Caribbean Vacations Guide.Welcome to the official site of the Caribbean ideal Vacation spots! Caribbean Vacations Guide.com

Places to go : Country :

Bonaire

Introduction | Weather | Events | Places to go

The name Bonaire is thought to have originally come from the Caiquetio word 'Bonay', a name that meant low country. The early Spanish and Dutch modified its spelling to Bojnaj and also Bonaire . The French influence while present at various times never was strong enough to make the assumption that the name means 'good air'.

In 1633, the Dutch took possession of Curacao, Bonaire and Aruba . The largest island, Curacao , emerged as a center of the notorious slave trade. Bonaire then became a plantation island belonging to the Dutch West Indies Company. It was during those early years that the first African slaves were forced to work, cutting dyewood and cultivating maize and harvesting solar salt. Grim reminders of those days still remain in the form of slave huts and salt pans which were laboriously constructed by hand. They are an important part of the island's heritage and have been left to stand mute testimony to Bonaire 's repressive beginning.

Until 1816, ownership of Bonaire changed hands a number of times, finally being returned that year to the Dutch as a result of the Treaty of Paris. A small fort, Fort Oranje , was built to protect the island's main resource, salt. Salt was one commodity that Bonaire had in endless supply, although it took back breaking slave labor to produce it. In the early days of the industry, the most important use for salt was in the preservation of food, since refrigeration was still centuries away.

By 1837, Bonaire was a thriving center of salt productio n. The government, who by then controlled the industry, built four obelisks, each painted a different color, red, white, blue and orange (the colors of the Dutch Flag and the Royal House of Orange). They were erected strategically near areas of the salt lake. The idea was to signal ships where to pick up their cargoes of salt. A flag of the corresponding color was raised atop a flagpole, thus signalling the ship's captain where to drop anchor. Three of the obelisks can still be seen today.

The abolition of slavery in 1863 signaled an end to the era of exploitation of those first Bonaireans. It was almost a hundred years later that the salt industry was revitalized. Today it is a division of Cargill, Incorporated, one of the largest businesses in the world. It also was during this time that the island began to attract visitors.

Tourism was born when the island government constructed the first ship's pier in the harbor. It allowed cruise ships to tie up alongside the wharf and discharge passengers. It also made it easier to bring in goods and supplies for the island's residents. Hotels began to spring up and cater to the early visitors who enjoyed the tranquility of Bonaire . In 1943, the construction of a modern airport south of Kralendijk made it even easier for tourists to reach the island.

Bonaire is known primarily as a spectacular dive site, ringed by a series of offshore reefs. But Bonaire is also a landlubber’s destination, with a developing art and dining scene, and a slew of land-based activities. In the main town, Kralendijk, visit Cinnamon Art Gallery , founded by a trio of artists or any number of fine restaurants featuring French, Italian, Argentine and creative cuisines.

CLIMATE: Average temperature is 82 degrees F. Average annual rainfall is 22 inches.

DINING: Restaurants - Local. Seafood. Italian. Gourmet. International. 20Indonesian. Chinese. Fast Food. A service charge of 10-15% is added to bills in lieu of tips. Dress code is casual.

LANGUAGE: Dutch is the official language. Local Papiamentu, English and Spanish are widely spoken.

NIGHTLIFE: Dance Clubs. Dinner/Dances, Nightclubs. Pubs. Theaters. Cinemas. Live music. Karaoke.

SIGHTSEEING: The Flamingo Colonies near Goto-meer. Historic Dutch buildings, the slave huts at Rode Pan and the Solar Salt Works nearby. Arawak Indian cave paintings at Boca Omina. Museo di Boneiru Beach , Washington – Slagbaai National Park . The Bonaire Marine Park . Willemstoren Lighthouse, Dos Pos, Rincon, Klein Bonaire, Lac Bay .