Hi. We are starting to plan a vacation for early February. We're looking for a place with nice beaches and shore snorkeling. We've been to Grand Cayman 3 times and love the snorkeling there. We went to St. John last spring but aren't interested in returning. (we've been to St. Thomas, St. Croix, Antigua, and the Bahamas.) We're leaning toward Bonaire right now but the lack of beaches is the main drawback there. There are so many islands that seem really beautiful but snorkeling isn't an option on many of them. This is our first week long vacation alone in a long, long time! Anyone have a personal favorite getaway island? (my husband is scuba certified, as well...so any places that have diving would be a bonus) Thanks.

while provo - which is my fav island - been 3 times so far - is a bit cooler in feb than say bonnaire, is does have good beach snorkeling and outstanding diving. tell dh wall diving like gc & provo looks similiar to gc.
don't know your budget or how you feel about your own villa, but there are 3 couples villas at the turtle cove marina end of 11 mile long grace bay beach. look at ballyhoo, callaloo & coriander cottages. http://www.northshorevillas.com/vaca..._rentals.shtml
these are all fairly new and should be just as nice as the pics. mr. moog (owner) does a very good job managing his houses.
if not a villa then perhaps turks & caicos club or sibbonne (depending on budget) & provo has lots of condo style resort rooms avail.

i know nothing about bonnaire but i do have a cool web site from the island to share: http://www.breathebonaire.com/index....AM=bonairecam2

or how about virgin gorda. lots of good snorkeling, good diving, lots of villas, resorts a bit pricey.

Try Virgin Gorda or Provo. We love snorkeling and my husband is also a diver--we recently returned from GC. We have never been to Bonaire but understood there's not much beach snorkeling there. Always challenging to find islands with great snorkeling!

Whilst Bonaire does not have the long stretches of beach, the shoreline is pristine and the clarity incredible. Lac Bay, Donkey Beach, Pink Beach all have nice sandy areas. If you want to snorkel, imagine over 80 shore sites to try in Bonaire?

Anguilla, Anguilla, Anguilla. Excellent offshore snorkeling from 35 beaches. Also scuba diving and sailing. Great restaurants too.
You can find some more info about the island here that might help you with your decision:

http://www.destinationcaribbean.net/...amp;Itemid2=70

Two places that we loved are Cozumel, Mexico and Roatan, Honduras. The shore snorkeling from both is amazing -- maybe Roatan a bit more than Cozumel. You can dive in either place. We rented a house in Roatan right on West End Beach (West Bay Village). It was wonderful. In Cozumel we have a condo on the North end about a mile from town that fronts on a wonderful coral reef.

www.westbayvillage.com

http://roatanet.com/index.php

http://www.cozumelmycozumel.com/index.htm

http://www.cozumel.tc/

Hi,
We stayed @ Bananarama in Roatan Honduras. They own the Island Pearl next door also..a bit more upscale. There is a great dive shop on site. Great snorkeling a few steps out to the beach and to your left.The owners are great and it is located on the most beautiful beach on the island. Here are the websites.

www.bananaramadive.com
www.roatanpearl.com
Have a great time wherever you go!

I recommend Curacao. Some of the best off-beach snorkeling we have experienced, great restaurants, a wonderful European/Caribbean charm and some history too. We have been to all the islands you have and Curacao may have been the top for snorkeling (although Buck Island in St. Croix was very good). And it also was one of the better value islands for high season - check out the Curacao Marriott and the Kura Hulanda Lodge and Beach Club.