Bonaire

The world's shore-diving capital, where the island's entire coastline is a marine park: self-drive to yellow-stone-marked dive sites, see flamingos at the pink salt pans and visit uninhabited Klein Bonaire.

Bonaire lies in the southern Caribbean about 80 km north of Venezuela and, together with Aruba and Curaçao, forms the "ABC Islands". Since 2010 it has been a special municipality of the Netherlands (the Caribbean Netherlands); the US dollar is the currency, and Dutch, Papiamento and English are all widely spoken. The island is long and narrow, about 38 km long and 5–11 km wide, with a population of around 24,000. The capital, Kralendijk, sits midway along the west coast, so you can stay in one place and drive to every corner of the island. Bonaire is best known for diving: the waters around the island have been protected as a national marine park since 1979, and more than 80 shore-diving sites marked with yellow stones line the coastal road on the west side. Just rent a car, load up your tanks and jump in whenever you like; dive magazines have ranked it the Caribbean's top shore-diving destination for years. Snorkellers should head first to Klein Bonaire and 1000 Steps. The island divides into three areas: the north, with Washington Slagbaai National Park, the flamingos of Gotomeer and the old town of Rincon, is hilly and covered with cacti; the centre is Kralendijk with its restaurants, bars and harbour; the flat south links the pink salt pans, white salt mountains, slave huts, flamingo sanctuary and Willemstoren Lighthouse into a self-drive loop, while Lac Bay on the east coast is a windsurfing and kitesurfing hotspot. The climate is dry and hot, 25–32°C year-round, and the island lies outside the hurricane belt, so any time is a good time to visit; Jan–Apr is the most comfortable, cooled by the trade winds, and Oct–Dec brings occasional showers. There are direct flights from Amsterdam, seasonal direct flights from several North American cities, and connections via Curaçao. Plan on 4–7 days; divers often stay a week or more. Note: divers and snorkellers must pay the marine park Nature Fee (about US$40 per year for divers, about US$25 for other water activities); don't leave valuables in your car, and when shore diving it's often recommended to leave the windows open to avoid break-ins. Touching the coral is strictly prohibited, and reef-safe sunscreen is recommended.

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