Matt Kieffer
One of the “ABC” islands* of the Dutch Antilles, just 50 miles off the coast of Venezuela, this 111-square-mile island is a welcoming and tranquil trove of eco-adventure (which they play up with the tourism tagline “It´s in Our Nature”), and it´s known especially for its diving and snorkeling. For a nice, laid-back slice of the old Caribbean (albeit a pretty arid one, so please don´t go expecting luxuriant greenery), many travelers in the know very much appreciate this off-the-beaten-path destination – more than 17,000 just last month, not counting cruise ship port calls. And here´s a sampling of what they come for:
Capital Kralendijk
On the lower west coast, with around 17,000 residents (out of the island´s total population of 24,000), this is a charming town (top) of colorful, low-slung buildings - some with those distinctive Dutch gable roofs - and plenty of shops, restaurants, bars, and galleries, especially along its main drag Kaya Grandi (“Big Street” in the local language Papiamento, a hybrid of Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch). Cultural/historical highlights in Playa (as it´s also known in Papiamento) include the Terramar Museum of island history; wee yellow Fort Oranje, dating back to 1639, with its iconic lighthouse; and the Pasanggrahan, the 134-year-old seat of the island´s parliament (the local tourism office hands out pamphlets outlining a self-guided tour).Dave Bezaire
Rincon
Bonaire´s 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 30
As mentioned above, this is Bonaire´s number-one attraction, with an abundance of coral reefs harboring colorful tropical fish as well as giant sea turtles, rays, and octopi. The entire island is surrounded by the Bonaire National Marine Park, with many dozens of sites and dive shops all up and down the coasts (though there are more of them on the west than the east coast, which is windier and rockier). Even more appealing is that many are accessible from the shore, without having to take a boat excursion out to the reefs.Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble
Washington Slagbaai National Park
Nearly 22 square miles way up in the northwest not far from Rincon, its landscapes include Kadushi-cactus-covered hills, mangroves, salt pans, pristine beaches like Boca Slagbaai, and Bonaire´s highest point (790 feet), Subi Brandaris. There are plenty of hiking trails, and the park is especially great for birdwatching, with one of the star species is the pink flamingos of its salt pans, and another particularly cool thing to do is jump into the sea from the 25-foot cliff at a point called Boca Slagbaai. There´s also a museum/visitor center, and a four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended.
Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary
Speaking of Phoenicopterus ruber, Pekelmeer (Dutch for “Salt Lake,” thanks to the salt flats here) at the island´s southern tip just a few miles from Kralendijk is one of the only spots in the world where these beautiful birds breed (which makes the locals so proud they´ve got a flamingo in their tourism logo). And the colony here during the January-to-July breeding season swells to a staggering 10,000 strong. Quite an amazing sight! And if you´re a birder, you´ll also be thrilled by the dozens of other species that flock here, such as cormorants, herons, frigate birds, osprey, and other marine avians.
Part of the Bonaire National Marine Park, this uninhabited island just a half mile off the west coast – just 2⅓ square miles – is a treasure for unspoiled sands like “No Name Beach” as well as awesome dive and snorkeling spots. You can get here via water taxi from Kralendijk and some resorts, and some organized tours also include this on their itineraries.
Down south on the east coast, just 15 minutes from Kralendijk, this bay (more properly a lagoon, which by the way is the largest in the ABC islands) boasts its own fabulous sandy beach and is especially known for windsurfing (some of the best in the world, it´s said), but also great for stand-up paddleboarding, and kayaking – both out on the bay and in one of the Caribbean´s best preserved mangrove forests.
More Magnificent Beaches
Besides the ones at Lac Bay, Washington Slagbaai, and on Klein Bonaire, the island is home to more than 15 of the Caribbean’s sweeter strands, including Bachelor´s Beach (in the south, perfect for “getting away from it all”); Sorobon (also down south and like Lac Bay a windsurfing/kitesurfing magnet); Te Amo (closest to Kralendijk and especially swell for snorkeling); and for more services and amenities, resort beaches like Coco Beach Club, Divi Flamingo Beach Resort and Casino, Eden Beach Resort, and Spice Beach Club.Donkey Sanctuary
Donkey Sanctuary
For a delightful animal encounter, get your ass down to this spread just ten minutes outside Kralendijk, run since 1993 by a Dutch couple and now housing more than 800 free-roaming donkeys. You can drive, bike, or walk through, and buy grass packs to make dozens of new four-legged friends very quickly!
Also known as sand yachting, dirt boating, and more locally “blokarting,” whizzing along sandy flats on individual sailboats with wheels sport provides a cool adrenaline rush that needs no previous experience (just a quick tutorial) and can be done by almost anyone of almost any age. There are a bunch of spots to give it a go, mostly on Bonaire´s east side, where the breezes are stiffer.
For more info, check out BonaireIsland.com.
*the A being Aruba and the C standing for Curaçao.
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