Bonaire is a tiny island with about 10.000 inhabitants and no traffic lights. The first inhabitants of the island were Indians from the tribe of the Caquetios, originating from Venezuela, 60 miles away. There are archeological signs that already in the year 900 AD Indians lived here.
In 1499 the Spaniards “discovered??? Bonaire. They called the island
“Isla inutil???, useless island because they did not find gold or other minerals. After a couple of years they evacuated all the Indians to Hispaniola, nowadays called Santo Domingo.
During the war between The Netherlands and Spain –which lasted 80 years!
(1568-1648)- the Dutch occupied the Island in 1636. The Dutch were interested in the salt ponds and the wood of the island.
Because of the war the Dutch had no access to the salt ponds in Spain and Portugal. They were in great need for salt for their fishing-industry. The island became government property.
During the occupation of Holland by the French under Napoleon 1795-1815, the island was occupied by England, being an alley to preserve it for Holland. This occupation was from 1810 to 1816.
Unfortunately the English leased the island to Joseph Foulke from New York. This gentleman deforested the whole island, especially from the brasil wood. Since then the soil is very dry, arid.

The name "Sorobon" is from the native Arawak and Carib people who lived here until around the year 1515.The meaning of the name is unknown. In the beginning of the 16th century the Spaniards deported all the aboriginals from Bonaire to the other colonies of Spain. Maybe the name means "good air"! Anyway the air is crystal clear, no pollution at all. This spot where you are now staying, was a working place where the native people made pottery and cleaned their fishes, conches and shells. Once in a while we still find remains of ancient pottery on the terrain!

Although the island is very dry, rain falls in rather good quantities.
E.g. there falls about 65% of the rain that Holland enjoys! The rain erodes
the soil because there are not enough trees and bush to withhold the water
with their roots. The free walking goats eat all the young leafs of the bush,
which does not help either.

However dry, the island is very interesting for its flora and fauna.
Many ornithologists come to spot the around 170 species of birds which
can be found on Bonaire.

Coral

The blue,turquoise and sometimes emerald waters of the Caribbean sea with their colourful corals, sponges and fish, bring thousands of tourists to the Dutch Caribbean Islands.Whether snorkelling or diving, visitors can enjoy the coral reef with a biodiversity comparable only to that of the tropical rain forest.

Corals are invertebrate animals living in colonies and building the coral reef by secreting limestone. They grow quite slowly: massive corals,for example, will not increase more than 1-2cm. in diameter per year. Relatively fast growing (10-12cm. annually) are species such as the staghorn and elkhorn corals.

The island of Bonaire is characterized by well-developed reefs that are lining the coast with a high diversity and coral cover. Especially beautiful are the luxuriant reefs around the uninhabited island of Klein Bonaire.

Because of the absence of coastal development the reefs are still untouched, in excellent condition and growing right up to the coastline.

Sea turtles

Worldwide, there are seven species of sea turtles, five of which occur in the
Dutch Caribbean: the green turtle, the hawksbill, and the loggerhead around the ABC islands; the green turtle, the hawksbill, and the leatherback around the SSS islands. In both areas the olive ridley is rarely sighted. Sea turtles are threatened with extinction.

For nesting, turtles swim thousands of miles to return to the sandy beaches where they once hatched.Coastal development, however, has made numerous beaches unfit for nesting. The uninhabited island of Klein Bonaire is still a major nesting site for sea turtles. That’s why conservation of beaches, where turtles do still nest, is most important. Other threats are sand digging and tourists riding their rental jeeps on the beaches.

Diving

Sorobon works together with Photo Tours Divers. They offer you different kinds of courses, PADI Open Water, Advanced, Rescue and all sorts of specialities. Also they organize nightdives with a bonfire and a buffet, Barbeque, Pizza or Chinese food for example. You have the opportunity to come along for a guided dive along the Eastcoast. Turtles, spotted eagle rays and even sharks if you are lucky; they have a guide whose speciality is the Eastcoast.

You want to get your dive on a DVD? No problem, even that is possible.

For more information, send an email or fax to Monique at our frontdesk or give her a call.

Click here for BonaireTurtles.org

Kralendijk

Kralendijk is a lovely little city with a Dutch heritage. The name means literally "Dike of coral". Colorful buildings constructed in the Dutch-colonial style are prevalent. Along the water there is a promenade where many of the streets are lined with shops and restaurants. South of town lies Fort Oranje, its stone lighthouse now serves as the harbor office.

Washington-Slagbaai Nationaal Park

Visitors can spend an entire day at Washington-Slagbaai National Park and still want to return. The 13,500 acre preserve has 22 miles of dirt roads. The roads are a bit rugged and as such they force one to drive slowly. This slow speed gives you the possibility to really see and appreciate the animals and terrain. There are two special bird-watching observation towers from where many of Bonaire's 189 species can be spotted. The park is open daily from 8 am till 5 pm, except on holidays. Entrance fee: $ 10,-- per person.

Rincon

Rincon, the oldest city on the island, was the first Spanish settlement. Today it is a cluster of cottages and century-old buildings. Near this village there is an area called Onima. Its shallow, open caves contain petroglyphs craved by the Caiquetio Indians more than 500 years ago.

Salt pans

A tour on the south end of Bonaire should include a visit to the salt pans. Brilliant white hills of salt glisten in the sun like snow. Amid the salt pans is the 135-acre flamingo sanctuary located, the exclusive breeding ground for southern Caribbean flamingos, which almost outnumbers the island's human population. The best view of the nesting grounds is from the historic site of Rode Pan, where you will find restored stone huts once used by 19th -century slaves who worked in the pans.
Beautiful photographer sites!!

Donkey Sanctuary

On Bonaire a few hundreds of donkeys are living in the wild. A visit to the donkey sanctuary is an absolute must. The sanctuary has more than sixty donkeys, babies and older ones as well. They are very well taken care of, and you can even "adopt" a donkey. Here you can enjoy the beauty of this ecological park and observe the donkeys in their natural environment. For kids it is a thrilling experience. On the left pictue you will see mother donkey Jamy with her child Elmo sponsored by Sorobon.

Check their site at www.bonairenature.com/donkey/

The entire coast of Bonaire, Klein Bonaire, Lac Bay and all of Washington-Slagbaai National Park are protected areas. It is illegal to harm or to remove anything from land or sea, which includes:

• Any hard or soft Corals
• Conch, shells
• Cactus, plants
• Turtles, marine life
• Iguanas, animals
• Parrots, flamingos, birds
• Historical artifacts

Taking internationally protected species with you (dead or alive), can result in prosecution upon your return home. Please help preserve our island.

The local language is Papiamento: a mixture of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and a sprinkling of African, English, French and Indian. Dutch is the official language. English and Spanish are widely spoken.

On Bonaire you will not find 4-lane roads, highways and traffic lights. All traffic rules are the same as in Europe and in the States. There is one exception and that is the rule on a T-intersection. All traffic on the upper part of the T has priority over the other traffic. Also beware of the wild donkeys and goats. Especially the goats have the tendency to jump in front of your car instead of running away. When it has rained the roads are extremely slippery, so drive carefully.

February 2008 Feb 2 Carnival - Adult Parade Rincon
Feb 3 Carnival - Adult Parade Playa Kralendijk
Feb 4 Carnival - Farewell Youth Parade                   
Feb 5 Carnival - Farewell Adult Parade        
Feb 6 Ash Wednesday
Feb 6 Cycling Tour Rincon Rose Inn
Feb 9 Mountain Bike Tour for riders of all levels of Experience
Feb 24 Int’l Fishing Tournament

March 2008
Mar 21 Good Friday
Mar 23 Easter Sunday
Mar 24 Easter Monday

April 2008 Apr 1 Simadan (Harvest) Festival Rincon          
Apr 1 Karel’s Beach Bar Sailing Competition at Karel’s
Apr 30 Queen's Birthday
Apr 30 Rincon Day
Apr 30 Queens Birthday Windsurfing Race  at Tolo

May 2008 May 1 Labor Day
May 1 Ascension Day  
May 11 Pentecost
May 11 Dutch Antilles Windsurfing Challenge
May 21-24 Bonaire Heineken Jazz Festival
June 2008 June 1-30 Bonaire Dive Into Summer
June 24 St. John's Day
June 29 St. Peter's Day July 2008 July 1-31 Bonaire Dive Into Summer
July 6 Sixteenth Annual Dia di Arte (Art Day)
July 27 - Aug 3 Pro Kids Windsurfing Event
August 2008
Aug 1-31 Bonaire Dive Into Summer
Aug 31 Local Fishing Tournament
Kopa Cultimara At Lac Bay Cai
September 2008 Sept 1-30 Bonaire Dive Into Summer          
Sept 6 Bonaire Flag Day
Sept 5-11 Sailing race “Dia di Bonaire” at Kas di Regatta October 2008 Oct 5-11 41st Bonaire International Sailing Regatta            
Oct 21 Antilles Day November 2008 Time Trail 15 Km Antill.W.Vederatie
Road Bike Race 90km Antill.W.Vederatie Curacao
Road Race 54 km and 70 km Rose Inn
Nov 2 BWC Mountain Bike Pre-Race
Nov 30 BWC Tempo Race (MTB) December 2008 Dec 1 Bari Festival Period
Dec 5 Sinterklaas Birthday Celebration
Dec 6 8th Annual Bonaire EcoSwim
Dec 25 Christmas Day
Dec 26 Boxing Day
Dec 31 5 km San Silvester run End of Year Race
Dec 31 Firework Shows in the streets of Bonaire