Located in the Lesser Antilles, Bonaire is a Dutch municipality. It is part of the «ABCs» - Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. I discovered this island after a short sail from the Las Aves archipelago. A few hours of sailing, heading west-northwest, led our Pirates.com catamaran to this miniature paradise. In fact, we didn’t yet know if it was an underwater paradise, but we would soon find out.
The west-facing anchorage guarantees exquisite sunsets, almost every day...
It is in fact a first-choice destination for divers. It is apparently one of the best scuba diving spots in the world - at least that’s what the locals like to say to attract their clients... However, we have to admit that the water, the fauna, and the local marine flora are spectacular.
The territory is still mostly frequented by divers, but the island is full of surprises and very varied landscapes for such a small area (111 sq mi / 290km²). The local culture, its intense history (deportation, slavery, colonization), the exchanges with the nearby islands and the first Venezuelan population make for fascinating study.
The colors of the beautiful facades become even more vivid at sunset.
Except for the extreme north of the island which can be considered as moderately hilly (Brandaris, the highest peak, is 790 feet / 241 m high), the island is r elatively flat. So we discovered Bonaire by bike, which for me is one of the best ways to visit the island while taking your time and without sweating too much... The big pink lakes, the huge cacti and the island’s windward coast are all must sees.
We only stayed for a week before heading back to Curacao, but you could certainly stay for several weeks without getting bored!
We only stayed for a week before heading back to Curacao, but you could certainly stay for several weeks without getting bored!
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And the wild donkeys? They’re everywhere!
It’s well worth the effort to take a bike tour - especially since most of the island is almost flat.
Anchorages
12°09’ N 68°17’ W
When we grabbed one of the many buoys in the mooring field, I immediately wanted to jump into the water and explore the ocean floor. This water is so clear! I could see down to a depth of 100 feet (30 m)!
It is relatively well protected, and buoys are available for multihulls. The view of the colorful city of Kralendijk on one side and Klein Bonaire (a small uninhabited islet) on the other is lovely! There is no particular danger here: the water is very calm, and your multihull will be safe.
Check météo
The ABCs are dominated by NE trade winds for most of the year - they are strongest from December through April. This area is very rarely affected by hurricanes. It is a relatively safe region for sailing and it’s a real pleasure to explore this southernmost part of the Caribbean.
