Bonaire

Why Bonaire?

Bonaire officially became the World’s First Blue Destination on October 10, 2018. It was the first Caribbean island to have a marine park that has protected surrounding waters for the past 40 years and considers protection of nature to be a cornerstone of its sustainable tourism policies.

Accommodations

Night diving off the dock is popular at Capt. Don’s Habitat, Bonaire.

Boat Dock, Capt. Don’s Habitat, Bonaire

Bonaire is known as a “Divers Paradise.” Most accommodations, ranging from small hotels and resorts featuring apartments and condominiums, are dive-centric with on-site dive operations. Where I’ve stayed: Sand Dollar Condominiums and Captain Don’s Habitat (Bonaire’s first dedicated dive resort).

Activities

Although most well-known as a scuba destination, kiteboarding is also a popular sport on Bonaire.

Scuba diving (89 official dive sites), snorkeling, kiteboarding, other water sports, hiking and sport fishing. The Bonaire Regatta, a sailing competition, is held each October.

VIDEO: This video should convince you to go to Bonaire for some of the best scuba diving. I’m ready to go back now! Wow!

Beaches

Bonaire has 22 named beaches (including one called No Name Beach on the uninhabited islet of Klein Bonaire) with sand ranging from white to pink to black, fine to coarse, due to finely crushed coral or shells. Bonaire’s rocky coastline is made up of limestone.

Food and Drink

While Bonaire doesn’t have a “national dish,” its varied cuisine is a result of the island’s Dutch roots and cultural diversity. Seafood and fish is naturally a common theme on many restaurant menus, with the most popular dishes including conch shell meat, lobster and grilled spicy fish, in addition to stews and soups. Bonaire’s seawater is distilled and purified to become one of the purest drinking waters in the world.

Getting There

From USA: American Airlines offers direct flights daily into Bonaire International Airport (BIA), also known as Flamingo Airport, from Miami (MIA). Delta flies direct from Atlanta (ATL); United flies direct from Newark (EWR) and Houston (IAH). From Canada: Sunwing has direct flights from Toronto (YYZ).

Location

Bonaire, a 113-square mile island, is in the southwest corner of the Caribbean, not far from South America, and situated between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. Part of the Netherlands for nearly 200 years, Bonaire became an independent province in 2010.

The island lies 30 miles from Curacao, 50 miles north of Venezuela, and 86 miles east of Aruba. It is part of the Leeward Antilles.

It is located outside of the primary Caribbean hurricane belt; its hurricane frequency averages every 28.8 years. Bonaire took a hit from Hurricane Omar during mid-October 2008, which took an unusual southwest to northeast track through the eastern Caribbean Sea.

Vibe

You will feel the “Bon Bini” spirit, which translates to “Welcome” (in the Dutch Caribbean language of Papiamento) wherever you go…

Currency

The official currency is the U.S. dollar. Only U.S. dollars are dispensed at bank ATMs and counters.

Tourism site

Tourism Bonaire

If you go, don’t miss:

Don’t miss getting in the water!

Bonaire’s reputation as a diver’s paradise is well-earned, whether you are a novice diver or have years of experience. With 89 official dive sites, including 54 that can be reached from the shore, diving on Bonaire is truly special. The waters surrounding Bonaire, which have been designated a National Marine Park (from the high water mark down to a depth of 200 feet) for the past 40 years, contain more than 350 fish species and nearly 60 types of soft and stony corals. Bonaire officially became the World’s First Blue Destination in 2018.

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Visit the Cadushy Distillery or its Tasting Room

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Have you ever tasted a cactus? Visit the Cadushy Distillery in Rincon, the island’s second largest city, or, if you can’t make it there, taste the liqueur made from the Cadushy cactus as well as other liqueurs and rums at its downtown tasting room in Kralendijk, Bonaire’s capital. (There are cactus teas and soup, too!)

The Donkey Sanctuary

Bonaire’s Donkey Sanctuary was formed in 1993 to provide shelter to most of the island’s wounded and orphaned donkeys. The sanctuary is home to more than 400 animals, which is always increasing. The donkeys are rescued, treated, and are able to live out their years in peace. Open daily 10-5, the entrance fee is $8 adults, $4 children under 12. Carrots can be purchased if you wish to feed the donkeys, which will come right up to your car window to see if you have something for them to eat. Funds raised go back into the upkeep of the facility.

Washington Slagbaai National Park

Flamingo, Washington Slagbaai National Park (Credit: Emily Moore)

The Washington Slagbaai National Park is located in the northern end of Bonaire and is the best place for bird-watching (including flamingos), hiking the trails, snorkeling and scuba diving. Drive through the park (take either the short route or the long route, according to your time) and, if you’d like, take a cooler with you to enjoy the beach at Slagbaai.

Washington Slagbaai National Park, Bonaire (Credit: Tourism Bonaire)

Drive to Bonaire’s southern end

If you drive the main road to the southern end of Bonaire, you will be sure to see flamingos from a distance. The Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary, located in the vicinity of large salt pans that look a lot like white peaked sand dunes, is home to an estimated 10,000 Caribbean flamingos. Tourists aren’t allowed so bring binoculars or your long zoom lens to see and photograph them.

Bonaire Salt Flats (Credit: Tourism Bonaire)

Salt has been a major commodity on Bonaire for centuries. The Salt Pans (huge mounds of salt crystals) are now the result of Cargill’s Solar Salt Works, which has been producing there since the 1960s.

Bonaire Slave Huts (Credit: Tourism Bonaire)

The Slave Huts, dating back to the 1850s when slaves worked the salt ponds to collect and ship the salt, are also located in this area. They served as sleeping quarters during the week for the workers who walked back to their homes for family time on the weekends.

Bonaire is an easy island to navigate so don’t hesitate to rent a car or truck to explore the island, whether to shore dive or sightsee!

This mural can be seen at one of Bonaire’s main roundabouts.

(Unless otherwise credited, all photos © Debbra Dunning Brouillette.)