Horseback riding on the beach

Galloping over a white sandy beach and cooling off, horse and all, in the turquoise Caribbean Sea – it sounds too good to be true. But riding horseback across the rugged landscape of Bonaire is a guaranteed cinematic experience. Jump into the saddle and explore the unusual rock formations, mangrove forests and bright pink flamingos of Bonaire.

Active & Outdoor

Cacti in all shapes and sizes

Bonaire has a number of stables that offer trips by horseback, usually with horses of the South American Paso Fino breed. These beautiful animals are calm and well trained and can even be led across the island without a bit. The tours usually last half a day, giving you plenty of time to explore the island’s unusual landscape. Another plus is that the groups are small, with usually no more than 5 people per group. The dry landscape of the kunuku is reminiscent of the desert, with cacti in all shapes and sizes and the occasional darting salamander or iguana. Your horse for the day completes the cowboy fantasy. One spot definitely worth visiting is Pekelmeer, a large salt lake where flamingos gather and feed on tasty morsels in the salty water. These birds get their gorgeous pink colour from eating shrimp-like crustaceans.

Galloping into the sea

Lac Baai on the south-eastern coast is one of the loveliest areas of Bonaire to discover on horseback. This azure blue lagoon borders a picturesque white sandy beach and is lined with mangroves on one side. These unusual trees are very important for the ecosystem as they secrete salt from their leaves and offer protection to young fish. The bay is partly enclosed by a coral dam, making the water very calm and shallow – perfect for horses, who love to gallop into the cool water with rider and all.

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For a small island, Bonaire features a large number of restaurants. And of course many eateries are located right on the beach, looking out over the ocean. Enjoy a spectacular sunset as the sun slowly sinks below the horizon.

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Bonaire is one of the most popular water sports destinations in the world, thanks to its azure blue waters, trade winds from the east and pleasant Caribbean climate. So it’s not surprising that the island has produced so many surfing champions. Water sports enthusiasts will find the sea around Bonaire to be an excellent playground. The mostly shallow water is pleasantly warm and invites surfers to spend entire days honing their skills.

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Unique black and red coral reefs, mangrove forests and an azure blue ocean – the beaches of Bonaire are as beautiful as they are varied. Most Caribbean islands boast long white beaches, but Bonaire is primarily known for its intimate bays with coarse, light pink sand and undisturbed, thriving sea life.

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In the northwest of Bonaire you’ll find Washington Slagbaai National Park. With no less than 5,600 hectares of unspoilt nature, the park takes up one fifth of the island. Established in 1969, it is the first national park on the Dutch Antilles. It consists of beaches, sand dunes, forest, mangroves and saliñas, a type of salt lake.

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Fort Orange is located in the centre of Kralendijk, the capital of Bonaire. The small fortress dates back to 1639, making it the oldest stone building on the island. It is named after the Dutch Royal family and reminds visitors of the island’s colonial history. With the lighthouse being visible from far out at sea, Dutch ships were able to safely arrive at the harbour.

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Some 800 metres off the coast of Kralendijk, the capital of Bonaire, is a small uninhabited island. This is Little Bonaire, a protected nature reserve that is part of the Bonaire National Marine Park. The approximately six-square-kilometre island is popular among divers for the black coral reef that starts at the beach and goes down to a depth of 35 metres. In addition to colourful fish, there are also seahorses and rare turtles.

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