Is a just north of, politically part of the Netherlands. Along with its neighboring Dutch islands of and, it forms the, though it is much quieter. It is a mostly flat, riverless coral island renowned for diving, windsurfing, and bird watching (particularly flamingos).
Lacking many sandy beaches – it instead has lush coral reefs – it is less visited by cruise ships. Bonaire has world-class shore diving, much of it easy, and is thus well-suited for beginners, or for experienced divers who want relaxing independent diving. Understand. Pink Flamingos. Lizards, birds, corals, reef fish, sea turtles. Historic Slave Shelters. Fort Orange built 1639.
Indian Rock art. Salt flats.
Mangrove forests. Soroban beach, popular with windsurfers. 12.272 -68.383 ( a car tour takes about 2 hours).
A large nature park covering most of the north of the island, featuring dramatic scenery. The 34 km of roads in the park are rough: you will need an offroad vehicle or mountain bike (challenging ride). There are also 3 hikes, ranging from 45 minutes to 2 hours; trying to walk the entire park is not recommended, and not very pleasant.There is also swimming, snorkeling, and shore diving; the dive sites are generally quiet, due to remoteness. The park gets hot and dry, so go early, don't go alone, protect yourself from the sun, and bring plenty of water. As of 2017, the admission fee is $25, good for one year.
However, this 'nature fee' covers both the land (terrestrial) park and the marine park, so if you've already paid the diving fee, admission to the park is free; both parks are administered by the same agency, STINAPA. To get this benefit, you must bring both the admission ticket (given to you when you pay the diving fee) and picture id. Since the ticket is good for one year, the park doesn't want you using someone else's ticket (not for resale and non-transferable).
This policy is generally enforced, so remember your picture id! Caribbean reef squid (Sepioteuthis sepioidea) on Bari Reef, BES Islands Scuba diving Bonaire is renowned among divers as one of the top shore-diving locations in the world. The reef along the western side of the island has been protected for years and is in excellent condition, offering visitors the opportunity to literally wade in from the beach in front of their hotel and experience an amazing underwater world. The eastern side of the island is exposed to the Atlantic Ocean and is significantly rougher, so diving opportunities are limited to guided dives on all but the calmest days. Dive sites are located along the entire western coast, generally marked by a painted yellow rock and/or a mooring in the water.
Dive shops are everywhere and will rent gear, and most have drive-thru tank rentals where you can pick up tanks for the day and return used tanks. The reef is fairly shallow, with depths from 10 meters to 40 meters (30 feet - 130 feet). Before diving all divers must review the national marine park rules and pay a $25 per person fee (as of January 2016), good for one year. The fee for snorkelers is $10, also good for one year. The fee can be paid in cash at any dive shop, and you will be issued a dive tag that you must carry with you while diving. Equipment.