A Reef at Every Doorstep on Dutch Bonaire
Bonaire is a small island in the southern Caribbean and a special municipality of the Netherlands, known for its marine park, its shore diving and its flocks of flamingos. Part of the ABC islands with Aruba and Curaçao, it is shaped like a boomerang about 24 miles long, with Kralendijk as the capital and a population of around 20,000. The island has a dry, desert-like interior of cactus and scrub, and an unspoilt coast where reef begins close to the shoreline. It is an island of unusually quiet, low-key character.
The whole coastline is protected within the Bonaire National Marine Park, established in 1979, and visitors can enter the reef straight from the beach at dozens of marked sites along the west coast, each indicated by a yellow stone. The reef is known for its clear water and healthy coral. The island's culture is Dutch-Caribbean, with Papiamentu spoken alongside Dutch, and nearby Aruba and Curaçao share the heritage. Many divers combine all three for a Dutch Caribbean tour.
Flamingos, Salt Pans and Lac Bay
Above water, Bonaire has plenty to see. In the south, the pink-hued salt pans and white salt pyramids give the landscape an unearthly beauty, and the nearby flamingo sanctuary is among the Caribbean's major breeding sites for the pink birds. Old slave huts along the shore recall the history of salt-making. In the north, Washington Slagbaai National Park offers rough tracks, cacti, wild donkeys, and beaches that are quiet even in high season, which is ideal for a day with a jeep or on foot.
Lac Bay, on the east side, is a shallow, mangrove-fringed lagoon where windsurfing and kitesurfing are a speciality, and Sorobon Beach sits along its edge. Klein Bonaire, an uninhabited islet reached by a short boat ride, has some of the island's best snorkelling and a pale, empty beach. Rincon, the island's oldest village, offers local food such as goat stew and fresh fish. A tourist board can present a coherent eco-and-adventure story that appeals to divers, birdwatchers and wind-sport enthusiasts.
Read the full Bonaire guide on Visit Travel Group, or see Bonaire.uk on Visit Travel Group.