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Diving amongst shipwrecks

Bright colourful coral, tropical fish and pleasantly warm crystal-clear water - there is some fantastic diving to be done around Bonaire. The bottom of the Caribbean Sea is littered with shipwrecks, offering divers an exciting and unique experience.

Water Sports

The Hilma Hooker

The story of the Hilma Hooker would make a great movie script. In 1984 the ship encountered technical problems off the coast of Bonaire. The port authorities offered assistance but were refused. The Hilma Hooker remained behind Klein Bonaire for a week, and this naturally aroused the suspicion of customs authorities who towed the ship into port. A thorough search on board found nothing, but a dive team discovered a strange plate against the hull of the ship. Behind this plate they uncovered an impressive 12,000 kilos of marijuana. Authorities were unable to determine who owned the vessel so the ship was towed to the west coast of Bonaire. Here it rusted away and finally sank. Local dive schools immediately came into action and transformed the wreck into a fantastic and safe dive site. Today the Hilma Hooker is overgrown with a beautiful layer of coral and sponges and is home to rich tropical marine life. Make sure that someone in your dive party brings a camera and don’t forget to pose by the ship's giant propeller – a spectacular sight.

Encounter with a small shark

The Hesper

The wreck of the Hesper lies at an approximate depth of 40 meters. The owner, Captain Don, had bought the ship for only US$150 and was busy renovating it. It sank in 1988 when Hurricane Gilbert left a trail of destruction in the Caribbean, and was later discovered at the bottom of the ocean. The wreck is a fantastic place to photograph. The site is also popular with small harmless sharks.

A large moray eel

The Tug wreck

The Tug, a small but very interesting wreck, lies in the waters near the Bonaire Great Adventures Center. Colourful fish circle the ship and the cabin is often the best place to spot an extremely large moray eel – the wreck’s most interesting resident. The Tug is a very popular dive spot which is easily accessed from the beach, it is usually best explored on a weekday.

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Active & Outdoor

Beach

Water sports

Nature

Arts & Culture

Active & Outdoor

Bonaire's mangrove forests are an important food source for life in the Caribbean Sea. A huge variety of animals make their home among the long roots of these trees. The mangroves are located in Lac Bay which is in the southeast corner of the island. Enjoy an athletic adventure and explore this protected nature reserve by kayak.

Beach

For a small island, Bonaire features a large number of restaurants. And of course many eateries are located right on the beach, looking out over the ocean. Enjoy a spectacular sunset as the sun slowly sinks below the horizon.

Active & Outdoor

Dance and music hold a special place in the heart of the people of Bonaire. There is much more to discover on Bonaire than the fabulous underwater world and vast beaches, as quickly becomes clear during one of the numerous national holidays on this Caribbean island.

Water sports

The fabulous underwater world is one of Bonaire’s greatest attractions. Nature lovers from around the world travel to the island where snorkelling is a very popular activity. With only a pair of flippers and diving goggles, you can enjoy all the unique creatures that call the Caribbean Sea home.

Water sports

With its azure blue sea, crystal-clear water and colourful underwater world, Bonaire is one of the most popular diving destinations in the world. And for good reason, as the entire coast is a protected nature reserve and boasts untouched beaches, spectacular coral reefs and thriving sea life.

Beach

Bonaire is one of the most popular water sports destinations in the world, thanks to its azure blue waters, trade winds from the east and pleasant Caribbean climate. So it’s not surprising that the island has produced so many surfing champions. Water sports enthusiasts will find the sea around Bonaire to be an excellent playground. The mostly shallow water is pleasantly warm and invites surfers to spend entire days honing their skills.

Beach

Unique black and red coral reefs, mangrove forests and an azure blue ocean – the beaches of Bonaire are as beautiful as they are varied. Most Caribbean islands boast long white beaches, but Bonaire is primarily known for its intimate bays with coarse, light pink sand and undisturbed, thriving sea life.

Active & Outdoor

Galloping over a white sandy beach and cooling off, horse and all, in the turquoise Caribbean Sea – it sounds too good to be true. But riding horseback across the rugged landscape of Bonaire is a guaranteed cinematic experience. Jump into the saddle and explore the unusual rock formations, mangrove forests and bright pink flamingos of Bonaire.

Nature

In the northwest of Bonaire you’ll find Washington Slagbaai National Park. With no less than 5,600 hectares of unspoilt nature, the park takes up one fifth of the island. Established in 1969, it is the first national park on the Dutch Antilles. It consists of beaches, sand dunes, forest, mangroves and saliñas, a type of salt lake.

Arts & Culture

Fort Orange is located in the centre of Kralendijk, the capital of Bonaire. The small fortress dates back to 1639, making it the oldest stone building on the island. It is named after the Dutch Royal family and reminds visitors of the island’s colonial history. With the lighthouse being visible from far out at sea, Dutch ships were able to safely arrive at the harbour.

Water sports

Some 800 metres off the coast of Kralendijk, the capital of Bonaire, is a small uninhabited island. This is Little Bonaire, a protected nature reserve that is part of the Bonaire National Marine Park. The approximately six-square-kilometre island is popular among divers for the black coral reef that starts at the beach and goes down to a depth of 35 metres. In addition to colourful fish, there are also seahorses and rare turtles.