Shekhinah Tours Bonaire

The standard trip covers the north and the south in one day — the salt pans and slave huts, Rincon, Gotomeer and the flamingos.

What you are paying for is a local guide rather than a route: the stops are the ones anyone can drive to themselves, but the commentary on the salt trade, the Papiamentu names and what grew where is not in any guidebook. Groups are small and the itinerary bends to what interests you.

The full tour runs about three hours and starts from around ninety-five dollars per person. Mornings are cooler and the light is better on the west coast; book ahead, especially on cruise days when the island's guides fill up. Take water and something over your shoulders — much of the driving is with the windows down and the sun on one side.