According to harvardshoes, Bonaire (Papiamento: Boneiru) is an island territory and special municipality of the Netherlands, located in the southern part of the Caribbean Sea (North America). Bonaire, together with Aruba and Curaçao, forms the ABC islands. In addition, Bonaire, together with Saba and Sint Eustatius, forms the BES islands (Caribbean Netherlands). The capital of Bonaire is Kralendijk. A number of major cities on Bonaire are: Nikiboko, Antriol, Norte di Salinja and Rincon. 800 meters off the coast of Bonaire you will find the island of Klein Bonaire.

Bonaire is known for its pristine nature, the white beaches and the many water sports facilities that can be practiced there. Kitesurfing and windsurfing are part of this. Bonaire has also long been at the top as a diving and snorkeling destination. This is because of the clear water, the beautiful coral reefs and the many colorful fish. You can go scuba diving, boat diving, shore diving and wreck diving. The country is also known for its flamingos, which can be found in abundance on the island. In addition to the many beaches, the island also has a rougher interior where various hiking trails have been set out. The capital Kralendijk consists of a colorful boulevard with many restaurants and souvenir shops. See weddinginfashion for economy of Caribbean.

Where is Bonaire located?

Travel information of Bonaire

Official name: Bonaire
Continent: North America
Area: 288 km²
Capital: Kralendijk
Country code: BQ, BES
Population: 20,915 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Special municipality of the Netherlands
Highest point: 241 m (Brandaris)
Distance (Amsterdam – Kralendijk): 7,805 km
Flight time: approximately 10 hours

Travel advice
Current status: No special security risks.
Current color code: Green.

Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply on Bonaire that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Bonaire, please visit Countryaah.

Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Bonaire. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.

Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Bonaire?

Weather and climate
Bonaire has a tropical climate. The average annual temperature is 27.5 degrees. There is little difference in temperature between winter months and summer months. The temperature does not drop much at night either. The sea water temperature is on average about 27 degrees.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Bonaire can be found on our extensive weather page.
Extensive information about the climate of Bonaire can be found at Climate info.

Best time
March, April, May, June, July and August are the best months to travel to Bonaire. In these months the temperatures are most pleasant and you also avoid the rainy winter months.

Language
Dutch is the official language on Bonaire.
Papiamentu is the most spoken language on Bonaire.

Travel documents
You must have a valid passport.
A visa is not necessary if you stay on Bonaire for less than 30 days.

Embassies and consulates
Bonaire is a special municipality within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
There is therefore no embassy and/or consulate for the Netherlands.
For detailed information regarding consular affairs, please visit the website of the Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.

Vaccination (inoculation)
You do not need any vaccinations for a visit to Bonaire.
Vaccination against yellow fever is mandatory for Bonaire if you have visited a yellow fever country in the seven days before you visit Bonaire.

Money and Currency Matters
On Bonaire, payment is made with the American dollar (USD).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs on Bonaire can be found on our ATMs page.

Price level
The prices on Bonaire are slightly higher than in the Netherlands. Food in particular is more expensive, because everything has to be imported.

Tipping
On Bonaire it is customary to tip. If no service costs have been calculated yet, a tip of approximately 10% is given.

Time difference
During our summer time it is 6 hours earlier on Bonaire.
During our winter time it is 5 hours earlier on Bonaire.
Bonaire has no difference in winter time and summer time.
The local time, date and time zone of Bonaire can be found on our time difference page.

Traffic and route
On Bonaire you must drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle on Bonaire.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Bonaire.

Electricity
On Bonaire you need a travel plug. In addition, in some cases you need an inverter.
More information about common plugs and sockets on Bonaire can be found on our electricity page.

Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 911
– Fire Department: 110
– Ambulance: 114
– Coast Guard: 913 or VHF channel 16

Tap water
Tap water is safe to drink.

News and newspapers
The latest news regarding Bonaire can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Bonaire can be found on Abyznewslinks.

Internet
Websites from Bonaire end in.an.
Bonaire official websites: bonairegov.an and tourismbonaire.com.

Telephony
The country code (international access number) to call someone on Bonaire is 00599 or +599.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Bonaire? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If you are using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Telephone numbers can be found in the Bonaire Telephone Directory.
Company details can be found in the Golden Pages of Bonaire.

Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Bonaire.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Bonaire.

Holidays
An overview of all public holidays on Bonaire can be found on Beleven.org.

Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations on Bonaire, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.

Travel reports
Are you looking for a travel report (travel story) about Bonaire?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have visited Bonaire before. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.

Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) on Bonaire can be found on Protected Planet.
Bonaire is not on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Bonaire? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and perfume, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.

Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Bonaire.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.5.
– Tobacco: Buying and/or smoking from the age of 18.
– Smoking ban: Unknown
– Homosexuality: Allowed

Did you know that…
…Bonaire served as a Nazi concentration camp during World War II?
…The island ‘Little Bonaire’ is located off the coast of Bonaire?
…There is a large flamingo reserve on Bonaire with approximately 5,000 flamingos?
… Remembrance Day is held at 8 o’clock in the morning because of the heat?
…The sun on Bonaire shines an average of 12 hours a day?
…Windsurfing is the most practiced sport on Bonaire?

Our opinion on Bonaire as a travel destination

Bonaire is a special municipality of the Netherlands. We completely agree with that special. Although Bonaire is a small island in the Caribbean, it has a lot to offer tourists. Of course, number 1 is the azure blue sea with beautiful white sandy beaches and swaying palm trees. But the island has so much more to offer. There is also a rougher landscape where various hiking trails have been set out, there are mangroves and many salt lakes and salt pans. In addition, Bonaire is an ideal diving and snorkelling destination. This is because many coral reefs and tropical fish can be found close to the coastline. In the friendly and colorful capital of Kralendijk you will find many restaurants, bars, tourist shops and historic buildings.