If you’re in any doubt concerning what Bonaire’s all about, just look at an island number plate – above every registration number you’ll find the words ‘Divers’ Paradise’.
This island in the Leeward Antilles is consistently rated as one of the best dive and snorkelling destinations in the world. Shipwrecks, tropical fish and seahorses are ripe in the waters that surround the island. Above the waterline, meanwhile, there are wild flamingo herds to see and craggy national parks to explore.
The island is known for its underwater scene, but stay on land and you can take a tuk tuk tour around its historical sites. Highlights include a 17th-century fort and a prisoner of war camp.
Bonaire coaxes out visitors’ adventurous sides. You can hop into a kayak and explore the mangroves, National Geographic-style.
The shipwrecked feeling is on offer on Klein Bonaire. This dinky island, just off the coast of Bonaire, is uninhabited and the beaches are footprint-free. |
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Bonaire is a part of the ABC island group. It is in the Leeward Antilles chain of islands that are located just off the coast of Venezuela. This group of islands has a coral and volcanic origin. Some people believe
that the ABC islands were first discovered by Alonso de Ojeda, who
was a captain for Christopher Columbus. He called the group the Islands of the Giants because of the natives who lived there. Amerigo Vespucci officially discovered the group of islands.
Control of the islands was won by the Netherlands who fought against Spain for ownership. The ABC islands became a part of the Netherlands Antilles in the year 1954. This granted the islanders political autonomy within the Netherlands. When the Netherlands Antilles was dissolved in October of 2010, Aruba and Curacao, became separate countries in the kingdom. Bonaire was named a special municipality of the Netherlands.
Saba and Saint Eustatius are a part of the SSS islands, which includes the 2 islands plus the island of Saint Martin. Saint Martin is considered
a constituent country of the Netherlands. Both Saint Eustatius and Saba are considered to be public bodies of the kingdom of the Netherlands.
The SSS acronym is similar to the ABC acronym provided to the islands
of Curacao, Bonaire, and Aruba, which are also a part of the Netherlands. All 6 of these territories were once a part of the
Netherland Antilles.
In 1648, Saint Martin was split into 2 parts, a French and a Dutch part. The part that belonged to the Dutch became a part of a colony in 1818 when Saint Eustatius and its dependencies were returned by France once the Napoleonic Wars ended. The colony became a part of the Curacao and its dependencies. The capital was located in Paramaribo.
In 1845, this merge was reversed in part and the Dutch area of the SSS islands became a part of the Curacao and dependencies. The capital of the area was Willemstad. In 1952, this colony would become the Netherlands Antilles. The Dutch area of the SSS islands would form a single island area that would be governed by the island council until the year 1983.
Each of these three islands, which were once a part of the Netherlands Antilles, offers visitors a unique travel experience. They are a very popular travel destination. Curacao offers some of the best hotels and resorts, Saba offers a great peace for tourists to relax.
Willemstad and Saint Maarten are the most popular areas for tourists as these offer fine dining combined with glorious beaches and a fun night life. If you are looking for a place away from the crowds, consider Bonaire, or Saint Eustatius.
Before the Netherlands Antilles were dissolved it was a constituent country located in the Caribbean Sea. There were 2 island groups that made up the constituent, the ABC islands, which consisted of Bonaire, Aruba, and Curacao and the SSS islands that are made up of Saint Eustatius, Saba, and Saint Maarten. The only land boundary of the islands was with France and this is located on Saint Martin and the border is about 10.2 kilometers long. The group of islands consisted of 364 kilometers of coastline.
There were 2 island groups of the Netherlands Antilles. They were the Windward Islands of Curacao and Bonaire and the Leeward Islands of Saint Maarten, Saint Eustatius, and Saba.
There are several main cities on the islands. Willemstad is located on Curacao and is the capital of the island and was the capital of Netherlands Antilles. The capital of Bonaire is the city of Kralendijk. The Bottom is a city on Saba and is also the capital of the island. The capital city of Saint Eustatius is Oranjestad. Philipsburg is the capital city of Saint Maarten.
As mentioned there are many things to see and do on these islands. Bonaire offers an island that is somewhat quieter than Curacao. There are several very well kept natural areas. One of the unique areas that is found here is the flamingo sanctuary. This area is technically off limits to visitors of the islands, but if you have a strong pair of binoculars you will be able to see these magnificent birds enjoy their life in the relative peace and quiet that is offered by the islands. There are some public flamingo viewing spots as well. These are located on the southern tip of the island and also near the Willemstoren lighthouse.
The national park on Bonaire is another example of the wonderful nature of this island. The park covers almost the entire northwest portion of the island and makes up about 20% of the total land. Washington Slagbaai is a wonderful national park and a great place to explore. The roads through this area are a bit rough, but are definitely worth visiting. There is a tropical desert in the park and many birds and cacti. In the lowlands you will see flamingos and there are several types of parrots that can be seen here as well. There are several reptile species that live here including bright green iguanas. |
