Bonaire from above

Bonaire, what a suprise! We didn’t really know what to expect of the island before we would go there. But what a great island! Do not expect white sand beaches, clubs where you can party or terraces where you can drink a cocktail. Bonaire does not really have this. But embrache the friendly atmosphere, the small scale and the many gems in terms of nature that the island had to offer. We only had 4 days to explore the island and we did everything we could to see as much of the island as possible.

From salt pans to kitesurfing

In our red pick-up truck we crossed around the island. Bonaire is not a type of island to stay in one place, you should rent a car and discover the island! We started our tour around the island in the south. First we came to the famous salt pans. At this place they fill large basins with a layer of sea water, by the sun the water evaporates and the salt remains. The special thing about this is that the water in the basins have a pink color, especially when the sun is shining you can see this very well. You can see an even better picture of the color in the video above. From above it is spectacular in combination with the bright blue sea on the side.

Continue driving along the coast and you will defintely spot the kite surfers on your right side. It’s nice to sit here on the beach for a while see what is passing by on the water. On the way you also will pass the slave houses, it is worth it to stop here and read about the history about these houses.

Jibe City, the place to be

Along your roadtrip through the south of the island you should visit Jibe City. A super nice hotspot with a relaxed surfvibe, where you can relax. With your feet in the water, you can chill out and watch the windsurfers that are passing by. Tip; you can order tasty sandwiches & smoothies here!! Do you want to you in the water yourself? Rent a board and try it out, you also can take lessons if you want.

The northern part of the island

The north of Bonaire has a lot to offer, to see everything you need two days. The first day we drone to the Goto Lake to spot flamingo’s, we visited a beach called ‘1001 steps’, we took a look at the authentic village of Rincon and visited the Indian rock paintings at the east coast of the island. Take the time to visit all these places and drive up north the next day again to visit the Washington Slagbaai National Park.

Washington Slagbaai National Park

If you like nature, this park is definitely worth a visit. You can explore the park with you own rental car or with a quad. It takes half a day if you want to see everything in the park. The long route takes about 2.5 hours and the short route takes 1.5 hours. Upon arrival at the park you can buy a ticket and you will receive a map showing the route and the places you can visit. We took the long route and passed all the hotspots on the map. From rugged coastal areas and ruins to flamingos and geological sights, there is a lot to see in this park. If you like snorkeling or diving, you are in the right place here. On the west coast of the park there are several dive spots where you can enter the water.

Diving on Bonaire

Do you like diving? Then you are in the right place on Bonaire. We both obtained our diving certificate and thought it was time for a dive. It has been more than 5 years since we made our last dive. After a short refresh course we went into the water. The benefit from diving on Bonaire is that you can enter the water from the shore and you are directly above a reef. If you drive arount the island you will see several yellow stones along the west coast along the way. Every yellow stone means a dive spot, so if you run into one, quickly park your car and dive into the water;)