If you are in Bonaire, the chances are very good you’re here to dive. But in case you want to do some above-the-sea fun things in Bonaire, we’ve got you covered! (Check out our diving post, though, to get a sense of the amazing sea life you can see.) The first three require a car, but most visitors to Bonaire rent one for at least part of their visit. You can also rent a golf cart, which you can take on all the roads. And there are taxis, but no public transportation.
Visit Rincón
Rincón is the oldest town on Bonaire; the Spaniards built it in the sixteenth century. It’s just a short drive from Kralendijk and if you take the western coast road to get there, you will get some spectacular views of the water. The town itself is tiny but you can find a nice restaurant, a few historical sights, and a distillery. On the way back, take the eastern coast road and turn off at the old airport. From here the road climbs and at the top you get some stunning views of the whole island. Don’t be surprised if you run into some goats!
Flamingoes and Salt Flats
You can take your pick of northern flamingoes or southern ones. If you head north, you’ll be at Gotomeer, near the national park (see next entry). If you head south, you will get to see the salt flats and the pink lake. We suggest both; you can get closer to the flamingoes in the north, but the salt flats are themselves pretty spectacular. Plus, there’s a pink lake!
Washington National Park/Slaagbai
The park covers nearly all of the northern part of the island, and it is rugged. If you rent a car, make sure you tell them that you are going to the park since not all rental vehicles are permitted there. (Basically you need a jeep or a pickup truck.) In the park there are numerous trails and you can see lots of wildlife. The roads themselves are a mess, so drive carefully.
But it’s worth it: there’s great hiking, and – if you are the adventurous sort – you can camp out there. But be warned: they will lock you in the park overnight!
Stroll through Kralendijk
The centre of Kralendijk contains a number of colourful buildings, restaurants and bars, and the usual supply of souvenir shops. If you are here when the cruise ships are in, things will be more crowded. But there will also be a lot more going on: stalls selling things, people on the streets, live music. We recommend having coffee and ice cream at Luciano’s, where, as the napkins say, ‘happiness can be messy’. Or stop by Bagels and Bloom, where you can find a great array of bagel dishes and good bagels as well!
While you’re in the centre, you should pop over to the Terramar museum. Though it’s small, it’s gives you a good sense of the place. There are two main sections: one on diving and reefs; the other on the history of Bonaire. There are also special exhibits from time to time. Get there early, though: the museum closes every day at 2.
Snorkeling
Whether you like diving or not, Bonaire is also a great place for snorkeling, a much less serious investment of your time and energy, with many of the same benefits of diving. You can rent a mask and fins nearly anywhere on the island: dive shops, hotels, even some restaurants. Then your best bet is to take the water taxi over to Klein Bonaire (but bring everything you need as there is nothing there) or walk down 1000 Steps (which is only about seventy steps). This latter is a dive site too, but it’s much more fun to carry fins up and down than tanks.
So those are some fun things in Bonaire. Be aware, though, that we didn’t put in our very favourite non-diving activity, the Donkey Sanctuary, which deserves a post of its own! And we also said nothing about windsurfing or kitesurfing – both of which you can do here as well!
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