You likely have never heard of Bonaire unless you’re a scuba diver or if you’ve gone on a Caribbean cruise. It’s one of the best dive destinations. Located in the Southern Caribbean, it’s also on cruise routes that include Curacao, Aruba, Puerto Rico, and more.

A municipality of the Netherlands, this Dutch island is located north of Venezuela next to Curacao, which is next to Aruba.

Is Bonaire Worth Visiting?

If you scuba dive or snorkel, this island is a must-visit! Diving doesn’t get easier than this. Rent a car and you’ll be popping in and out of dive sites easily. Access from the shore is fairly easy and the dive sites are pretty easy to navigate.

If you don’t scuba dive or snorkel, there are a few beaches and a handful of activities, including hiking and biking a national park. The weather is almost perfect year-round. The island may seem a little quieter to you if you’re not here to scuba dive but there are athletic activities like windsurfing. There isn’t really a nightlife and only a handful of shops to peruse.

Quick Tips

• Currency: The official currency is the U.S. dollar
• Language: The official language is Dutch and the native language is Papiamento (a creole combination of Portuguese and Dutch). English is common.
• Water: is drinkable from the tap
• Visa: Dutch and U.S. nationals can stay up to 180 days without a visa
• Time Zone: Atlantic Standard Time, same as Eastern Standard Time
• Restaurants and bars are usually closed by midnight. Most supermarkets are open until 8 p.m.
• Cities: Kralendijk and Rincón are the two main cities on the island and are about 24 minutes apart. Most tourists stay near Kralendijk and pass through Rincón.

Best Time to Visit Bonaire

May through October will have the fewest tourists. This is typically hurricane season but since they are in the Southern Caribbean, they are usually not affected. Also, Bonaire has consistent weather year-round, so expect high 80s to lows in the high 60s. December through April is the peak season, so prices may be higher in this timeframe. We visited in March and didn’t think it was crowded.

How to Get to Bonaire

You’ll land at Bonaire International Airport (BIA). U.S. flights come from Houston, Miami, Newark, and Atlanta. Internationally, flights also come from Curacao, Amsterdam, St Maarten, and Aruba. Flights from Houston are about five hours.

Many cruise ships also visit Bonaire. Look for routes to the ABC Islands in the Southern Caribbean, also stopping at nearby islands Aruba and Curacao.

How to Get Around Bonaire

With a few main roads, it’s easy to get around Bonaire, but you’ll need a car or scooter to get around. Rent a truck if you will be shore diving. There are also taxis if you don’t want to drive.

When you’re driving north on the main road on the West Coast, the road becomes one-way around the Tolo dive site, just past 1000 Steps. That means you’ll need to drive all the way around the island, through Rincón, to get back to downtown. So, avoid going this far unless you’re doing it on purpose!

Where to Stay in Bonaire

Since our friend’s friend rents out a house, this was the primary reason for visiting Bonaire and we didn’t need to look for a place to stay. This house was in Tera Kora, an ideal location on the island and near downtown Kralendijk, though very much a local neighborhood. Check Vrbo for local rentals.

If you’re looking to do a lot of diving, check out:

• Buddy Dive Resort
• Stay & Dive
• Divi Dive
• Wannadive
• Captain Don’s Habitat
• Courtyard Marriott Bonaire

If you’re looking for places with a bit more luxury and less about diving, see these:

• Bellafonte Bonaire
• Boutique Hotel Sonrisa
• Delfins Beach Resort
• Bamboo Bali Bonaire
• Windhoek Bonaire
• Oasis Guesthouse Bonaire

What to Eat and Where to Eat in Bonaire

See this post for all the information about dishes you will find in Bonaire and restaurant recommendations. Get ready for fresh seafood and goat stew!

Diving in Bonaire

Bonaire is known for its diving, so I’ve got a FULL post about this! Did you know Bonaire is the “shore dive capital of the world?” How many of the 86 shore diving spots will you visit? Are you ready to spot scorpionfish and frogfish? Have you ever seen the glowing ostracods? Want to see 40 sea turtles in one dive? See the post here for all the information!

Best Things to Do in Bonaire That Aren’t Diving

While we spent most of our hours diving, we enjoyed our surface intervals cruising around the island and had a full day to explore before we left. I’ve included some of the suggestions and more below.

Bonaire Landsailing Adventures
When we passed by this landsailing track, we knew we would be back! We spent 30 minutes racing around the track on these wind-powered karts. (See us in action in the video below.)

Windsurf
Want to try out a new sport? Bonaire’s winds help train the island’s award-winning professional windsurfers and you can try it out for yourself. Visit the Sorobon area, like Jibe City, for classes and rentals.

Beaches
These sandy beaches are the ideal place to relax and enjoy the view.

• 1000 Steps
• Atlantis Beach – where you can also watch kite surfers
• Eden Beach
• Pink Beach
• Te Amo – look for food trucks nearby

Washington Slagbaai National Park
If you’re interested in biking or hiking, visit the national park in the north of the island.

Downtown Kralendijk
You’ll find plenty of souvenir shops, restaurants, and bars in the area. If a cruise ship isn’t docked, downtown gets eerily quiet and some shops might be closed in the afternoon.

Cadushy Distillery
Have you ever drank a cactus? Visit the Cadushy Distillery in Rincón or the shop in downtown Kralendijk. We opted for the downtown shop but ultimately, went to a nearby bar to try the liqueur in a cocktail, which was a great idea.

Salt Pans
Driving south, you can’t miss it. The white mountains in the distance. “It’s moving!” Yes, you might even see the salt being poured on the top of the mountain. Bonaire has produced salt since the 1600s. Algae is what makes the salt fields look pink. Brine shrimp eat the algae and flamingoes eat the shrimp, which is why you’ll spot the birds nearby.

Flamingo Watching
Further south from the Salt Pans is where you can visit Pink Beach and spot tons of flamingos. You can also go to Gotomeer in the north of the island.

Echo Conservation Center
Bonaire isn’t only serious about preserving their sea life. Echo is focused on protecting the endangered yellow-shouldered Amazon parrot of Bonaire. Only 1,000 parrots are left and this conservation center will teach you all about them.

Slave Huts
This is more of an FYI so you know what it is when you see it. Around the south part of the island, you’ll see clusters of small huts in orange, white, and yellow. Built in 1850, these slave huts, about two feet high, were where 4-6 slaves crowded to sleep. On Sundays, slaves would walk six to seven hours to visit their families in Rincón, which is in the north of the island. It’s a part of Bonaire’s history and a frequently visited site.

For more options, check out the Bonaire website.

Adventures in Bonaire Video

Here’s the video compilation from our trip! Can you name all the things we spotted underwater?

Conclusion

If you’re in the U.S. and want a quick jump for some excellent diving, Bonaire is your island. We were charmed by our adventures there, from spotting flamingos to eating fresh ceviche. Island vacation life is the best life and Bonaire made sure of that!

P.S. Want more Caribbean recommendations? Check out Roatan, Belize, or the Cayman Islands.

Keep up with my travel posts and adventures. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

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Will and I talk diving with our friends Dan and Abby a lot, and since Abby’s friend rents out a house on Bonaire, it gave us the opportunity to plan a trip to take advantage of an affordable place to stay. We had a great time!

With 86 shore dive sites around the island, you can easily rent gear, drive to a dive site, and jump in! Read on for more information about diving in Bonaire.

Bonaire Diving Quick Tips

• Bring reef-safe sunscreen, which does not have oxybenzone and octinoxate. Bonaire has banned sunscreens that are not reef-safe. Sunscreen for babies is usually reef-safe and more affordable or check out Stream2Sea.
• You’ll want fins with booties since many of the dive sites have rocky shores.
• Bonaire diving is for all levels of experience. We dove a maximum of 90 feet and on most dives, we stayed around 60 feet. The only dives I would have liked to go deeper are Invisibles and Hilma Hooker.
• If you’re doing your own shore dives, you’ll need to rent a truck. We used AB Car Rental and it’s the go-to on the island. You’ll see their white trucks everywhere. (Buddy Dive also rents out white trucks as part of their packages.) We were instructed to never lock our car doors. Leave valuables in your car at your own risk. I had my phone hidden in the car so that I could take photos and it ended up being ok.
• You’ll need to pay a $45 USD marine park fee to dive. You can get this tag at a dive shop when you rent equipment. It’s valid for one year. If you happen to lose your tag, be sure to have your receipt handy.

Where to Stay in Bonaire

Most visitors stay near downtown Kralendijk for easier access to dive shops and dive sites. We rented a house in Tera Kora (closer to the airport) and it was a bit more affordable because our food costs were flexible. The house was in a local neighborhood but we never felt unsafe and it was a quick drive to the grocery store and dive shops. You can look for house rentals on Vrbo.

If you’d rather have your accommodations and dive shop in the same place, here are some options. If you will be shore diving on your own, be sure your package includes room, dive, and car rental.

• Buddy Dive Resort
• Stay & Dive
• Divi Dive
• Wannadive
• Captain Don’s Habitat
• Dive Friends, the dive shop we used, has locations at Courtyard Marriott and Delfins Beach Resort if you want to stay in a hotel yet be close to a dive shop.

Best Bonaire Dive Shops

We used Dive Friends for our equipment rental and air/nitrox. The process was easy and the staff was friendly and helpful. We got dive site tips from them and even learned how to change an o-ring. They have seven convenient locations on the island, and we visited whichever location was closest to get new tanks. They have a limit of two tanks per person, so we were at one of their shops at least once a day. I think we ended up going to all of them! While we hung up all our gear at the house every day, we stopped by Dive Friends to rinse our gear before we went home. I also liked that Dive Friends has water coolers to refill your water bottles when you’re picking up tanks.

Most of the dive shop options are listed above since they are also dive resorts and I’d also add AB Dive to the dive shop list.

Planning Your Bonaire Dives

Our friend Dan was the master dive planner for our trip. We got two books that helped us immensely. Since there are so many dive sites, we looked for recommendations on the internet and also talked to people at the dive shop. We then used these books to help us find the dive site, plan our dive, and know what to look for. The Reef Smart Guide Bonaire book gave dive maps and a recommended dive route, which was helpful to visualize the dive. The Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy book was good for locating the dive site and getting in the water. If I had to pick one, I would get the Reef Smart Guide.

Locating the dive sites is fairly easy. Be sure to grab a dive site map from your car rental or dive shop. On the side of the road, look for the yellow rocks with the dive site name.

Since we were allowed two tanks per person, we planned on grabbing new tanks before we went north or south for two more dives. It’s efficient to plan out your dives this way so you’re not wasting time, energy, and gas!

Another way to save time is to pack your lunch. We had a few days of sandwiches and chips in between dives. Freeze water bottles and put them in a cooler bag with the sandwiches. Freezing your water will also keep give you cold water throughout the day as it melts. We also refilled our water bottles at Dive Friends as we picked up new tanks. Don’t forget snacks! I recommend stroopwafels.

Doing three dives a day, we were usually in the water by 8-9 a.m., 11 a.m. – 12 p.m., and 2-3 p.m. Starting early made it seem like we were beating the crowds. If you have the energy, I think it’s possible to do four dives a day if you start early or if you want to do a night dive.

Best Dive Sites in Bonaire

We did 16 dives in Bonaire and were amazed by the vibrant reef. You’ll see colorful coral, many different species of fish, and hardly any other divers. Some of the dive sites are very similar. It is the same reef after all, but you never know what you’ll see. A few of the sites you’ll have an aquarium effect where you feel like you’re surrounded by fish.

These were my top five dive sites in Bonaire:

1. Something Special

We dove this site early on in our week and spotted a large variety of species. It was an easy entry, had plenty to see, and an altogether solid experience.

2. Salt Pier

The reef has built up along the pier’s structure, so it adds a little variety to the dive. You’ll encounter schools of fish and lots of variety. We spotted a sea turtle, barracudas, and flounder, among many others. Being the most popular dive site on Bonaire, this one can get a little busy.

3. 1000 Steps

Yes, the steps are terrible, especially after your dive, but thankfully, it will only feel like there are 1,000 of them instead of actually being 1,000 of them. If you can conquer the steps, you’ll be rewarded with diving an incredible reef.

4. Karpata

Along with a vibrant reef, the typography of Karpata makes this dive interesting. The reef wall curves in and out. You’ll see similar wildlife as in 1000 Steps.

5. Turtle City

We did this boat dive on the east side of the island and it lived up to its name. I lost count but our dive guide spotted 42 sea turtles on our dive! We also saw a pair of spotted eagle rays, which are always a highlight for me. I thought it was a great dive to do at least once to see the number of turtles in one place.

Close behind, here are the other notable dives we did:

• Oil Slick Leap: You’ll take a giant, high stride into this dive site, but that’s all part of the adventure of it.
• Hilma Hooker: Want to mix it up? Visit the Hilma Hooker wreck. You’ll see a big, hollow cargo ship with many tarpons around it. Because this is one of the deeper dives on Bonaire, many do this one as the first of the day. Get there early to avoid the crowd.
• Invisibles: Divers love this site because of the double reef. I didn’t love this site because it’s huge and we took it very fast. But it was cool to see and I might have liked it better if we visited only one part of the reef. You could dive this twice and visit different parts. We were at this site again at night to see the ostracods (more on that below) and seeing a squid on our way out was a highlight of my trip.
• Jeff Davis Memorial: Recommended by the dive shop folks, we dove this site up north. Similar to 1000 Steps and Karpata, its abundance of species makes it noteworthy.

Here are some other top/recommended dives we didn’t do:

• Punt Vierkant
• The Lake
• Alice in Wonderland
• Angel City
• Andrea 1 & 2
• Bari Reef

Should I Do a Boat Dive in Bonaire?

Many divers only do shore dives because of the cost and schedule flexibility. However, there are rocks and rolling waves to navigate on the entry and exit, which might be hard for some to do. If you’re not comfortable with shore diving, boat diving may be easier for you to get in and out of the water. Divers also do boat dives to locations not accessible by land, such as the east coast or the nearby island of Klein.

We did a two-tank boat dive with Bonaire East Coast Diving, specifically for Turtle City. While it was a life list type of experience to see so many turtles on one dive and a top five dive for my Bonaire trip, it was a checked box and not something I need to do again in Bonaire. The waves are very intense on the east side and I should have taken sea sickness medicine! You are able to see sea turtles on the west side but not as many in one place.

What Sea Life to See in Bonaire

With over 350 fish species and 57 types of coral, you’ll love discovering something new!

First, you’ll see many of the Caribbean fishes you may be familiar with, such as parrotfish, snapper, triggerfish, barracuda, green moray eel, spotted moray eel, trumpetfish, squirrelfish, angelfish, porcupinefish, and filefish.

The bigger things you’ll see are southern stingrays, spotted eagle rays, sea turtles, and nurse sharks. While Bonaire has hawksbill and loggerhead sea turtles, the most common is the green turtle.

Unique sightings are the peacock flounder, scorpionfish, honeycomb cowfish, and sand diver lizardfish.

For small things, look out for flamingo tongue (sea snail), Pedersen cleaner shrimp, and arrow crabs.

Rarer are the frogfish, flying gurnard, and seahorse. We only saw a frogfish, but we were very excited about the sighting.

Don’t Miss the Ostracods

Ostracods are small crustaceans that glow to attract a mate. The best time to see them is five days after a full moon. Pick a spot at the edge of the reef and do not turn on any lights. The show should start 20 minutes after sunset, so make sure you’re in place before it gets too dark. It’s good to find a sandy spot and sit on your knees. For the dive site, pick one south of Salt Pier or north of Oil Slick Leap. You don’t want to be near Salt Pier because it will be too bright. Also, think about the ease of entering and exiting in the dark.

We picked Invisibles because of its easy entry. The water temperature was warmer than I thought it would be at night. Our last day was only two days after the full moon, so the glow was weak, but we did see it! The ostracods would light up in dots from bottom to top in a wavy line. I can only imagine how much brighter it would be five days after the full moon and I hope to see it one day! We waited for a while, until we got cold, and then swam in, which was an adventure in itself. There were millions of small silver fish following our lights and it looked a little terrifying to have to swim forward through them.

Bonaire dive shops do guided ostracod dives if you’re nervous about doing it on your own. The shops can also give you more information about where to go and how the dive should go.

Conclusion

It’s easy to see why people have dubbed Bonaire a “diver’s paradise.” There are so many dive sites in a close distance and I liked the ease and flexibility of getting into the water. We dove on our own schedule, enjoyed relaxed diving, and reveled in island life. If you get the chance to experience it, don’t miss it!

P.S. Did you see this post about everything we ate and drank in Bonaire? So much good stuff!

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Bonaire has plenty of great eats! Located in the Southern Caribbean, Bonaire is a municipality of the Netherlands. The majority of Bonaire dining comes from European and African culture. You’ll find plenty of fresh fish and stews, similar to typical Caribbean food. From the cheese and charcuterie plates assembled at home to our dining out, we were very happy with our meals in Bonaire.

Here’s a guide to what to eat and drink in Bonaire. I’ve included a list of recommended restaurants at the bottom.

What to Eat and Drink in Bonaire

The majority of Bonaire dining comes from European and African culture. You’ll find plenty of fresh fish and stews, similar to typical Caribbean food.

Goat Stew

Goats are one of the only animals raised on Bonaire, so you can bet it’s a local dish that’s done right. The consistency is less of a stew soup and more like stewed meat on a plate with rice.

Grilled Fish (Piska)

One of my favorite things to eat in the Caribbean is grilled or pan-seared fish, and I can’t get enough! In Bonaire, it’s sometimes served with a stewed tomato sauce. The fish is typically mahi-mahi or wahoo.

Funchi

This is cornmeal similar to polenta. It’s usually a side and sometimes fried. In this post, you’ll see it in these photos as a flat, fried patty or a large rectangular shape, like a big French fry.

Iguana Soup

Curiosity got the best of me. This soup was made with celery and onions and the iguana tasted a bit like stewed pork. Different but good.

Burgers

There are many burgers available on Bonaire, from the traditional beef to the unique lionfish. I enjoyed fish and beef burgers!

Fried Plantains

Another one of my favorites in the Caribbean, these plantains are usually a side dish.

Pika Siboyo

This is the local spicy sauce made with onions, peppers, and vinegar. You’ll usually find containers of this condiment on the tabletop along with ketchup and mayonnaise.

Dessert

It didn’t seem like there was a traditional dessert in Bonaire but we did enjoy dessert! There are a few gelato shops. We also enjoyed tres leches and pineapple cake. I noticed apple pie (perhaps a Dutch influence?) on a few menus.

Local Liqueur and Liquor – The Cadushy Distillery

Have you ever drank a cactus? The island’s Cadushy Distillery makes a cactus liqueur that has a lime flavor along with a few other liqueurs. You can visit the distillery in Rincon or the store in downtown Kradeljik. If you’d rather try it in a cocktail, look for a bar serving it, usually in a mojito.

Cadushy Distillery also produces Rom Rincon (rum), Cadushy Vodka, and Captain Don’s Whiskey. You’re sure to find these in cocktails around town.

Local Beer

If you want to get very local, Bonaire Blond is the beer for you. It’s brewed at a local restaurant and available in bottles at the grocery store and in a handful of restaurants on the island. I liked the beer a lot!

You’ll readily find Polar (Venezuelan), Amstel (Dutch), and Heineken (Dutch) in grocery stores and restaurants. Belgian beers like Duvel (the Duvel Tripel Hop was delicious) and Trapiste are available at the grocery store. If you like trying new beers, you’ll enjoy exploring the ones in Bonaire.

Where to Eat and Drink in Bonaire

Grocery Store

We rented a house in Bonaire and made a few meals at home during the week. This was a good option because of time and money and the grocery store was down the street. We were also very impressed with the cheese and charcuterie section at the grocery store! A couple of nights we picked out some random items and made plates to snack on.

We also ate PLENTY of stroopwaffles and tried bags of chips with only Dutch on them. There are many grocery stores in Bonaire and while we stopped into two, our favorite was Van den Tweel. It was bigger and we saw many other tourists there too. They have a wide selection of items and prices seemed comparable to the other store we visited. Note: part of the beer section.

On the weekends, Kip Tukkie parks outside Van den Tweel and here you can get a delicious, tender, and four-hour-smoked whole chicken for $14. It was so good!

Restaurants in and near Downtown Kralendijk

The Downtown Kralendijk area is fairly compact and getting to north or south of downtown will take about 10 minutes.

• Windsock The Beach (South) – We stopped here for sunset drinks and we liked it so much, we made reservations for dinner the next night. The mojitos were our favorite along with a goat cheese salad and beef truffle pasta. With their perfect sunset view, reservations are necessary!

• Between 2 Buns (North) – The sandwiches here hit the spot and the restaurant was recommended by locals. I had a salami and brie on Italian bread.

• Konfo (Downtown) – This local restaurant has a simple, chalkboard menu and they’re serving up noteworthy traditional food. Goat stew and pan-fried fish were both satisfying.

• Mi Banana (Downtown) – Located a little further from the main downtown streets, Mi Banana serves Caribbean and Colombian cuisine. We stopped in this restaurant for a late lunch right after we arrived from the airport. I loved the pan-seared fish and Will’s lomito was delicious too. Don’t forget the tres leches cake!

• Brass Boer (South) – We enjoyed an excellent dinner here on our last night. Chef Jonnie Boer is a Michelin-star chef in the Netherlands and opened this restaurant a few years ago. While Brass Boer was much pricier than any of our other meals, we were impressed by the flavors, creativity, and atmosphere. Service was a little slow, as we had been warned by others, and we ended up staying for two and a half hours. They open at 5:30 pm for dinner, so make an earlier reservation if you’re worried about this. We enjoyed the beef tartare, “on the beach” oyster and foie gras, neck of lamb with Thai curry, tom kha kai pasta (my favorite!), 1 metre of ceviche (marinated in kombucha and ginger), whole snapper, and deconstructed apple pie.

• At Sea (Downtown) – We considered this restaurant instead of Brass Boer for our “fancy dinner.” Their menu, with a focus on the protein, looked hearty and intriguing also.

• Mezze (Downtown) – If you’re looking for more vegetarian options, this Middle Eastern restaurant has an enticing menu of hummus, tabbouleh, and the like.

• Eddy’s Bar & Restaurant (North) – A local favorite, Eddy’s Bar serves traditional eats, including ceviche.

• Karel’s Beach Bar (Downtown) – This was a nice pier bar to enjoy drinks at as the sunset! They serve Cadushy Distillery mojitos here.

• Gio’s Gelateria (Downtown) – This shop will satisfy your sweet tooth with their gelato.

• Gogreen (North) – This Indian vegetarian restaurant is also highly rated. They focus on organic and healthy eats.

Food Trucks

• Cactus Blue – If you want the lionfish burger, get there early! They open at 11 am and usually sell out, as we sadly learned. However, we ate beef burgers instead and were very pleased! They’re typically on Donkey Beach.

• Kite City – We didn’t fit this food truck in our schedule but I wish we had! They’re known for their fish, especially ceviche and seared tuna burger. They’re usually located at Te Amo Beach.

Sorobon Beach Restaurants

If you’re visiting Sorobon Beach in the southern part of the island, here’s where to eat and drink.

• Beach Hut Bar & Grill – We visited this beach-front restaurant from a recommendation. I liked the fish (wahoo) burger but liked the beef burger more.

• Hang Out Beachbar – You’ll find sandwiches and burgers here and barbecue on Thursday nights.

Rincon Restaurants

You may find yourself in Rincon in the north part of the island if you’re diving the northern dive sites like Karpata or 1000 Steps or if you’re visiting Washington Slagbaai National Park. Here are a few recommendations.

• Rose Inn – We stopped here for a few beers and thought about eating lunch here. They serve traditional food from a short, verbal menu.

• Posada Para Mira – We stopped here for the lunch and the view is great! I liked the goat stew more than the salted cod. I probably should have stuck to my favorite grilled fish! You can also try iguana soup and goat liver stew here. Our piñacolada cake dessert was good too.

Conclusion

I shouldn’t have been surprised after my experiences eating in Belize and the Cayman Islands. Bonaire had great food and I couldn’t get enough fresh fish and goat stew!

P.S. Want to read more posts about travel eats? Check out my eating and drinking in Egypt, Greece, and Thailand.

Keep up with my travel posts and adventures. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

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