While many come to Bonaire for scuba diving, the island has more to offer its visitors. Well worth visiting for its spectacular vistas is the Washington Slagbaai National Park. We recommend taking the long route to see the park’s highlights. Also, of interest is taking a scenic drive around Bonaire’s southern end. This is a good way to see some of the islands most famous sites.
Washington Slagbaai National Park
Located in the northwest part of the island, the Washington Slagbaai National Park is the perfect place to go to see Bonaire’s more rugged coastline. Dramatic scenery guaranteed!
We loved watching the waves crashing over the cliffs. Such power! This part of the island bears witness to powerful ancient tsunamis with giant boulders left behind and scattered along the shore like pebbles.
We were amazed by the Seru Grandi which is a magnificent geological formation. This huge flat limestone formation is embedded with coral reef fossils and used to sit below the waves. The top terrace is over a million years old!
Other points of interest include the lighthouse and Malmock. The latter is an important historical and geological site. There’s the ruin of a 19th century lighthouse, although it was never active. Here too, we could clearly distinguish the fossilize remnants of corals and sea sponges.
The national park is a sanctuary for many species of birds including Bonaire’s iconic pink flamingos. We saw a pretty large colony in the salt flats near Boka Slagbaai. These flamboyant birds can also be spotted in Goto Lake as well as in the Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary in the south of the island. Iguanas and lizards were also a frequent sight.
Inside the park there are beaches with dive and snorkel sites, as well as bird watching areas. There are also hiking trails including the challenging one to climb Mount Brandaris, Bonaire’s highest point. But to be allowed to climb you must start before noon in order to exit the national park before 5pm.
Bonaire’ southern end
Another fun and easy drive is to follow the belt route around the southern end of the island. Starting in Kralendijk, the capital and main port of the island, head south and loop around by the east side. Along the way you will see a bunch of salt pans and if you’re lucky flamingos. One thing’s for sure, you’ll see scuba divers ready to dive into the pristine clear waters of Bonaire!
Do stop at the old Slave Huts, and keep in mind that these tiny little huts used to house six men at a time. Inside there’s isn’t even room for all of them to stretch out. Horrible conditions! Nearby you will see people kitesurfing.
At the southern end you may be able to spot a few flamingos in the Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary. A camera with a good zoom and binoculars would be useful to take a closer look.
Other points of interest include the Willemstoren Lighthouse and Lac Bay. The Lac is a good place to go windsurfing or kayaking in the mangroves. This is also where you’ll find the only scuba diving operator to dive on the east side.
Conclusion
The main purpose of our trip to Bonaire was scuba diving, but we’re happy that we took the time to explore more of this beautiful island. Driving around Bonaire’s southern end was a fun way to spend a few hours after a morning of diving and before a late afternoon dive on Buddy’s Reef. Visiting the Washington Slagbaai National Park was the perfect place to go to dry out after a week of diving on Bonaire’s pristine reefs.
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