Bonaire Travel Guide
Welcome to the taste2travel Bonaire Travel Guide!
Date Visited: March 2015
Last Revised: June 2026
Introduction
When your plane arrives at Bonaire’s small Flamingo International Airport, you will know that you have landed somewhere special. The terminal is even painted flamingo pink!
Dutch-style buildings in downtown Kralendijk, the capital of Bonaire.
Bonaire is the easternmost island of the ABC Islands, which also include Aruba and Curaçao.
The island is well known for its commitment to protecting the natural environment. In particular, Bonaire has worked hard to preserve its marine environment.
As a result, the waters surrounding the island are protected. This makes Bonaire a paradise for divers and snorkellers.
Cruise ships at Bonaire are tied to the shore as they are not allowed to drop anchor on the protected reef.
Cruise ships must also protect the reef. Instead of dropping their anchors, they use long ropes to secure themselves to the dock.
Bonaire has 63 dive sites on the main island and another 26 sites around Klein Bonaire.
In addition, the island’s steady trade winds attract windsurfers and kitesurfers. Most of the activity takes place along the south-west coast.
Even if you are not a diver or windsurfer, there is still plenty to see and do. For example, you can watch Caribbean flamingos around Lake Gotomeer or visit a distillery that produces vodka from cactus.
Location
Bonaire lies in the southern Caribbean, just off the coast of Venezuela.
The island is located about 48 km east of Curaçao and 140 km east of Aruba.
Bonaire is the smallest of the ABC Islands by population. It is also the second-smallest by area, measuring about 38 km long and 8 km wide.
However, what Bonaire lacks in size, it makes up for in character and charm.
Bonaire is an enchanting island. In fact, many visitors enjoy it so much that they return again and again.
Another advantage is its location outside the main Caribbean hurricane belt. Therefore, Bonaire can be visited throughout much of the year.
A Caribbean Flamingo on Lake Gotomeer, Bonaire.
History
The name Bonaire is thought to come from the indigenous Caiquetio word ‘Bonay’, which means “low country”.
Over time, Spanish and Dutch settlers changed the spelling to Bojnaj and eventually Bonaire.
An antique promotional poster for Bonaire.
While Curaçao became an important centre of the slave trade, Bonaire was developed as a plantation for the Dutch West India Company.
African slaves were forced to cultivate dye-wood and maize. They also harvested salt from the island’s extensive salt ponds.
Slave Huts on the south coast of Bonaire.
Today, Bonaire is one of the three islands that make up the Caribbean Netherlands, along with Saba and Sint Eustatius (click on the links to read my guides to these islands).
These three islands are special municipalities of the Netherlands located in the Caribbean Sea.
A perfect west coast sunset on Bonaire.
Today, tourism is Bonaire’s main industry. The island attracts more than 100,000 visitors each year.
Many visitors arrive on cruise ships for the day. Others come specifically to dive in the protected marine environment.
Dutch and American travellers make up a large share of the island’s visitors.
Flag
The flag of Bonaire.
The flag of Bonaire has a distinctive design featuring a yellow and blue field with a white compass and a red six-pointed star.
The upper-left section is yellow, while the lower-right section is blue.
A white diagonal stripe separates the two colours. The yellow represents the sun and the island’s warm, tropical environment, while the blue symbolises the Caribbean Sea.
The flag of Bonaire, flying in downtown Kralendijk.
In the upper-left corner, a black compass is placed inside a white circle. The compass represents Bonaire’s seafaring heritage and its location at the crossroads of the Caribbean. A red six-pointed star appears within the compass. The six points represent the six traditional settlements of Bonaire.
Overall, the flag combines the colours of the Caribbean landscape with symbols reflecting Bonaire’s geography, maritime history and heritage.
Sightseeing
Kralendijk
Dutch-style buildings in downtown Kralendijk, the capital of Bonaire.
Kralendijk is the capital and largest town on Bonaire.
The town developed around Fort Oranje. Under English rule, the settlement was known as “Playa”. Later, around 1840, the Dutch renamed it Kralendijk.
Papiamentu is widely spoken in Kralendijk. Dutch and English are also commonly used.
The name Kralendijk comes from the Dutch word Koralendijk, which means “coral reef” or “coral dike”.
Exploring the south coast of tiny Bonaire, including Willemstoren Lighthouse, in my rental car.
There is not a huge amount to see in the town itself. However, the tourist information office provides a walking-tour brochure covering the main sights.
You can comfortably see the highlights in about half a day.
For excellent coffee and ice cream, I recommend Gio’s Gelateria and Caffe on Kaya Grandi, the main street.
The Dutch-style town hall in Kralendijk.
When cruise ships are in port, a market is usually held in Wilhelmina Square. The BBQ sold at the market makes a tasty lunch.
Just offshore from Kralendijk is Klein Bonaire, an uninhabited island surrounded by excellent reefs.
You can reach Klein Bonaire by water taxi. Alternatively, divers can travel there with one of the local dive operators.
Flamingos
Caribbean Flamingos on Lake Gotomeer, Bonaire.
Bonaire is famous for its Caribbean flamingos.
These beautiful birds are attracted to the island’s brackish lagoons. The lagoons contain the small shrimp that form an important part of their diet.
You can see flamingos at both the northern and southern ends of the island.
For the best viewing opportunities, visit Lake Gotomeer around sunrise or sunset.
A Caribbean Flamingo, flying over Lake Gotomeer, Bonaire.
At the southern end of the island, the Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary is one of only four places in the world where flamingos breed.
Pekelmeer means “salt lake” in Dutch.
Visitors cannot enter the sanctuary. However, you can watch the birds from the road with a pair of binoculars.
A Caribbean Flamingo filter-feeding on Lake Gotomeer, Bonaire.
Cactus Vodka
Cactus vodka from the Cadushy distillery.
If you are travelling through the town of Rincon, make sure you stop at the Cadushy Distillery.
The distillery produces a variety of drinks. Its most unusual product is vodka made from the Kadushi cactus.
A Kadushi cactus – at the distillery on Bonaire.
Bonaire Beaches
Most of the coastline of Bonaire is rocky with a reef running along the entire shoreline, not an island for a beach vacation.
Most of Bonaire’s coastline is rocky. A coral reef also runs along much of the shoreline.
Therefore, Bonaire is better known as a diving destination than as a traditional beach resort.
That said, beach lovers still have plenty of options. The island has around 22 beaches, with sand ranging from soft and fine to larger, coarser grains.
Introduced to the island, the Green Iguana is a common sight on Bonaire and is featured in local cuisine.
The Green Iguana is a common sight on Bonaire. It was introduced to the island during the colonial period and also features in local cuisine.
Thanks to Bonaire’s strong environmental protections, the surrounding waters are rich in coral, fish and other marine life.
The island has also developed a reputation as a “Green Destination”. The best beaches are found along the protected, leeward side of the island, particularly on the west coast.
Diving and Snorkelling
A reef runs along the entire Leeward coast, making Bonaire a diver’s paradise.
A reef runs along the entire leeward coast, making Bonaire a diver’s paradise.
Bonaire is famous for its diving. In fact, diving is one of the main reasons travellers visit the island.
Geologically, Bonaire is essentially an ancient coral reef that was pushed upwards and emerged from the sea.
As a result, the island has a natural fringing reef system. Coral formations begin very close to the shoreline.
This makes diving and snorkelling remarkably easy.
In many places, you can simply walk into the water from the shore and begin snorkelling or diving. Just beyond the shoreline, the seabed drops away into deeper water.
Bonaire proudly markets itself as a diver’s paradise.
The Bonaire license plate – ‘Divers Paradise’.
The entire coastline was designated a marine sanctuary in 1979. The aim was to protect the coral reefs and the marine life that depends on them.
If you dive on Bonaire, you need to purchase a Bonaire Marine Park tag.
The tag is valid for one year. SCUBA divers must display the dive tag on their BCD.
Dive operators are available around the island, particularly along the coast north of Kralendijk.
Salt Mining
The purple briny water of a salt-water pond contrasts against the mounds of white salt at the Cargill Salt Mine.
If you drive south from Kralendijk, you will eventually see large white hills on the horizon.
These are the salt piles of Bonaire’s salt industry. Today, the salt mine is operated by the American company Cargill.
Salt production has played an important role in Bonaire’s history.
Fort Oranje was built by the Dutch in 1639 to defend the harbour. At the time, salt was the island’s main export.
The capital later developed around the fort.
The salt heaps at the Cargill Salt Mine look like snow covered mountains.
During the era of slavery, the Dutch West India Company used enslaved Africans to harvest salt.
Salt was available in abundance on Bonaire. However, producing it required extremely hard labour.
In earlier times, salt was especially valuable because it was used to preserve food. Refrigeration was still centuries away.
Today, Bonaire uses solar evaporation to produce salt.
Seawater is pumped into large evaporation ponds. The intense Caribbean sun and steady winds then gradually evaporate the water.
As the water becomes more concentrated, algae grow in the ponds and create the striking pink and purple colours.
Eventually, all the water evaporates and leaves behind salt crystals that can be harvested.
Salt piles at the Cargill salt mine, Bonaire.
Most of the salt produced here is used for industrial purposes. Therefore, you will not find many shops selling attractive little packets of Bonairean salt for your kitchen!
Accommodation
Bonaire offers a good range of accommodation, including many dive resorts.
Many hotels are located along the coast. As a result, guests can often access the reef directly from the property.
High-season rates generally apply from December to April.
Because accommodation options are limited, it is best to book ahead. You can use an online booking agent such as booking.com.
During my visit, I stayed on the coast just south of the airport at Bellefonte Oceanfront Hotel.
The hotel has a wooden jetty that provides direct access to the reef.
It is perfect for snorkelling!
Eating Out
Bonaire has restaurants to suit a range of budgets.
Most restaurants are concentrated around Kralendijk, although you will also find dining options elsewhere on the island.
For groceries, Van Den Tweel is one of the best supermarkets. It is located at 39 Kaya Industria in Kralendijk.
Visa Requirements
Visa policy map of Bonaire.
Visa requirements for Bonaire depend on your nationality.
Some nationalities require a visa before travelling. Therefore, you should check the latest requirements before arrival.
The Dutch Caribbean territories generally follow the same visa policy.
The countries highlighted in green on the visa policy map can visit Bonaire without a visa for up to 90 days.
Getting There
Air
The main airport on Bonaire is Flamingo International Airport (BON).
It is also known as Bonaire International Airport. The airport is located a short drive south of Kralendijk.
The terminal is famously painted flamingo pink!
Because there is currently no regular international passenger ferry service, flying is the main way to reach Bonaire unless you arrive by cruise ship.
Flamingo International Airport provides easy access to Bonaire’s beaches, dive sites and nature reserves.
The following airlines serve Flamingo International Airport:
Airport Transport
Taxis are available at the airport.
However, there is no public transport system on Bonaire. Therefore, hiring a car is the most convenient option if you want to explore the island independently.
Sea
Cruise ships at Bonaire are tied to the shore as they are not allowed to drop anchor on the protected reef.
Cruise Ship
A P&O cruise ship docked at Kralendijk.
Cruise ships regularly visit Bonaire. However, the island receives fewer ships than nearby Aruba and Curaçao.
Cruise ships dock close to downtown Kralendijk, making it easy for passengers to explore the waterfront, shops and restaurants on foot.
Kralendijk is relatively small. Consequently, the town can become very busy when a large cruise ship is in port.
If you are staying on Bonaire for several days, it may therefore be worth avoiding Kralendijk during the busiest cruise-ship periods.
The protected reef runs along much of the island’s west coast. For this reason, cruise ships cannot drop their anchors onto the reef.
Instead, they use long ropes to secure themselves to the dock.
International Ferry Services
There are currently no regular international passenger ferry services operating to or from Bonaire.
Instead, travellers usually fly between Bonaire and neighbouring islands such as Curaçao and Aruba.
Several regional airlines provide connections between the islands.
Getting Around
Public Transport
There is no regular public transport system on Bonaire.
As a result, visitors generally rely on taxis, rental cars, scooters or organised tours.
Rental Car
My zippy rental car on Bonaire.
For exploring Bonaire, I recommend hiring a car.
You can also take taxis or walk in and around Kralendijk. However, having your own vehicle gives you much more freedom.
If you plan to rent a car, book ahead whenever possible. Demand can sometimes exceed the available supply.
Visiting the south coast Slave Huts in my rental car.
The island is small enough to drive around in just a few hours. Alternatively, you can take your time and spend a full day exploring the coastline and stopping at the various sights.
That’s the end of my Bonaire Travel Guide.
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Safe Travels!
Darren
Further Reading
Other travel reports from the Caribbean region include:
