Your day ashore on Bonaire

The three routes, as the app has them

1. 

   40 km · 11 stops · 2–3 hours

   South coast tour

   The flat, strange half of the island: salt pyramids, the huts where enslaved workers were housed, the lighthouse where the two coasts meet, and the shallow water on the far side.

   See this route  →
2. 

   60 km · 12 stops · 2–3 hours

   Breathtaking north coast tour

   Up the wild side of the island — cliffs the sea slams into, flamingos on the lagoon, the oldest village inland — with the story at each stop starting by itself when you arrive.

   See this route  →
3. 

   70 km · 16 stops · 3–4 hours

   Ultimate island tour

   The whole island in one day, in the order that actually works: the north while the water is still calm, the south when the light goes low.

   See this route  →

Practical

• Very little walking. Most stops are a few steps from where you park — the salt pans, the slave huts, the lighthouse, Gotomeer and the viewpoints are all roadside.
• The exception is 1000 Steps: sixty steps down to the water, and the climb back up in the heat is the reason for the name. If stairs are a problem, look from the top and drive on.
• Sorobon and Te Amo are flat sand and shallow water. Pink Beach has no shade at all. Take water, sun cream, a hat, and shoes you can stand on rock in.
• Traffic drives on the right, the same as in the Netherlands and North America.
• Fuel stations are few and mostly around Kralendijk. Fill up before you head out rather than on the way back.
• Coverage away from town is patchy, which is why the route sits on your phone offline. Download it on the ship's wifi before you go ashore.
• Bonaire's national park charges a nature fee and keeps its own hours. This route stays outside it, but check before you improvise a detour.
• Bonaire pays in US dollars. A small rental car for the day plus fuel is in the region of USD 50 to 80 — an indication, so check it when you book.
• Give yourself a hard turnaround time and stick to it. An hour of slack at the end is not wasted: it is what lets you stop when something looks interesting.

Questions people ask

Can I walk into Kralendijk from the cruise pier?

Yes. The pier is in the middle of town, so the waterfront, the shops on Kaya Grandi and a beach you can walk to are all within twenty minutes on foot. Nothing on this page starts with a transfer.

Can I see the whole island in one day?

Only on a long call, and even then it is tight. The full loop is 70 km with 16 stops: three to four hours of driving plus close to four hours at the stops, which is about seven hours in total. On a six to eight hour call, drive half of it.

Do I need to rent a car?

Only for the driving day. Boat trips and snorkelling excursions leave from the marina, ten minutes' walk from the pier, and a day in town needs no transport at all. What walking will not get you is the rest of the island: the stops are twenty to thirty kilometres out.

Does the audio tour work without internet?

Yes, once you have downloaded it. The map along the route and the audio go onto your phone per tour, so it holds up where the signal drops — and away from town it does. Download on the ship's wifi before you go ashore.

What currency does Bonaire use?

US dollars. Cards are widely accepted in Kralendijk; carry some cash for the smaller places along the route.

How much time should I keep for getting back?

An hour more than you think. Both halves of the island start and end at the same pier, and the drive back from the far south or the far north is under forty minutes — but that assumes nothing goes wrong, and your ship will not wait.