Bonaire Island Tour

In the morning, our cruise ship arrives at the town of Kralendijk.  This gives us the whole day to see the best of Bonaire. 

The first stop on our bus tour is the slave houses (small white limestone buildings built in the 1850's). By 1837, Bonaire was a thriving center of salt production and the slaves that labored in the salt flats lived in these small huts built along the shore.  Slavery was abolished in 1862.  Today, the huts have been restored and serve as a reminder of Bonaire’s dark past.   

White Slave Huts

 

Because the salt ponds are calm today, the piles of white crystallized salt are reflecting in the water.  On a sunny day, the water takes on a pinkish color. 

 

Our tour bus crosses the island toward the hilly north side -  a desert landscape with lots of cactus plants.  We see the "Bridge of Joy" where legend says when a couple gets married and stands under the bridge, they will stay together forever. 

Bridge of Joy

 

Near the “Bridge of Joy” is the “1000 Steps”.  Actually, it is 64 stone steps from the road down to one of Bonaire’s beautiful beaches … it just feels like 1,000 steps coming back up!  This is one of the locations where divers can access a dive site directly from the shore.



1000 Steps



Our next stop overlooks Lake Goto(meer) which is located on the northwest part of Bonaire.  This is where the pink flamingos gather.  It's the flamingo's diet - plant matter rich in beta-carotene - that gives the flamingos their famous pink color. 

 

 

 

 

 Lake Gotomeer Overlook

Pink Flamingos

 

Just outside of the small town of Rincon is a large white building -  the Mangazina di Rei (translates as the King's Warehouse).  It is the second-oldest stone building (400 years old) on the island.  In the past, it was used to store provisions for slaves.  Today, it has been restored and transformed into a small museum that preserves Bonaire’s early history. 

 



Mangazina di Rei (King’s Warehouse)

 

Grounds Behind Warehouse

 

In the town of Rincon (Bonaire’s oldest town) are two churches - the Protestant Church (dates from 1934) and San Ludovico Beltran Roman Catholic Church.   In 1837, a new but simple structure church was built in Rincon.  In 1907, a hurricane destroyed the original stone church.  While the existing Catholic Church is not in its original form, it is considered a historical attraction.

Protestant Church in Rincon

San Ludovico Beltran Roman Catholic Church in Rincon



The last stop of our bus tour is to Seru Largu (translates to Large Hill).  This monument to the Virgin Mary was built in 2000.  At 404 feet above sea level, it offers outstanding views of the south and east side of Bonaire.  Engraved on the monument are the words "Kristu Ayera Awe Semper" which translated from the Papiamentu language means "Christ, Yesterday, Today and Forever". 

Seru Largu

For more information on visiting Bonaire, click on the following link:
Tourism Bonaire