Things to do in Bonaire – Adventures, both Wet and Dry
One of the Caribbean ABCs, Bonaire is a relatively small island in the southern Caribbean’s Lesser Antilles, situated about 25 miles (80km) north of the Venezuelan coast. The island is a special municipality of the Netherlands. Safe from hurricanes, Bonaire has a truly amazing climate, relatively warm and dry for most of the year. Famous for it’s pink flamingos and white mountains of salt, the island has plenty of amazing adventure activities to enjoy, both below the ocean’s waves as well as on (and in/under) the land. When it comes to “adventurous” things to do in Bonaire, our personal favourites include:
Bonaire Snorkeling – Just Off the Coast
With it’s healthy coral reefs and rich marine life, Bonaire may be the best island in the Caribbean for snorkeling! The main island and Klein Bonaire, a small island less than 1/2 mile (1km) from Bonaire’s western coast, are encircled by coral reefs providing an amazing range of biodiversity, including colourful fish, coral and sponge. There are plenty of spots on Bonaire’s western shores where you can slip into the warm Caribbean sea and snorkel right off the beach. There are also a number of boat operators who can take you to plenty of locations in Bonaire’s Marine Park where you can visit shallow corals or skirt along the edge of steep underwater cliffs. Visibility is great as you can clearly see through more than fifty feet (15m) of Bonaire’s clear blue ocean water. There are even caves you can snorkel in!
Bonaire’s West Coast is where the snorkeling action is… North of Kralendijk there are over a dozen snorkeling sites, many accessible from the beach and several suited for beginners. With names like Playa Bengi, 1000 Steps and Witch’s Hut, I’m sure you want to check them out! South of Kralendijk there are another dozen snorkeling spots, like Pink Beach and Sweet Dreams, some also beach accessible. There’s also a few good spots to snorkel on Bonaire’s Lac Bay.
Of course the famous Klein Bonaire has well over a dozen locations for snorkeling, including some that are beach accessible. This is a great location for beginners as well as for underwater photography. Clearly, snorkeling is one of the best things to do in Bonaire!
Click on this link (to a page on our website) for more information about locations and boat operators – Bonaire Snorkeling
Bonaire Water Sports
With it’s happening vibe… this is where the cool kids hang out!
Thanks to it’s near constant trade winds, year round warm air and water temperatures, Bonaire is one of the best places in the Caribbean to enjoy life on the water. The south-west coast of the island seems to be made for kite boarding and kite-surfing, while the mangroves and water ways of Lac Bay are ideal for kayaking and windsurfing.
There’s no better way to experience the Caribbean than hanging out on the beach and getting active in the surf. So many options… mean Water Sports are one of the best things to do in Bonaire.
Check out the scene at our Bonaire Water Sports page
Bonaire Mountain Biking and Cycling
With literally hundreds of kilometres of cycling trails and a dry warm climate, Bonaire is one of the best Caribbean destinations for bike riding. Cycling is a great way to see the island – The hills in the north provide picturesque views of the island, while the rest of the island’s mostly flat with occasional gentle slopes offer soothing views of the Caribbean Sea. You can enjoy road courses that include amazing coastline routes, or you can mountain bike in desert-like off-road terrain.
Washington Slagbaai National Park has 21 miles (34kms) off-road trails, including some decent hills and is probably the most popular place to cycle on the island. That said, the Rincon Valley and the Bara di Karta Region have a number of trails and roads circuits through the countryside as well, many with views of the Caribbean Sea. There’s also some longer road circuits for the serious cycling enthusiast.
There’s more Bonaire mountain biking and cycling info to check out by clicking on our Bonaire Cycling page
Bonaire Hiking – Hit the Dusty Trails
Bonaire offers opportunities for some nice relaxing walks as well as a couple of intermediate level hikes, all in a unique-for-the-Caribbean, low scrub-brush like environment.
Perhaps the best hiking can be found in Washington-Slagbaai National Park at the north end of the island. This 14 thousand acre (56 sq km) sanctuary was the first in the Netherlands Antilles and has three main hiking trails to explore. Brandaris, the highest peak on Bonaire at 784 feet (241m), is located within the park and offers some spectacular views of the island – on a clear day you can even see Venezuela!
Other hikes elsewhere on the island include the Montana Trail (with views of Goto Meer Lake and the Caribbean Sea); The Roi Sango Trail (Partially shaded trail with views of the sea along with rock formations); The Dos Pos Trail (A Loop Trail along Washington Slagbaai National Park’s boundary); The Bara di Karta Hill (the small hill provides surprisingly spectacular 360 views of the island); and The Red Hill Trail (Desert-like terrain with views of the Atlantic Ocean).
Find out more about Bonaire’s trails and tour operators by clicking on our Bonaire Hiking page
Bonaire Caving
Looking for a good escape from the relentless sun? Journey underground to a world of natural subterranean limestone grottoes, where eerie stalagmites, stalactites and pillars dominate the scenery. There are literally 100s of caves in Bonaire, some ‘dry’ and some ‘under water’ – grottos with freshwater that you can actually wade into and check out the underwater rock formations with a snorkel. There are caverns with bats as well as native petrogyphs / paintings on the walls. Many caves are open to the public – Touring a cave is a unique activity few tourists experience, making it one of the coolest things to do in Bonaire.
For a list of local tour operators, click on our Bonaire Caving page
Bonaire Scuba Diving and Freediving
Saving one of the best activities for last… Bonaire’s healthy coral reefs and rich marine life make it one of the best islands in the Caribbean for Scuba Diving. Bonaire is also one of the best locations in the world for Freediving.
Bonaire and Klein Bonaire provide an environment that is home to over 50 varieties of coral and 350 species of fish. The islands are also world renowned for it’s abundance of easy access shore diving. Of course there’s also a number of boat operators who can take you to dozens of scuba diving locations in Bonaire’s Marine Park. There are over eighty dive sites in total, some in relatively shallow waters and others with steep walls that plunge into the deep dark sea. If you’re looking for great underwater photography sites, Bonaire has it all, including underwater caves to explore. There are locations for the Beginner diver, advanced diver and everything in between!
Bonaire’s West Coast is the most popular place to dive. There are over 30 dive sites north of Kralendijk, offering drift diving, wreck diving, night diving, as well as freestyle and technical diving. South of Kralendijk, there are another dozen excellent dive sites. There’s even more sites further south of Slave Huts (memorial).
Klein Bonaire is home to a couple dozen dive sites, providing more locations for drift diving, wreck diving, night diving, freestyle and technical diving and underwater photography.
Bonaire’s East Coast, including Lac Bay, is a bit rougher, however it has over a dozen dive sites, offering a less populated diving experience for advanced divers. Both shore dives and boat dives are available.
Follow this link (to a page on our website) for more Dive Spot and Boat Operator information – Bonaire Diving
For an overview of this amazing island, take a look at our Bonaire Vacations page
For a more relaxed vacation itinerary, you can find great Tourist Attractions on the island, by checking out our Things to Do in Bonaire blog
Enjoy!
ACT Staff
