Harbour Village for hosting us as their guest. The content & opinions expressed are entirely our own. Reviews are opinion only and Chasing Light Media accepts no responsibility for how the information is used. Some posts on this website may contain links to our partners’ websites and Chasing Light Media may be compensated by those partners.