DIVING AND WATER SPORTS Klein Bonaire together make up one of the most popular dive destinations in the world due to the variety of sea life and ideal diving conditions with dependable 100-foot-plus visibility. Shore diving is the order of the day, every day, and as you drive around the island you'll regularly see scuba enthusiasts traipsing in and out of the water at dive site entry points marked by yellow-painted stones.
The Bonaire Marine Park , which encompasses the entire coastline down to a depth of 200 feet, boasts countless world class dive sites – including more than 70 with boat moorings.
If you're ready to step up the pace, venture to Lac Bay on the eastern shore to watch world-class wind surfers rocket across the shallows where annual pro competitions are held. You may even want to take a lesson yourself.
ECO-ADVENTURE Goto Meer , a saltwater lake in the north. The salt flats at Rode Pan are another favorite hangout of the shrimp-pink birds, which can number up to 15,000. The slave huts in the background are somber reminders that even little Bonaire was tainted by slavery.Washington-Slagbaai National Park . Quite a few of the 130 bird species have been spotted at the two observation areas.
DINING AND NIGHTLIFE
DON'T MISS – Visiting the forlorn slave huts at Rode Pan
HISTORY
In 1634, Dutch settlers took over the island. The Dutch West India Company was established to control economic ventures such as corn harvesting and cow rearing. For a short period in the early 1800s, the British controlled Bonaire, but by 1816, it was Dutch again. In 1954, Bonaire became a self-governing partner, along with Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, Saba, and St. Eustatius, in the kingdom of the Netherlands.
