🇧🇶Bonaire · Places to discover
What to see in Bonaire?
29 places selected by the community - landmarks, nature, hidden restaurants and activities.
Landmarks & heritage
3 places
1Wikipedia · CC BY-SALandmark
Slave Huts Witte Pan
Second group of slave huts on the northern edge of the salt pans, directly overlooking the sea with views of the coloured obelisks serving as navigation beacons for vessels. The historical context proves even more striking than at the southern site.
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Landmark
Landmark
Willemstoren Lighthouse
The most venerable lighthouse in the Dutch Antilles, erected in 1837 at the island's southern tip within a lunar landscape of cacti and fossil coral. Accessible by track, it commands panoramic views across the salt pans and the Caribbean Sea.
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Landmark
Landmark
Slave Huts Rode Pan
Row of diminutive stone huts where African slaves slept whilst labouring in the salt pans during the 19th century. An unflinching and poignant testament to a painful history, designated as a historic monument.
Nature
10 places
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Nature
Nature
Boca Pos di Mangel
Wild cove on the east coast, accessible only on foot from the main track. Waves crash dramatically against black volcanic rock formations, creating a striking sensory experience.
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Nature
Nature
Boka Slagbaai – Pos di Mangel Natural Pool
A natural saltwater lagoon ringed by dwarf mangroves within the national park, reachable by 4x4. Octopuses and brightly coloured small fish concentrate in crystalline waters, perfect for unhurried snorkelling.
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Nature
Nature
Boca Spelonk – Cliff Side
The eastern cliffs at Boca Spelonk offer a spectacle of waves surging into natural cavities. A wild and windswept location, strikingly different from the calm western coastside.
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Nature
Nature
Boca Washikemba
Pebble and rock beach on the eastern coast, swept by trade winds and entirely untamed. Local fishermen cast their lines from the rocks, and it's one of the few places to spot brown pelicans plunge-diving.
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Nature
Nature
Piedra Pretu
Formation of black volcanic rock on the north-eastern coast, sculpted by millennia of marine erosion into surreal shapes. A hidden photographic gem reached via a 20-minute trail.
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Nature
Nature
Boca Dreifi
A rocky cove on the windswept eastern coast, scattered with driftwood and rare shells. Locals come here to gather seaweed and watch frigatebirds gliding above the cliffs.
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Nature
Nature
Boca Slagbaai – North Side
The northern reaches of Slagbaai Bay, accessible via a hiking trail, reveal limestone rocks sculpted by the sea and natural pools where flamingos bathe at low tide.
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Nature
Nature
Boca Bartol
A remote cove on the north-western shore, reachable only on foot or by four-wheel drive. Waves crash dramatically against spectacular coral formations, whilst the black volcanic-rock beach remains virtually deserted.
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Nature
Nature
Flamingo Sanctuary Pekelmeer
One of only four breeding colonies of Caribbean flamingos, nestled beside the southern salt pans. Hundreds of brilliant pink birds contrast strikingly with white salt and turquoise sea.
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Nature
Nature
Lac Bay
Shallow lagoon designated a Ramsar site, a windsurfing and kitesurfing paradise thanks to constant trade winds. Mangroves shelter seahorses and stingrays, viewable by kayak.
Parks & gardens
1 place
14Wikipedia · CC BY-SAPark
Washington Slagbaai National Park
Bonaire's wild heart: 5,600 hectares of coastal desert, flamingos, turtles and pristine diving. Locals venture here for the Boca Slagbaai track, an almost untouched bay accessible by 4x4.
Viewpoints
3 places
15Wikipedia · CC BY-SAViewpoint
Spelonk Lighthouse
An isolated beacon perched on the wind-battered north-eastern coast, surrounded by candelabra cacti and rugged rock formations. One of Bonaire's most raw and unspoilt vistas, far removed from the well-trodden tourist trail.
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Viewpoint
Viewpoint
Kaminda Onima – Cactus Route
A dirt track winds along the wild north-eastern coast through forests of six-metre-tall candelabra cacti, past wave-battered coves and roaming goats. This is the island's least-travelled road, best explored in the late afternoon.
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Viewpoint
Viewpoint
Salt Flats Pekelmeer – Sunset
The salt ponds of southern Bonaire blaze orange and pink as the sun dips below the horizon, transforming the landscape into an abstract composition of white salt pyramids, rosy flamingos and shimmering reflections in the iridescent water. One of the island's most photographed natural spectacles.
Activities
3 places
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Activity
Activity
Jibe City – Lac Bay
The Caribbean's premier windsurfing and kitesurfing centre, set in the sheltered lagoon of Lac Bay. Even if you're not taking to the water, the laid-back beach bar atmosphere and professional demonstrations are well worth a visit.
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Activity
Activity
Mangrove Info Center – STINAPA
An information centre run by Bonaire's nature reserve, nestled within the mangroves of Lac Bay. Local rangers explain the ecological role of mangroves with infectious enthusiasm and thoughtfully curated displays.
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Activity
Activity
Bonaire Dive & Adventure – Kayak Mangrove Tour
Kayaking excursion through Lac Bay's mangrove tunnels with a local guide who knows every seahorse by name. The sunset outing reveals unexpected biodiversity within these protected aquatic forests.
Beaches
8 places
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Beach
Beach
Playa Chikitu
A wild and windswept beach within Washington Slagbaai, accessible only by 4x4 track. Turquoise waters contrast strikingly with pristine white sand and coastal cacti, creating an atmosphere of remote isolation at the world's edge.
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Beach
Beach
Lighthouse Beach (Willemstoren) – Reef
Right at the foot of Willemstoren lighthouse, a shallow reef virtually untouched by tourists. Currents regularly bring leopard rays and barracudas within mask-and-snorkel reach.
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Beach
Beach
Kite City Beach
A windswept beach north of Sorobon, favoured by local kitesurfers and windsurfers. The shallow lagoon waters make it a perfect spot for beginners, with schools run by Bonairians.
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Beach
Beach
Playa Funchi
A diving and snorkelling spot within Washington Slagbaai National Park, featuring exceptionally clear turquoise waters where sea turtles are regularly spotted. Less crowded than the popular diving sites further south.
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Beach
Beach
Boca Cocolishi
A small black sand beach composed of shell fragments and coral fragments pulverised by the waves. A rare and captivating natural phenomenon, completely overlooked by hurried visitors.
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Beach
Beach
Sorobon Beach
Protected beach in Lac Bay lagoon, with calm, warm waters ideal for children and windsurfing beginners. Locals gather here on Sundays for fresh fish barbecues.
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Beach
Beach
Boca Slagbaai
Sheltered bay within the national park, a former salt-export pier with first-rate coral reef. Pelicans dive en masse above turquoise waters whilst iguanas bask on the rocks.
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Beach
Beach
Pink Beach
One of the Caribbean's rare pink-sand beaches, its hue derived from red coral fragments. Quiet on weekdays, it offers exceptional snorkelling over the fringing reef that runs the entire coastline.
More to discover
1 place
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Place
Place
Lac Cai – Fishermen's Village
A fishing hamlet on the shores of Lac Bay lagoon, where colourful boats are drawn up on the beach and lobster pots are stacked high. The ideal spot to buy fresh fish directly from the local fishermen.
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