Bonaire is a Dutch island in the Caribbean part of the Netherlands, which has been a special municipality since 2010 as a Caribbean public body. It is located in the southern part of the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Venezuela, and belongs to the ABC islands of the Lesser Antilles. The capital of Bonaire is Kralendijk; a corruption of Koralendijk (coral dike). The oldest settlement is Rincon, Spanish for "corner".
Bonaire has just over 20,000 inhabitants and is a multi-cultural and multi-lingual society. Most residents have Papiamento as their home language. In addition, English, Spanish and Dutch are spoken to a greater or lesser extent.
Bonaire is a small island in the Caribbean with an area of 288 km² and has 23,000 inhabitants.
The most spoken languages are Papiamento, Dutch, English and Spanish.
On Bonaire they pay with the American dollar (USD), which is 0.94 euros (October 2023). When you withdraw cash from the machines, additional costs of at least $7.50 will be charged. There are no additional costs charged by the bank for direct debit card payments.
Since Bonaire is part of the Netherlands, there are comparisons with the Netherlands in terms of laws and regulations. For example, the traffic rules are the same, with a few exceptions. On Bonaire, traffic from the right does NOT have priority. We advise you not to lock the car. If you decide to lock your car, it can only be for one reason: there are valuable things in the car! They'll break in and take what they can. When you leave the car unlocked, they open the door briefly, see if they can see anything quickly and then continue walking. There is also very little crime on Bonaire. In the evening you can safely walk alone across the street from the restaurant to your car. The swimming bags also remain untouched on the beach when you are snorkeling. Burglary and other illegal things almost never happen!
There is no public transport on Bonaire. You will find bus stops, but there have been no buses for years. People use these stops to rest in the shade. Taxis do run. There is not one company that covers everything, but they are all self-employed with their own amounts.
Between 12:00 and 15:00 is the hottest time of the day. Many shops and businesses are closed between those times. Try to find as much shade as possible between those times. The sun burns much stronger here than in the Netherlands, and you will also burn faster. It is therefore important to apply sunscreen well. The standard sunscreen damages the coral, 1 drop is enough to kill 1 football field of coral! At the local diving shops you can buy good sunscreen that does not damage the coral.
All companies are closed during the dates below, except for the catering industry.
Monday January 1, 2024 - New Year's Day
Sunday 11 to Tuesday 13 February 2024 - Carnival
This is THE party of Bonaire. And then there are also parades, beauty pageants and many activities throughout the week.
Friday March 29, 2024 - Good Friday
Sunday March 31 and Monday April 1, 2024 - Easter
Camping on the beach is only allowed at Easter. You will find all residents of Bonaire there.
Saturday April 27, 2024 - King's Day
On this day there are many food stalls, music and festivities throughout the island.
Tuesday, April 30, 2024 - Dia di Rincon
This is a cultural and folk festival of the village of Rincon. On this day, numerous festivities (music performances, children's games, food stalls, folkloric parades, etc.) take place in Rincon, the oldest village on Bonaire.
The Dia de Rincon (Rincon Day) on April 30 is an annual celebration on the island and has been an official holiday since 2020. In 2015, King Willem Alexander and Queen Maxima attended this party during their visit to Bonaire.
Wednesday May 1, 2024 - Labor Day
Thursday, May 9, 2024 - Ascension Day
Friday, September 6, 2024 - Flag Day
The island was discovered on this day in 1499. This day is also called 'Bonaire day'. There are also many festivities to experience on this day.
Sunday, December 15, 2024 - Kingdom Day
Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 December 2024 - Christmas
Tuesday December 31 - New Year's Eve
Thursday – Latin evening at Cuba Compagnie
Friday – Live Music and Happy Hour at Ocean Oasis
Saturday – Karaoke bij Trocadero
Sunday – Dance Party bij Hangout Beach Bar
When there is a cruise boat, there is a cruise market on Wilhelminaplein (schedule 2024)
Every last Friday of the month at Kiki's! A Happy Hour organized for the LGBTQI+ Community on Bonaire.
Every last Tuesday of the month is Marshe di Rincon. A market in Rincon with local music, art and food.
The Regatta is at the beginning of October. This always falls during our autumn holidays. There are performances, parties and activities for 1 week. Regatta is an important international sailing competition.
Taste of Bonaire is organized by Toerisme Coöperatie Bonaire, Zorggroep BES and the Ministry of Health. This edition focuses on well-being and health.
STINAPA
is a non-governmental, non-profit organization committed to the management, protection, restoration and promotion of Bonaire's biodiversity. When you are on Bonaire, every traveler and resident is obliged to pay the Bonaire Nature Fund Foundation (Stinapa).
Bonaire is part of the Caribbean Netherlands. This means that there is no Dutch embassy on the island. In case of emergency, you can contact local emergency services.
Are you on Bonaire and do you need immediate help? Contact local emergency services at:
For general questions:
Are you on the island and is there an emergency or crisis situation? Always follow the instructions of the local authorities. If you are taking an organized trip, keep in touch with your tour company.
The name Bonaire
The name of the island 'Bonaire' most likely comes from the Caquetio word Bonay, which means lowland. The spelling was changed by the Spanish and Dutch to Bojnaj and later to Bonaire.
In 1636, the Dutch conquered Bonaire from the Spanish. It came under the administration of the West India Company. This imported enslaved Africans for agriculture (mainly timber, corn and salt extraction). The first slave ships, hijacked in 1636, had up to 30% children on board. The Amsterdam Notary Archives show that two children were counted as one adult.
The first surnames of enslaved people were registered in the year 1744. They can be counted among the first families of African descent on Bonaire. Some examples are: Anthony, Coffie, Domacasse, Frans, Goeloe, Janga, and Wanga. The first families of European descent also date from the second half of the 18th century, such as Evertsz, Thielman, Daal, Thode, Pourier, Neuman, and de Jongh.
After the bankruptcy of the WIC in 1791, Bonaire became a full-fledged Dutch colony. The Dutch government immediately became a slave owner.
Dishes
Sopi, various soup dishes. Sopi di karni (Soup with beef). Sopi di Yuana/Iguana (Soup with iguana meat). Sopi di Kabritu (Soup with goat meat). Tamarind soup. Sopi rabu di baka (oxtail soup). Sopi di Kadushi (This cactus soup is a variant of the Yambo dish with the okra substitute for the Kadushi cactus).
Yambo, Guiambo or Okra is a dish of okra, salted meat (and/or pigtail), fish, cheese, shrimp and karko (shellfish).
Savory snacks
Well-known savory snacks on Bonaire are Pastechi (pastries with fish, meat, cheese or ham-cheese filling), Palito (sausage in dough) and Johnny Cake (a flat round pie made from flour, milk and butter), fried in oil. Antillean croquettes are a variation on Dutch croquettes, but firmer and smaller. Other popular snacks include cheese balls and pika balls.
Sweets
Other traditional sweets called kos di boka dushi or ko'i dushi are: tentalaria, kakiña and panseiku.
Bolo pretu is a dark fruit cake made from fruits soaked in alcoholic syrup; plums, dates, raisins, currants, figs, almonds, candied peel.
Drinks
Various cold drinks such as Awa di Lamunchi, Awa di Tamarijn, or Awa di Sorsaka, chukulati di peanut, (chocolate milk made from peanuts).
De ster in de vlag van Bonaire telt zes punten, die staan voor de zes oorspronkelijke woonkernen: Antriol, Nikiboko, Tera Cora, Nort di Saliña, Playa en Rincon.
Door groei van de bevolking en uitbreiding van de bebouwing zijn vijf daarvan echter aan elkaar gegroeid tot de hoofdstad Kralendijk. Alleen Rincon, de oudste kern van het eiland, gelegen in de noordelijke helft van het eiland, is een apart dorp gebleven.
Naast deze kernen zijn er in de loop der jaren een aantal wijken bij gekomen. Achter Kralendijk tegen de heuvel liggen achter het oude Nort di Saliña de wijken Republiek en Santa Barbara. Achter Santa Barbara aan de kust ligt de nieuwe – zeer luxe – wijk Sabadeco. Voorbij het vliegveld richting zoutpannen is de wijk Belnem, vernoemd naar Harry Belafonte.
In 1936 werd de eerste luchthaven van Bonaire gebouwd in Tra’i Montaña, vlak bij Subi Blanku, in het midden van het eiland. De landingsbaan liep dwars over de huidige autoweg tussen Kralendijk en Rincon. Op 9 mei 1936 voerde het West-Indisch Bedrijf der KLM een eerste proefvlucht uit vanaf Curaçao. Deze historische proefvlucht met de Oriol, een zuster vliegtuig van de Snip, was succesvol en op 31 mei van datzelfde jaar volgt de eerste lijnvlucht.
In 1943 werd de nieuwe luchthaven met de naam Flamingo Airport' geopend. In de jaren 50 en 60 bleef de luchthaven vernieuwen. Chartervluchten vanuit de USA werden mogelijk. In 1964 werd de lijndienst tussen Bonaire en Curaçao overgenomen door de Antilliaanse Luchtvaart Maatschappij. In 1970 werd de baan wederom verlengd voor vliegtuigen als de DC9 en in 1976 werd de nieuwe terminal in gebruik genomen. In 1980 werd de baan nogmaals verlengd en verbreed en vond de eerste vlucht tussen Miami en Bonaire plaats.
In 1991 begonnen de eerste lijndiensten vanuit Europa. Op 20 april 1991 begon de KLM Royal Dutch Airlines vanaf Amsterdam een lijndienst naar Bonaire waarbij een tussenlanding werd gemaakt in Caracas, Venezuela. In 1993 startte ook Martinair een lijndienst naar het eiland. Tegenwoordig zijn er meerdere intercontinentale vluchten uit Europa en is zij de vierde grootste burgerluchthaven van Nederland.
Er heerste kort na de oorlog grote armoede op het eiland: er was nog geen toerisme, veel mannen werkten elders en verloren het contact met thuis, voornamelijk in de olie-industrie op Curaçao en Aruba of als zeeman, zoals de bovengenoemde gesneuvelden. Er was enige scheepsbouw, waar de traditionele barken werden gebouwd, kleinschalige veehouderij en de nog weinig intensieve zoutwinning. Zo was het een grote uitkomst, dat Pierre Schunck, een zakenman uit Heerlen, in 1948 een confectieatelier stichtte, dat juist aan vrouwen werk zou gaan bieden en ze zelf ook daarvoor zou opleiden. Want ook de vrouwen probeerden op de andere eilanden of in Venezuela aan de kost te komen.Er was maar voor enkele uren per dag elektriciteit. Een gevolg van die vestiging was, dat de stroomvoorziening op 24 uur werd gebracht.
De belangrijkste economische sectoren zijn toerisme en de zoutwinning. Het zuidelijk deel van het eiland is ingericht voor natuurvriendelijke zoutwinning. In 2019 deden 157.800 bezoekers per vliegtuig het eiland aan; hiervan is 39% afkomstig uit Nederland. Het aantal bezoekers dat met een cruise kwam bedroeg 458.000 in 2019.
Bonaire is bekend om een van 's werelds mooiste onderwater natuurreservaten en is daarmee zeer geliefd bij sportduikers. Een bekende duiklocatie is het wrak van de Hilma Hooker die in 1984 naar de bodem zonk.
De medische zorg op Bonaire is vergelijkbaar met die van Europees Nederland. De meeste artsen spreken Nederlands en Engels. Veel van de artsen werken tijdelijk op Bonaire vanuit Europees Nederland.
Neem voldoende medicijnen mee voor de reisperiode en voor een week extra. Niet alle medicijnen zijn altijd goed verkrijgbaar, ook niet alle merken die in Europees Nederland worden gegeven.
De enige decompressiekamer voor duikers bevindt zich in Kralendijk. Let erop dat uw duikschool beschikt over de standaard behandelingsuitrusting die aan de PADI-norm (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) voldoet.
The Netherlands & Bonaire
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(time difference: -6 uur)
+31 8820 420 02
info@bluebirdtravel.nl
