Caribbean Beat — May/June 2018 (#151)

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Take the plunge
The pristine waters surrounding the
island — sometimes described as ginclear
— and its coral reefs teeming with
marine species, heavily protected since
the early 1970s, make Bonaire one of the
world’s top dive sites, on every scuba
enthusiast’s bucket list. Numerous dive
shops in Kralendijk offer equipment, lessons,
and tours — and, of course, snorkelling
is a good option for those who
prefer to stick to the surface. There are
amazing dive experiences to be had even
within sight of the Kralendijk waterfront.
And if you’re a sociable diver, there’s no
better time to get wet than during the
annual Bonaire Dive Week, running from
26 May to 2 June this year, with a nonstop
programme of activities in and out
of the water.
Look up
An absence of smoke-spewing heavy
industry and relatively little light pollution
mean Bonaire has unusually clear night
skies — so much so that locals talk about
their “Sky Park,” the nightly overhead
display of heavenly bodies. The undeveloped
eastern side of the island is the best
place for stargazing, and Bonaire’s location
near the equator means that, depending
on the time of year, you can see both
Northern and Southern Hemisphere stars
in a single night. So walk with your star
chart — or the digital equivalent on your
smartphone.
A pinch of salt
The perfect Bonaire souvenir? Locally produced sea salt, from the salt pans on the
coast south of Kralendijk (above). You can buy it coarse or finely ground, in jars,
pouches or boxes — and if you’re too useless in the kitchen even to boil water, you
can also find sea salt–infused bath and body products, too. Long after your visit, you
can fill your tub at home and pretend you’re soaking in Bonaire’s crystal waters.
History
Inhabited since about 1,000 CE by the
indigenous Caiquetios — whose intriguing
petroglyphs and rock paintings are
still to be found in caves around the
island — Bonaire was first visited by the
Spanish in 1499. Seizing the island in
1636, Dutch settlers built Fort Oranje to
protect their new colony, and the town
of Kralendijk — “coral dyke” — grew up
around it. For generations, the harvesting of sea salt
was the leading industry, with backbreaking labour
provided by enslaved Africans, under grim conditions,
until Emancipation in 1862.
During the Second Word War, Bonaire was
the location of a US air base and internment
camp for Germans, and many locals worked
as sailors on board oil tankers. A war memorial
in Kralendijk honours those who lost
their lives in U-boat attacks. After the war,
like many other Caribbean islands, Bonaire
turned towards tourism, with
a special focus on diving.
Co-ordinates
12.1º N 68.25º W
Sea level
BONAIRE
Kralendijk
Caribbean Airlines operates daily flights to and from its headquarters at
Piarco International Airport in Trinidad, with connections on other airlines
to Flamingo International Airport in Bonaire
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WWW.CARIBBEAN-AIRLINES.COM
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