Bonaire
Bonaire
A shore-diving island where the reef starts at the road
Photo by Remco Guijs on Unsplash
Photos by Remco Guijs, Stephan van de Schootbrugge, Aad van der Klaauw and Aad van der Klaauw on Unsplash
Best time to visit all of Bonaire
All year — outside the hurricane belt, calmest April to August
Climate month by month
The next sixteen daysOpen-Meteo
Average high and low · °C
Rainfall · mm per month
Best months to visit This month · wettest 95mm in Dec
Where it is
12.15°N, 68.28°W Open in Google Maps
Things to do
Several days- Walk into the sea at 1000 Steps and dive without a boat
- Cycle the southern loop past the salt pans and flamingos
- Windsurf the shallow flats at Lac Bay
- Snorkel Klein Bonaire from the water taxi
- Drive the dirt tracks of Washington Slagbaai
Bonaire travel tipsthe general rules
Currency budget Bonaire
ExpensiveBonaire uses the US dollar outright, so there is nothing to change if you are coming from the States. Euros are not accepted despite the Dutch flag. Cards work in dive shops and restaurants.
ATMs & cards
MCB and Orco Bank machines in Kralendijk dispense dollars. There are few outside town, so draw before heading north or south. Decline conversion.
Avoid these
- the machines inside dive resorts, which add their own fee
Use these instead
- MCB
- Orco Bank
Bonaire is on the US dollar, so there is nothing to change. Machines are almost all in Kralendijk — draw before heading to the north or the salt pans.
Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.
Safety all of Bonaire
Very safeOne of the safest islands in the Caribbean, with almost no violent crime. The hazards are underwater: the current on the east side is serious, and diving here is unguided by design, so buddy checks and your own limits matter more than usual.
Where to walk, and where to pay attention (6 areas)
Comfortable, including after dark
Worth more attention
- The east coast, which is open ocean with no rescue and where nobody should swim
- Shore-diving alone, which is the island’s whole model and is still diving alone
- Leaving anything visible in a car at a dive site
Our own assessment, not a sourced index.
Entry & visa Bonaire visa rules
No visa neededup to 90 days
Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire are outside Schengen and admit visitors in their own right. A return ticket and proof of accommodation are asked for at the desk, and on Aruba an online ED card must be filed before arrival.
Other passports
Visa required in advance
Entry rules change often and depend on your passport, not where you live — the official page above is the authority, and the airline checks before you board.
Health & emergencies all of Bonaire
Good and affordableRequired to enter
- Yellow fever certificate, but only if you are arriving from a country where yellow fever is present
Jabs worth having, and what happens if you need a doctor
Worth having
- Hepatitis A
- Tetanus up to date
- Typhoid for a longer or rural stay
Getting treated
Good, and Dutch in standard. Curacao has the largest hospital in the Dutch Caribbean and a hyperbaric chamber; Aruba has a modern general hospital; Bonaire is smaller and sends serious cases to Curacao. Diving injuries are treated on Curacao and Aruba. Bring the European Health Insurance Card if you have one — it does not apply here, which surprises people.
Dengue and chikungunya appear in outbreaks. The bigger risk is the water: strong undertow on every north coast, and on Bonaire the diving is unguided by design, so your own limits are the limits. Manchineel trees line some beaches — do not shelter under them in rain.
Orientation, not medical advice — entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history. Check with a travel clinic four to six weeks before you go.
Food tip
GoodSmall island, short menus, and better than that sounds: fresh wahoo and mahi-mahi, Dutch cheese and bitterballen left over from the colonial pantry, and goat stew if you look for it. Reserve for dinner in high season — there are not many tables.
Nightlife
A diving island, so the evening is a beer at sunset and an early night — with a windsurf crowd at Lac Bay who take it further.
- Kralendijk — the waterfront bars and restaurants
- Sorobon Beach — the windsurf bay, and its bar
- Karel's Beach Bar — on stilts over the water, and the sunset
Closing: Midnight; the divers are up at seven.
A beer in a bar: $3–6
The whole coast is a marine park and shore diving is the point — which is why nothing here runs late.
Getting around
Limited- UberNot here
- BoltNot here
No ride-hailing on any of the three islands. Taxis run on published government rates rather than a meter — ask the driver to name the rate before setting off — and almost everybody hires a car.
Time zone and your working day
America/Kralendijk — the same time as you
8 hours of overlap with a 09:00–17:00 day where you are — 09:00–17:00 your time, 09:00–17:00 theirs.
No overlap with a 09:00–17:00 day where you are. Working from here means one of you keeps odd hours — their day starts at 09:00 on your clock.
office hours both at once night
Their 09:00–17:00 is 09:00–17:00 on yours.
The difference from the UK, Europe, the US and ten more
Worked out against America/New York, which is where this request looks like it came from.
Getting online
Getting online: Airalo or Holafly — a data eSIM for Bonaire, installed before you fly and working the moment you land.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index · measured June 2026
Must-see
Nearby day trips
Say a few words
Papiamento
- Good morningBon diabon DEE-ah
- Good afternoon / eveningBon tardi / Bon nochibon TAR-dee / bon NO-chee
- PleasePor faborpor fa-BOR
- Thank youDankiDAHN-kee
5 more phrases
- Yes / NoSi / Nosee / no
- Excuse meDespensades-PEN-sa
- How much is it?Kuantu ta kosta?KWAN-too ta KOS-ta
- Cheers!Salu!sa-LOO
- GoodbyeAyoah-YO
The first language of all three islands, and a creole of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and West African. Everyone will answer you in English or Dutch, which is exactly why two words of Papiamento land so well.
Religion
Roman Catholic, with Protestant and small Jewish communities
Curacao’s Mikve Israel-Emanuel is the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the Americas, and its sand floor is worth the visit. Sunday morning is quiet everywhere; some shops do not open at all.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Greet before you ask — bon dia, bon tardi, bon nochi will do more than any Dutch
- Dress up a little for dinner; beachwear away from the beach reads as rude
- Take the pace as it comes: things open late and close for lunch
- Ask before photographing people, particularly in the older streets of Willemstad
Don't
- Do not assume everything is American — this is the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Papiamento is the first language
- Do not stand on or touch coral, which is protected and, on Bonaire, prosecutable
- Do not haggle in shops; prices are fixed
- Do not wander residential streets in swimwear
Where to stay in Bonaire
No Holistay rentals in Bonaire yet — the platform is just opening up. Every listing here will have a video tour and the option to negotiate the nightly price directly with the host.
In the meantime, here is Bonaire on the sites that do have the inventory — each search is already filled in:
- Booking.com hotels, guesthouses and apartments — the widest coverage almost everywhere
- Airbnb whole homes and apartments, and the better option for a week or more
How to get there
Fly into Flamingo BON
10 minfrom the airport· 2 km as the crow flies
10 min to Kralendijk, which is the whole journey.
Google Flights · Rome2Rio for the trains, buses and ferries as well as the flights
