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The short answer
Bonaire is an island you go into the water on. The reef starts a few metres from the shore, so snorkelling and diving need no boat and no booking, and that is what most people come back for. Above water the day is a drive: the salt pans and flamingos in the south, the national park in the north, and Kralendijk in between for eating and a museum. Almost everything worth seeing costs nothing to visit — what you pay for is the car, the nature fee and lunch.
By how long you are staying
Every length asks for a different order, not a shorter version of the same list. These are the five most chosen; there are twelve.
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Your first day in Bonaire 1 day, from an early-afternoon landing · 16.4 km (10 mi) · 40 min Admin first, water second, view third. The day that saves the rest of the week. -
Three days in Bonaire 3 days · 46.6 km (29 mi) · 2 h 45 min Town, the south and Klein Bonaire. The north waits. -
Five days in Bonaire 5 days · 92.4 km (57 mi) · 3 h 45 min The length at which the north starts to pay for itself. -
One week in Bonaire 7 days · 86.4 km (54 mi) · 3 h 50 min The classic. Each half of the island gets its own day. -
Two weeks in Bonaire 14 days · 113.4 km (70 mi) · 6 h 5 min The whole island, with room to breathe. Klein Bonaire gets a full day.
Whatever your day looks like
Same island, different constraints. Each of these is a full route with times, distances and a verdict on what to skip.
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Bonaire with children Short drives, shade and water you can stand up in. 4 days · 15.7 km (9.8 mi) · 1 h -
When it rains, or it is too hot to dive What to do out of the sun, which on Bonaire means caves and museums. Two half-day routes · 15.1 km (9.4 mi) · 1 h -
Four days in Bonaire without diving Four days for non-divers, and there is more of it than people expect. 4 days · 61.7 km (38 mi) · 2 h 25 min -
Bonaire on a budget Free beaches, food trucks and the sights that cost nothing. 3 days · 29.3 km (18 mi) · 2 h 5 min -
Bonaire without a car On foot, by scooter and by boat — the one route that needs no rental. 3 days · 19.7 km (12 mi) · 1 h 20 min -
A diving week in Bonaire A shore-diving week, day by day, with the sites in the right order. 7 days · 68.4 km (43 mi) · 2 h 45 min -
The last day in Bonaire What to do when you fly, and what you cannot do after diving. 1 day · 23.8 km (15 mi) · 55 min
By what you feel like doing
Every place in the guide, grouped the way you would actually choose.