Attention please! It is time to expand your bucketlist. There are many, many reasons for Bonaire to be on yours, but we listed a few things why you should definitely include this beautiful island. Feel free to suggest and share even more via a comment on Facebook, because we all know these are surely not the only things to do on Bonaire.
Its size not even 300 square kilometers, positioned in the Caribbean sea just 100 miles from the coast of South America, with a climate that is ideal for sports, relaxing or diving all year round, sun out every day of the year and a nice cool breeze every second of the day, Bonaire has so much more to offer than sun and beaches. Though that’s already something to book a ticket for, here’s a list of things on Bonaire that definitely have to go on your bucket list..
1. Enjoy a private paradise in the Caribbean Sea
We will start off with something you’ve probably wanted to do since you were little: having your own private island. Well, there is a little, quiet paradise on earth where you can be the only visitor for a day! Imagine this: an uninhabited island with soft white sand beaches, incredible wildlife under water as well as on the deserted island itself, the clearest water you have ever seen and you’re the only one there. It is like having your own private island. Isn’t this a feeling you have been willing to have for whole your life? Let me tell you a secret: this is Klein Bonaire (Dutch for Small Bonaire), an unblemished oasis that is protected from development as part of the Bonaire Marine Park, and you can go here! Situated just half a mile from Bonaire, water taxis can bring you here every day to make your dream come true!
2. Go cliff jumping
Ever had the feeling you can fly? Do you want to feel free as a bird and feather light for a few seconds while enjoying the feeling of adrenaline running through your veins? Then Bonaire can facilitate the perfect activity for you: Cliff Jumping! Being an island with an amazing amount of different types of coastlines, Bonaire is perfect for both relaxing on the beach as well as testing your fear for heights when standing on the edge of a cliff above the clear blue Caribbean Sea. Boca Slagbaai in Washington-Slagbaai National Park provides the best cliff for you to jump of and free yourself flying through a Caribbean breeze before landing in perfect 28C (82F) degrees sea water. If this isn’t something for on your bucketlist…
3. Go caving
It all started 65 million years ago, when our little Bonaire was just a seamount rising above sea level and became an island. After a long, long process of erosion and dissolving, caves were created in the limestone formations of the island. The shapes are extraordinary, unbelievable, and incredibly beautiful. It’s like walking through a fairy tail scenery! It’s an adventure that is taking you to another world and you can explore it either swimming/snorkeling in the ‘wet’ caves or walking through the ‘dry’ caves. Make sure to reserve your spot to discover yet another world on the island, because these natural wonders of Bonaire are protected by the island’s nature organization STINAPA and can only be visited with a certified guide.
4. Try cactus liqueur
If there is one place on earth cactuses are both ruling and prettifying the scenery, then it is Bonaire. But have you heard of liqueur made of a cactus? That is a smart idea in doing something with what the island has to offer, isn’t it? And guess what? On Bonaire, you can try this extraordinary drink, in all kinds of flavors! Cadushy Distillery in Rincon produces them all and a visit here is a delight for the eye and your taste buds! The smooth green liqueur is rather alluring and you can sit, sample and let them tell you all about Rincon’s history.
5. Visit an old smuggler ship
This is definitely a must-see if you’re on Bonaire. Back in the 1980s, a cargo ship called Hilma Hooker lost power just off the coast of Bonaire and was towed to the main pier on the island. When a search was conducted, 25,000 pounds of marijuana was found and the cargo ship went into the history books as a drug smuggler. Later it sunk by itself and it now lays on a 100 feet depth in the Caribbean Sea very close to, believe it or not, Bonaire! Though the history itself is worth hearing from someone who has lived it himself, visiting the wreck is definitely a must. The 72-meter long and 11-meter wide shipwreck is just one swim away from the west coast of Bonaire. It has fully emerged itself into the underwater world so you can see many different types of coral and sea life living on what was first a normal cargo ship but now a piece of smuggler history between the beautiful reefs of Bonaire. Be sure not to miss this piece of history in Bonaire’s famous underwater world!
So far, what have you put on your bucketlist for Bonaire already?