Bonaire´s only other town (pop. 1,900), located in an inland valley up north, is the Dutch Caribbean´s oldest settlement – founded by the Spanish (hence the Spanish name, meaning "corner") in 1527. It´s a cute village consisting mostly of colourful little houses, with landmarks including the 117-year-old St. Louis Bertrand Church; Mangazina di Rei, a historic warehouse built between 1799 and 1824 that´s Bonaire´s second oldest surviving building; the Rose-Inn bar and restaurant; and the Cadushy Distillery, where Dutch owner Eric Gieter welcomes visitors and which besides a very nice (and award-winning) rum and whiskey specializes in booze using the island´s Kadushi cactus, including vodka, gin, and its signature, bright green Cadushy liqueur. The town´s big day each year is the Dia de Rincon celebration - the island´s biggest - on April 30th.
Read more in my post A Quick Peek at the Best of Bonaire.
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