Top 42 Things To Do In Bonaire
(in no particular order)
Windsurfing
Perfect place for beginners to take a class or 2 or make a week of it.
Pro windsurfing contests are held on Bonaire.
Beaches
Lac Bay beach popular for windsurfing has a nice sandy beach with lots of shallow water to enjoy. Beach side restaurant has good food and drinks. They have a Thursday night table top BBQ that looks cool.
Resort beaches are often open to the public. Some have full scale restaurants and bars that one could spend an afternoon or evening hanging out. Just a 15-20 walk down from where we stayed last time is a resort that looks like they have upgraded their beachside club recently:
Next door to that place is a resort that looks like it just opened in December of 2021 and boast having a lazy river and other water features:
Small little beaches around the island give you the chance of having the beach to yourself.
More videos on Beaches
Here is an interactive map of the beaches:
Mangrove Kayaking
Landsailing
Hiking
Cycling
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
Night Fishing
Lionfish Hunting
Boat Rentals
Sailing Tours and Charters
Parasailing
Water Skiing, Tubing, Wakeboarding and…
Tube ride, Banana ride, Wakeboarding, Water skiing, Ocean Kayaking
Semi-Submarine
Horseback Riding
Motorized Tours
Golf
Mini Golf
Grocery Shopping
I actually really enjoy grocery shopping in Bonaire. One silly thing I love about grocery shopping in Bonaire is the fact that the front AND back wheels of the shopping carts swivel. I also love that you can be standing in line at the check out and hear 3 or 4 different languages being spoken - perhaps from people who are from 3 maybe 4 different continents. Walking up and down the aisles you will be grocery shopping with locals and visitors.
There are several grocery stores on the island of Bonaire. There are 3 that are fairly large and many smaller stores. You will find products from around the world. Many will be labeled in Dutch - so a fun game is pick out an item in a can or other container that has no pictures or other clue to the contents.
Indoor and Outdoor Movie Theater
Massage
There are many places on Bonaire to get a message for example a couples beach massages with the sounds of the ocean to sooth you:
Or for a little more privacy but still near the ocean:
Day Spas
For full day spa pampering:
Beach Yoga
Washington Slagbaai National Park Tour
A full day of experiences - could spend 2 days.
Caving
Take a Tour or Just Hangout in Kralendijk
Shopping
Gift shops with unique products.
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.
Dinning
Bonaire has a culinary school. Perhaps that is one reason why there are so many great options for restaurants. I don’t think I have ever had a bad meal on the island in our 5 visits to the island. Tripadvisor has listings for 124 restaurants on Bonaire – we have probably eaten at a dozen or so restaurants over our past several visits. I will list 4 of our favorites and 4 I would like to check out.
Zeezicht Restaurant / Karel’s Beach Bar
On our first trip to Bonaire this is where we ate our first night on Bonaire. It seemed like a perfect place to start the experience. The location is essentially in the middle of downtown on the water. Seating is either inside the restaurant or across the street out on the pier. Either way you feel like you are in the middle of where what is going on but with a relaxed friendly ambiance. We have made this our traditional first night in Bonaire ritual for the subsequent 4 visits.
Rum Runners
This restaurant is a part of Captain Don’s, one of the most well known resorts on the island. We have on most stays on Bonaire enjoyed their Monday BBQ buffet. On our last stay on the island the Rum Runners was about a 2 minute walk along a pathway on the ocean so we did on at least one occasion take advantage of their breakfast buffet which was more than adequate.
It Rains Fishes
Good seafood oceanside restaurant. The “catch of the day” is truly going to be something that was caught that day - maybe the wahoo or the mahi mahi you caught that morning on your fishing trip with Big Game Bonaire Fishing that works with the restaurant.
Blennies Restaurant
We will likely return to the restaurant not just because they have good food at a fair price but because of the location. In 2019 on Bonaire we had a group lunch there directly following a group scuba and snorkel. The restaurant is at Buddy Dive resort right near the dock. The resort was walking distance from where we were staying. That afternoon everyone that needed to get check out dives or a refresher course had completed those obligations. The group of us dove off of the Buddy Dive dock - a very easy but good dive (one person snorkeled above us). As everyone came up we rinsed our gear and ate lunch watching others do what we had just done.
Restaurants that look interesting:
Chez Noos
This is the restaurant of the culinary school. We have not ever eaten there but every time we go we think about doing so. https://www.facebook.com/cheznousbonaire/photos
Sebastian's Restaurant
Christine and I have not eaten at this restaurant but we did have my parents eat there as an anniversary gift. Sebastian's is located just south of town. It is well known for having some of the finest dining on the island. What is even more special about the restaurant is it’s private table on the pier. My dad said that they were treated like royalty.
Blue Garden Brazilian Grill & Pizza Gourmet
Chef's Table
This is right across the street from where we stayed last time. We should consider a dinner experience with them especially if we are staying within easy walking distance. Tripadvisor currently has Chef’s table listed as #1 rated out of 125 eateries on the island. Looks like a great place to bring our group for a special meal - especially if we are staying across the street from them.
Live Music
While most people think of Bonaire as a quiet laid back island not known for its nightlife - there are places to go and enjoy live music for example here is a club that we went to on the island once that had great music:
Just a 15-20 minute walk from where we stayed last time has live music on Fridays:
Downtown:
Sunsets
Photography & Videography
The salt flats are a dream location for a photographer:
Lots of other unique photo ops.
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)
https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g147267-d17616721-The_Missing_Piece-Bonaire.html
Casinos
There are at least 2 casinos on the island. I have not been to either of them. I have read they have at least slot machines, black jack and poker. They are located in Plaza Resort and Divi Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino.
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.
Volunteer
There are a few opportunities on the island to spend some time leaving the place better than when you came.
Reef Renewal Bonaire
Become part of the team at Reef Renewal Bonaire by joining their volunteer program. Reef Renewal volunteers help the organization with a myriad of tasks, including assisting Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire staff in the coral nurseries, helping with maintenance activities, outplanting corals to restoration sites around Bonaire and Klein Bonaire, and more! Flexible volunteering options make it easy to jump in at your convenience!
The Dive Friends dive shop operation organizes regular beach and dive site clean ups.
The Mangrove Maniacs
The Mangrove Maniacs are dedicated to protecting the mangroves through building resilience to ensure the mangroves are around for future generations to enjoy.
Dive Site and Beach Cleanups
The Dive Friends dive shop operation organizes regular beach and dive site clean ups.
Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire
Go to a presentation by Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire then participate in a beach cleanup, a fishing line dive or a nesting patrol.
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.
Being in such a bath of people from all over the world is really interesting to me. When we travel - it is good to experience something different from home.
Snorkeling
Bonaire is truly a “diver’s paradise”. But even for people who want to snorkel rather than dive - there are a lot of good places to go snorkeling and many of the locations you don’t need a boat to get there. In the most recent readers poll from Scuba Diving Magazine Bonaire was #1 for “Best Snorkeling” in the Caribbean.
#42 Scuba
Bonaire is truly a “diver’s paradise”. In the most recent readers poll from Scuba Diving Magazine; Bonaire was #1 for “Best Overall” in the Caribbean. They were rated #1 in “Best Shore Diving” as they have been for 23 consecutive years. . They were rated #1 in “Beginner Diving” and as a testament to the variety of diving on Bonaire they were rated #2 in the Caribbean in the category of “Advanced Diving”. Bonaire was #1 for Photography and “Macro Life”. As expected Bonaire was rated #1 in the category of “Health of Marine Life”
Over 60 dive sites are shore dives. Shore diving currently is $30 a day for an unlimited number of tanks. Typically, you start the day out by grabbing 2 tanks for each of the divers in your truck and head out After using those up you change them in - the company we used had about 7 different locations on the island where you can exchange your empty tanks for full ones. You can even keep them overnight for evening and night diving.
The dive sites are marked and there is at least one guide book that has instructions and tips on diving each of the shore diving sites. The author also rates them in terms of ease.
Bonaire is a great place to take your first dives - many people will do their online, classroom and pool dive training before going to Bonaire than do their 4 “check out dives” on the island to finish their certification.
Here is a website that also has details on the dive sites. The website places them in a ranking based on reviews. Of note the #2 site “The Cliff” was right out our backdoor on our last stay and #3 was next door.
Boat diving is available in Bonaire.
Adventurous divers interested in diving with lots of rays, turtles, and tarpons – check out diving on the east side (“wild side”) of the island:
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