Plunge Into Adventure on This Tiny Southern Caribbean Island

From shore diving to donkey safaris, the biggest challenge in Bonaire is staying inside.

“ In Bonaire , you do n’t think , you just do . ”I’d hear someone say this originally in the calendar week and now I clung to it like a mantra . I reprize it to myself , standing at the border of this drop , eyeing the crap - covered pass of fossilized coral beneath my feet . About 25 foot below that there ’s clear , impossibly cobalt blue water . Maybetooclear : I think I see fantasm of rock - masses right beneath the ripples , but hopefully my eyes are play antic on me .

On the southerly end of the Caribbean , the Dutch municipality — the “ B vitamin ” between Aruba and Curaçao in the ABC islands — is less about tourist traps and more about outside appreciation . Here , 20,000 occupier are relegated to two cities — Kralendijk , the capital , and the older Rincon — while about one fifth of the whole island is covered byWashington - Slagbaai National Park , where I am currently icy .

To get to this perch above Boka Slagbaai bay — once a setting for Capricorn the Goat butcher ( slagbaai comes from slachtbaai , Dutch for “ butchery bay”)—I trekked in aquamarine shoes up a lumpy trail lined with spindly taper cacti that spring from the ground like electrified whisker . Take out the console sound of the ocean , and the landscape would be right at home in the desert . But then an common iguana crosses my path , moseying along on Caribbean time . Behind me flamingos converge , junket on a former Strategic Arms Limitation Talks cooking pan . And at the top of the trail , I emerge to see the water — heroic , gorgeous , with coral Witwatersrand all around , all protected thanks to the island ’s preservation efforts .

You’ll need a 4x4 for Washington-Slagbaai National Park.|Courtesy of Tourism Corporation Bonaire

Now , all there is to do is jump from this cliff , which seems like nothing , except now a crew has gathered to watch . Maybe they were in the internal park to hike the trails ofMount Brandaris , the highest prime on the island . Or maybe they were there to dive and schnorkel in hugger-mugger cove beaches , like the hidden lunar time period pools ofBoka Kokolishi , a favorite for wad . Maybe they ’ve kayak , explored historic ruination or driven in their 4x4 along a filth road , where spate goats climb rugged cumulus to one side and geyser from the sea spurt angrily on the other . Maybe , but now they ’re here , watching me for entertainment .

So might as well give them a show . I count down — a error , because then I hesitate ( a note to cliff jumpers out there : Do n’t look down . Neverlook down . ) . And then … I leap .

Did you know you could do a belly flop on your back ? Before visit Bonaire I did n’t . But now , painfully , I do . And I ’d do it again .

The cliff in question, in Washington-Slagbaai National Park.|Angelita Niedziejko/ Moment/ Getty Images

Here ’s what else you may get up to on this low but mighty risky venture island .

Inhabit the scuba spirit of Captain Don

Today , the geographical mile of reef fringing the circumference of Bonaire is all a protected marine green , stretching up to 984 foot offshore and stocked with 470 coloured metal money of Pisces , 60 kinds of coral , and multiple dive and snorkeling sites . The Witwatersrand ’s availableness , along with year - round good weather , has earned 24 - mile - long Bonaire a report as the shore diving capital of the world — a seat where you may pop into underwater wonders straight off the land , rather than needing a sauceboat .

But the value of the Rand might never have been make out if not for one valet , a Californian named Captain Don Stewart . Navy mankind , zealous diver , raconteur , and inventor ( he on the face of it was responsible for the sliding sieve threshold ) , Captain Don was also an conservationist . As the taradiddle goes , he made a pit stop in Bonaire while on a sailing trip back in 1962 , his 50 - year - old schooner in need of repairs . At the time , only 4,000 people live on the island , but it was the piddle that caught Captain Don ’s attention . When it was time to pull up stakes , he changed his plans . “ I could see the Witwatersrand as we tied up,”he said of his first sighting . “ I could find out it calling my name . ”

Bonaire ’s insertion to diving event began with the six tank Captain Don brought with him , and the aegis of local maritime life became his bequest . He spearhead a run to have permanent moorage placed at dive sites that prevented divers from cast anchor in , and thus destroying , the reefs . His feat not only led to the forbiddance of spearfishing to protect the reefs ( it ’s the ground conch , though plentiful in the weewee around Bonaire , has to be import from adjacent islands ) , but also to the creation of theBonaire National Marine Parkin 1979 . Today , all divers in Bonaire are required to attend a class on Witwatersrand preservation , as well aspay a nature fee of $ 25to enter the park waters .

Headed down the 1,000 Steps, a popular scuba spot. (It’s actually just 67 steps.)|blue-sea.cz/Shutterstock

You ’ll see his name invoked throughout the island , most prominently at the PADI diving resort he founded in 1976,Captain Don ’s Habitat , a dearie of divers and divers - to - be with certification stratum , specialty courses , and entree to over 50 moored land site by custom nosedive boat . ( The attachedRum Runnersrestaurant , a go - to for cocktails with a grampus sundown view , is a favorite of everyone else . )

Other area resorts includeBuddy Dive Resort , Grand Windsock , the more affordableCaribbean Club , and the luxuriousHarbour Village , terminated with its own secluded stretch of secret beach , the only berth you ’ll find that on the island . But resort access is n’t need to attain the urine : Stop off at a dive shop for some equipment , choosea bit — the extraordinary1,000 stepsperhaps ( in reality just 67 steps ) , or theOil Slick , where you step off a short cliff into the waves — and take the leap .

Throw caution to the wind (literally)

The coherent trade wind that blew Captain Don ’s aging sailboat over to Bonaire are the same breezes that make the island a destination for current of air - fueled sport . friend windsurfers are made here — you’ll witness some instruction classes at Lac Bay . The Frans Brothers , star of the 2013 documentaryChildren of the Wind , about three Bonarians ’ journeying from a small fishing Greenwich Village to windsurfing superstardom , run theirown windsurf school and offstage foil centeron Sorobon Bay . ( One of the owners , Elton “ Taty ” Fransholds the fast recordfor windsurf from Bonaire to Curaçao ) .

Of course , if you want a more laid - back activity , there ’s plenty of that , too . The windsurfing clubJibe Cityoffers rentals and stratum — plus adirondack professorship , mound , and a bar for those who choose to watch .

Another choice ? Skim across the sea on a kiteboard . That ’s done at Atlantis Beach , with classes atKiteboarding BonaireorBonaire Kiteschool . Or try your hand harness the hint on land . Bonaire is the only island in the Caribbean where you canlandsail . Using the New Zealand - design Blokart ( rhymes with go - kart),Bonaire Landsailing Adventuresallows you to zip around a waterfront cart track right dot with cacti . Just watch out out for those common iguana .

Don’t scuba? There’s plenty to see with just a snorkel.|Gail Johnson/Shutterstock

How to Turn a Desert Vacation Into a Sailing Adventure (Minus the Boat)

No water? No problem.

Duck underground

You ’re standing in front of a gaping pickle in the land about three feet broad , depth as dark as the eye can see . Your snorkel is strapped around your cervix . Then your spelunking guide nods : “ Yup , this is the cave where we ’re going down . ” Yet another one of those “ just do it ” Bonaire moments . If you ’re lucky , there ’s a rickety ladder to go up , but you ’re most probable rappelling into a dry cave to creep through briary formation , or a lactating one , emerging in a wonderland of clear pools , stalactite , stalagmites , and red coral shaped like everything from brainpower to bats . Oh wait — those are real bat .

There ’s a reason Bonaire is free of lush vegetation . Its geology was formed by a volcanic sum pushed up from the earth and surrounded by limestone karst . But what the land lacks in nutrients for plant life liveliness , it make up for with its holes . Caves , over 400 of them , litter the landscape , and theBonaire Caves & Karst Nature Reserveis dedicated to their aegis . To that ending , just a few are approachable to visitors , and need a guidebook like those fromGo Caving BonaireorCaves Tour Bonaireto take you through the cloak-and-dagger world ( if you choose the latter and get Dirk as your guide , be ready for plenty of lovely papa jokes ) .

Delve into the island’s cultural history

Though the resident today are a conglomeration of several civilization — their lyric , Papiamentu , is a mixture of Dutch , Spanish , Portuguese , French , and African dialects — at times , Bonaire can seem like two res publica : one for those who built the country , and one for those who conquered it . The original inhabitants were an Arawak kin called the Caiquetios , believed to have migrate from Venezuela . ( It was their name for the island — Bojnaj — that evolved into “ Bonaire ” . ) After the Spanish landed , they seek for riches on the arid desert - like land and launch none . They afterwards deemed the land useless , enslaved the Caiquetios , and ship them off to Hispaniola ( now Haiti ) and the Dominican Republic to work in the pig mines .

1636 saw the arrival of the Dutch , who come in search of salt to use as preservative in the Clupea harangus industry . get in at Bonaire by ocean or land , and the first thing to charm your eye are the pink - hue salt flats on the southern end of the island , each lined with monolithic 50 - foot tall blank Great Pyramid of salt . They ’re part of one of the big solar table salt facilities in the Caribbean . ( The salt is available to bribe all over , but at the flats and there ’s a loge of crystals to sample for gratis . )

In Bonaire the Dutch find their White Gold , and , in the late 1600s , implemented the slave trade to work in the main on the salt flat . Near them are almost identical solid lily-white house , Scandinavian in their minimalist design . Dating back to 1850 and made of coral stone , these were once protection for the enslaved brought in by the Dutch from the west sea-coast of Africa to work on on the flats ( slavery was abolished in the Dutch Antilles 13 yr afterwards ) .

Can’t fight the wind, might as well harness it.|Michel Porro/ Getty Images News

Their home were typically locate inland in the city of Rincón , but as the apartment were a seven - hr walk away , stay overnight in these accommodation meant they could do work , slumber , and work again . And it was knotty body of work — they often went unsighted due to sun and heat picture .

Until thrall was abolished , the entire island amounted to one large plantation . Around Kralendijk , you ’ll see function for a self - guided historical walk go , taking you past Dutch compound buildings like the Protestant Christian church , build in 1847 for Dutch immigrants , and Wilhelmina Park , bring up after Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands ( she has her own “ welcome stern ” affixed with a plaque ) .

Headed to Bonaire? Make This Cultural Center Your First Stop

The Mangazina di Rei—and its monthly Nos Zjilea festivities—is a tangible link to the island’s past.

But to learn more about the cultural account of Bonaire , of those who toiled on the nation and whose descendants still be there today , head inland to Rincón and find oneself theMangazina di Rei . Once a building used by the administration to store agricultural ration for the enslaved , today it ’s a museum document the island ’s agricultural abd geologic makeup , as well as a culture imperil to become obsolete . It ’s a place where you’re able to “ see , feel , and try out the culture of Bonaire , ” says its operating manager , Izaïn Mercera . They civilize not only the populace but born and grow Bonairians who want to continue their culture .

Every last Saturday of the month , the midpoint is master of ceremonies totheNos Ziljea , a solemnisation of local craftsmanship , agriculture , and melodious entertainment plus local foods like Funchi , a mash of pitch-dark eyed pea and brown cabbage , and goat curry , which you could also try out at nearby local restaurants likePosada Para Mira . ( If you ’re feeling adventurous , go for the iguana stew ) . Or if you ’re natter from February through May , face for one of the Simadan event throughout the commonwealth , a festival that harkens back to a celebration of the harvest , with its own dance call the Wapa . It culminates in the day - longDia di Rinconon April 30 .

Create your own safari

Cruise around the island and you ’re bond to encounter quite a bit of wildlife . Some are a natural fit , like common iguana , water bird , caracaras , parrot , and even laughingstock . Also flamingos , pink like the salt flats , crunch on shrimp from briny waters and hanging out atBonaire Wild Bird Rehab , their very own sanctuary . They say there ’s more flamingos than citizenry on the island , and that might very well be dependable .

And then there are the donkey . Dropped off by the Spanish in the 1500s and impart to fend for themselves on the island , about 1100 burros now roam freely throughout Bonaire . And if brush with humans twist unfriendly , it ’s commonly the faulting of the brute with two pegleg and apposable thumbs . That ’s whereDonkey Sanctuary Bonairecomes in .

(Ad)venture into the night

Bonaire might be more suitable to day exploration , but there is also a burgeoning nightlife scene , helmed by unrecorded performances atLittle Havanaand salsa parties atCuba Compagnie . And you may calculate on cocktails backed by striking sunsets at places likeKarel ’s Beach Barin the sum of Kralendijk , or at more upscale restaurant like the Mediterranean - inflectedSebastian’s , Ingridiëntsat Buddy Dive , and the aforementionedRum Runnersat Captain Don ’s Habitat . There ’s even an option to voyage into the sunset itself , with a four - hour dinner party cruise aboard a 50 - foot wooden schooner fromMelisa soaring .

by and by , move on to the heartier stuff atTiki & Co. Its Bonaire - raised owner Eddy Trenidad has apprenticed everywhere from the proscription - inspiredRoom 13 in Chicago to the trend - setting Stirr in the Netherlands ( now closed ) . Have him whip you up something to please your roof of the mouth , or choose from any of the well - balance choice . Just be aware : beverage follow heavy on the gothy theatrics here ( order the Sorobon Zombie for a flaming surprise ) , and even heavy on the liquor ( order onlyoneSorobon Zombie if you want to remember what happened that dark ) .

How to Turn a Desert Vacation Into a Sailing Adventure (Minus the Boat)