Touring can be split into two sections: touring the South of the island and touring the North. The two areas are scenically quite different, and are taken in turn below.
Touring The South...
Heading south out of Kralendijk and past the airport keeping to the coast you will soon reach the salt pans (shown right). These have been used intermittently for centuries and more recently by Cargill Salt for salt production. The salt mountains are almost surreal - giant, sparkling white, symmetrical hills lined up towards the seaside loading point at Waf Di Saliña. Beneath them lie the salt pans which often turn pink in colour due to the bacteria and algae in them. Truly bizarre and makes for some memorably different photos. The salt company has carefully tailored its operations not to disturb the breeding grounds of the next attraction - the Greater Flamingo.
On the salt pans you may well see flamingos feeding (shown left). At Pelkemeer towards the southern tip of Bonaire where the water is less saline the flamingos tend to drink and bathe. In the entire salt pan area 135 acres form the Flamingo Sanctuary, the largest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere, and this is the exclusive breeding ground of the entire Southern Caribbean flamingo population. Avoid the temptation to approach them in the sanctuary. They are sensitive to intruders when especially they are breeding and disturbing them in any way is strictly prohibited.
On the coastline you can see another accumulation of curious-looking objects. These ones are man-made and consist of a series of stone obelisks (shown right) and a neat group of small, stone houses. In previous centuries these buildings housed the slaves and the salt company's overseer (or 'bomba' as he was known) working the salt pans. The obelisks were used as marker points for ships to guide them to the salt loading point and were colour-coded so that the ship could mark its position (Bonaire being so flat in the south, discernible land features were virtually non-existent). The big house belonged to the overseer.
At the very southern tip of Bonaire you will see the Willemstoren Lighthouse built in 1837 (shown left) - Bonaire's oldest and, apart from the obelisks, the only other discernible land feature from the sea in this part of the island. After the lighthouse you head east towards Lac Bay where there's a hotel and a couple of bars & restaurants. This is the windsurfing and sea-kayaking capital of Bonaire. It's also an excellent place to snorkel and check out the marine life contained in the giant aquarium that forms Lac Bay. Out of Lac Bay and back towards Kralendijk you pass through the village of Nikiboko where you can stop off for a cool drink.
Northern Tour...
Touring the North is a different kettle of fish altogether. Firstly, you can see as you head north out of Kralendijk that there actually some hills up in the distance! Its makes a big change from the flat-as-a-pancake South. Keeping to the coastline, you head towards Gotomeer(shown right), a neat lagoon surrounded by mangroves and green vegetation. Gotomeer is the other area where flamingos gather on Bonaire. The road runs close to the lagoon's edge and you can get a good snapshot of flamingos from your car window; the birds tend to be more relaxed here and not quite so skittish as in their breeding grounds in the South. The pink birds against a green backdrop makes for startling photos. You will see on your journey alot of Bonaire's typical savannah-like vegetation consisting of short grasses, large cacti and thorn bushes. In this seemingly harsh environment there are many bird species that make their home. You may also find the odd wandering donkey. This is quite normal, but do be careful as they are not familiar with the highway code!
Back down the road and a quick turn to the left sends you towards the historical settlement of Rincón (shown left). This small town was the first 'settlement' in Bonaire and dates back to 1527. There is a small crest just before the town and makes for an ideal photo opportunity looking down the road into the settlement. Rincón has a number of pleasant walkways and cycle paths and has a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. It is the cultural centre of Bonaire.
East of Rincón on a side road there are a number of Arawak Indian rock carvings & paintings(shown right). These date back at least 500 years and are a reminder that Bonaire was inhabited long before Europeans "discovered" the island. In fact there is evidence of Arawak colonisation as far back as 1300 BC. These carvings are the only remaining testament to the considerable Caquetio Arawak Indian "pre-european" history.
Northwest of Rincón lies the Washington/Slagbaai National Park(shown left) which celebrates its 40th Anniversary in 2009. The park entrance is at the end of the road that heads north out of Rincón. The park spans 13,500 acres and covers virtually all the top Northwest segment of the island. It is an excellent bird sanctuary and there are tens of local and itinerant bird species as well as lazy, elusive iguanas. The route through the park is rugged, so drive carefully. To find out more about where to go in the Park visit our Washington/Slagbaai National Park page.
Back into Rincón and out the other side takes you towards the East Coast at Boka Olivia. The road swings down through the village of Noord Saliña and finally back into Kralendijk(shown right). The town is busier than Rincón and like many towns in the Caribbean with Dutch heritage it is neat and efficient, well signposted and well organised. Buildings are typically painted in bright colours like orange and yellow with bright red roofs. Much of the colonial architectural style is maintained and gives the town a unique feel.
Heading south out of Kralendijk and past the airport keeping to the coast you will soon reach the salt pans (shown right). These have been used intermittently for centuries and more recently by Cargill Salt for salt production. The salt mountains are almost surreal - giant, sparkling white, symmetrical hills lined up towards the seaside loading point at Waf Di Saliña. Beneath them lie the salt pans which often turn pink in colour due to the bacteria and algae in them. Truly bizarre and makes for some memorably different photos. The salt company has carefully tailored its operations not to disturb the breeding grounds of the next attraction - the Greater Flamingo.
On the salt pans you may well see flamingos feeding (shown left). At Pelkemeer towards the southern tip of Bonaire where the water is less saline the flamingos tend to drink and bathe. In the entire salt pan area 135 acres form the Flamingo Sanctuary, the largest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere, and this is the exclusive breeding ground of the entire Southern Caribbean flamingo population. Avoid the temptation to approach them in the sanctuary. They are sensitive to intruders when especially they are breeding and disturbing them in any way is strictly prohibited.
On the coastline you can see another accumulation of curious-looking objects. These ones are man-made and consist of a series of stone obelisks (shown right) and a neat group of small, stone houses. In previous centuries these buildings housed the slaves and the salt company's overseer (or 'bomba' as he was known) working the salt pans. The obelisks were used as marker points for ships to guide them to the salt loading point and were colour-coded so that the ship could mark its position (Bonaire being so flat in the south, discernible land features were virtually non-existent). The big house belonged to the overseer.
At the very southern tip of Bonaire you will see the Willemstoren Lighthouse built in 1837 (shown left) - Bonaire's oldest and, apart from the obelisks, the only other discernible land feature from the sea in this part of the island. After the lighthouse you head east towards Lac Bay where there's a hotel and a couple of bars & restaurants. This is the windsurfing and sea-kayaking capital of Bonaire. It's also an excellent place to snorkel and check out the marine life contained in the giant aquarium that forms Lac Bay. Out of Lac Bay and back towards Kralendijk you pass through the village of Nikiboko where you can stop off for a cool drink.
Touring the North is a different kettle of fish altogether. Firstly, you can see as you head north out of Kralendijk that there actually some hills up in the distance! Its makes a big change from the flat-as-a-pancake South. Keeping to the coastline, you head towards Gotomeer (shown right), a neat lagoon surrounded by mangroves and green vegetation. Gotomeer is the other area where flamingos gather on Bonaire. The road runs close to the lagoon's edge and you can get a good snapshot of flamingos from your car window; the birds tend to be more relaxed here and not quite so skittish as in their breeding grounds in the South. The pink birds against a green backdrop makes for startling photos. You will see on your journey alot of Bonaire's typical savannah-like vegetation consisting of short grasses, large cacti and thorn bushes. In this seemingly harsh environment there are many bird species that make their home. You may also find the odd wandering donkey. This is quite normal, but do be careful as they are not familiar with the highway code!
Back down the road and a quick turn to the left sends you towards the historical settlement of Rincón (shown left). This small town was the first 'settlement' in Bonaire and dates back to 1527. There is a small crest just before the town and makes for an ideal photo opportunity looking down the road into the settlement. Rincón has a number of pleasant walkways and cycle paths and has a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. It is the cultural centre of Bonaire.
East of Rincón on a side road there are a number of Arawak Indian rock carvings & paintings (shown right). These date back at least 500 years and are a reminder that Bonaire was inhabited long before Europeans "discovered" the island. In fact there is evidence of Arawak colonisation as far back as 1300 BC. These carvings are the only remaining testament to the considerable Caquetio Arawak Indian "pre-european" history.
Northwest of Rincón lies the Washington/Slagbaai National Park (shown left) which celebrates its 40th Anniversary in 2009. The park entrance is at the end of the road that heads north out of Rincón. The park spans 13,500 acres and covers virtually all the top Northwest segment of the island. It is an excellent bird sanctuary and there are tens of local and itinerant bird species as well as lazy, elusive iguanas. The route through the park is rugged, so drive carefully. To find out more about where to go in the Park 
Back into Rincón and out the other side takes you towards the East Coast at Boka Olivia. The road swings down through the village of Noord Saliña and finally back into Kralendijk (shown right). The town is busier than Rincón and like many towns in the Caribbean with Dutch heritage it is neat and efficient, well signposted and well organised. Buildings are typically painted in bright colours like orange and yellow with bright red roofs. Much of the colonial architectural style is maintained and gives the town a unique feel.
