Bonaire Family Activities
Bonaire is heralded by many as a diver’s paradise but should not be overlooked as a great place for mixed groups of people to travel.
Award winning travel author Gail Clifford asserts how perfect Bonaire is for groups of all ages on the website multigenerationalvacations.com. Gail Clifford, MD who has traveled to all 50 states and 5 continents authored an article titled “Why a Bonaire Vacation is Perfect for Multigenerational Families' '. The article concludes with the following quote “Bonaire is the perfect place to keep multiple generations of an active family entertained and happy. You’ll have a grand time. If you’re looking for activities to ease your burdens and really enjoy your week, this is the place for you.”
I will include a link to the article at the end of this document. I will in this brief present a focused look at what Bonaire has to offer families. For a more broad listing of what you will experience on the island check out the document “Top 42 Things to Do In Bonaire”.
Bonaire is a great place to go for groups of all ages for many reasons including some basic practical reasons. First, Bonaire is a very safe place to go - violent crime is rare. Bonaire being very safe makes it a place where you can rent a vehicle and spend much of your time away from the resort doing things like going to the grocery store with your family. Experiences that might not seem to be a big deal but enrich our lives beyond what you get if you go on an all-inclusive resort vacation.
Another real practical reason that Bonaire is great for groups of all ages and interests has to do with logistics. What people do and when they do it on scuba diving vacations is oftentimes dictated by divers needing to get on a boat at a certain time to go diving. On Bonaire there are boats that will take you out - but much of the diving can be done from shore. You just drive your truck up to the dive site - gear up and walk in the water. Your dive package will include unlimited tanks you can use day or night. This allows a tremendous amount of flexibility. In the morning a group can grab some tanks head out and do a dive or two. Then come back and grab lunch at the “home base”. After lunch a new group (or the same bunch) can head out and dive. All this while those in the group that aren’t diving can go and do other activities on the island - with a larger group there will be more than one rental vehicle. Additionally in some parts of Bonaire you can walk from where you are staying to a beach, watersports, grocery stores or restaurants.
Another family friendly feature of Bonaire is that there are a lot of houses and villas to rent from sources like VRBO. Larger villas can be a very economical way for large groups. Much of what is available on Bonaire will have full kitchens and BBQ grills. There is a surprisingly good selection of foods in the grocery stores on the island. Just going to the grocery store can be a fun thing to do with the whole family.
Going to a world class scuba diving destination, you would probably want to first know at what age can you learn to scuba dive and what other opportunities younger kids have to experience the ocean.
Kids as young as 10 years old can learn to dive. The certifying agencies do specify depth limits on young kids. In Bonaire there is lots of good diving in the shallows making it a great place for young kids and other first time divers.
There is not an age limit on snorkeling in that all you need is a mask, snorkel and fins. Bonaire usually has some very calm areas of ocean that most ages can enjoy.
Resorts and dive shops on the island offer many different programs for kids. Below is a graphic and explanations of what is available at a populst dive shop in Bonaire/
Buddy Dive:
A fun filled experience for kids aged 5 to 10 years old where they will learn to snorkel and how to use SASY equipment. The kids will learn about fish and the underwater world, but also enjoy lots of other activities like arts & crafts. We will start with pool sessions to review swim skills and introduce the kids to snorkeling and free diving skills. We will take the kids into the ocean later in the week.
Incl. activities, a snack, equipment and adult supervision from one of our staff members.
Kids need to be able to swim.
Buddy Kids Club takes place in the morning from Monday – Friday; 8.30am – 12.30pm
One Morning $60
Three Mornings $180
Five Mornings $250
Start scuba diving early with this specially designed program for kids! The PADI Seal Team is an introduction to the basic skills of scuba diving for kids aged 8 -10 years old who are able to swim.
“Aqua missions” & underwater fun using real scuba gear is a great way to introduce children to the underwater world & offer them an opportunity to dive just like mom & dad!
The AquaMissions cover basic scuba diving skills, such as breathing underwater, clearing a mask of water, recovering a regulator and swimming around and experiencing the sensation of being weightless. After completing the AquaMissions your kid will become a recognized PADI Seal Team Member.
The Padi Seal Team is a 5-morning program 8.30 am – 12.30 pm (Monday-Friday only)
Price includes activities, a snack, equipment, the PADI Seal team Crew-pak (video, activity book and log book) and continues guidance from one of our Divestaff Instructors.
Duration: 5 days
Price: $350
Bubblemaker is a fun PADI program for kids aged 8-10 years old. It’s the chance for kids to blow bubbles by scuba diving. It is very similar to a discover scuba dive, but without skills and performed in the ocean. The kids will use scuba gear to breathe underwater and swim around in the shallow water around our dock(max 6ft/2m), under the constant supervision of one of our dive instructors.
A Bubblemaker session is included when participating in the PADI Seal Team.
Incl. Instruction, all required equipment, 1 dive and constant supervision of a dive instructor.
Duration: 2 hours
Price: $90
SASY stands for ‘Supplied Air Snorkeling for Youth’ and let’s your kid experience the underwater world by snorkeling with scuba equipment instead of a snorkel.
A SASY unit is basically a personal flotation device with a small scuba tank and regulator attached. This way your kid will float on the surface, but with the scuba equipment they are free to keep their heads under water and don’t miss out an any of the action below.
SASY sessions are included in the Buddy Kids Club. It is also possible to rent SASY equipment and take your kids out snorkeling yourself!
Other family activities on Bonaire:
Windsurfing
Kids as young as 7 years old can take a class and surf the ocean.
Beaches
A great gathering place for multiple generations.
Several varied opportunities on the island to get together on a beach.
Mangrove Kayaking
5 years and older on tour
Landsailing
8+ can pilot their own vehicle. Kids 3+ can go with an adult.
Hiking
Many trails in Bonaire are OK for the old and young.
Biking
Trail riding and touring.
Fishing
Big Game Fishing (Blue and White Marlin, Sailfish, Wahoo, Mahi Mahi and Tuna species like yellow fin, black fin and Skipjack)
Fly Fishing
Water Skiing, Tubing, Wakeboarding and…
Tube ride, Banana ride, Wakeboarding, Water skiing, Ocean Kayaking
Semi-Submarine
Horseback Riding
10+ years old
Motorized Tours
Mini Golf
Indoor and Outdoor Movie Theater
Washington Slagbaai National Park Tour
A full day of experiences - could spend 2 days.
Take a Tour or Just Hangout in Kralendijk
Sporting Events
Bonaire has a professional football (soccer) team that plays in a stadium with a capacity of 3,000. (Population of Bonaire only about 26K). Might be fun to check out a match there. Also we have seen a well-kept baseball diamond on the island – would be cool to check out a local game.
Watching Kitesurfers
Just watching them is fun – for the more adventurous – you can take a course in kitesurfing.
Birdwatching
Airplane watching
It might seem unusual but it is a local event to gather on the beach that is less than 500 m away from the edge of the airport runway. When the huge jetliners from Europe come thundering in, locals and tourists can be seen with coolers and picnic baskets on the beach with lawn chairs, Kids playing on the beach. The beach also is the entry point to a nice dive/snorkel site. Years ago I shot an underwater and above water video of diving and as we came up a large plane was overhead - was an interesting juxtaposition.
This is a unique experience for many of us but might be especially exciting for kids.
Visit the Donkey Sanctuary
Tour an Aquaponics Farm
Tour a Goat Farm and Sample Goat Cheese
Escape Games (outdoor)
Experience and Explore Bonaire History, Culture and Events
Bonaire has an interesting history and unique blend of people on the island that call Bonaire their home. Explorer Amerigo Vespucci visited Bonaire in 1499 and claimed it for Spain but it eventually became a Dutch property in 1636. During the German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II, Bonaire was a protectorate of Britain and the United States. The American army built the Flamingo Airport as an Air Force base. After Germany invaded the Netherlands on May 10, 1940, authorities declared Martial law and many German and Austrian citizens, as well as Dutch thought to be German sympathizers, were interned in a camp on Bonaire.
The Bonaire people hold festivals and events that draw people from around the world. A local custom has been to gather each Sunday PM on a beach with food stands and dancing. The event is enjoyed by the locals but they are welcoming of travelers to the party. Another event is when the big jets come in from The Netherlands. Locals gather on the beach that is about 750 feet away from the beginning of the runway. I have been told that in addition to the people on board these planes are loaded with freight from The Netherlands.
People Watching
Bonaire has a very diverse influx of visitors to their island. A big chunk of those who fly in are from The Netherlands, but so do many other Europeans. Another big chunk of visitors come from the US and Canada. You will also see tourists from South and Central America as well as from others from other Caribbean islands.
Comments