Your Bonaire CME conference.

Kralendijk after your study day

Study days finish at 2:00 PM Bonaire time. For an easy afternoon, choose one outing near your study setting: a walk along Kralendijk’s boulevard, where the tourism board mentions souvenir shops, or a visit to Te Amo Beach, a public beach near the airport with white sand and good snorkeling. Leave time for sun and shade.

Travel, accommodation and admissions are arranged separately. Your conference follows your specialty and interests; the island is simply the setting you choose for it.

Reef, steps and Klein Bonaire

Bonaire National Marine Park covers the waters around Bonaire and Klein Bonaire, from the high-tide mark to 200 feet of depth. Its 86 public dive sites can be reached by boat or from shore, and the shore sites are marked with names painted on yellow stones. Moorings are yellow buoys, and the park does not allow anchoring.

At 1000 Steps, a cove with white sand, bleached coral and limestone cliffs, the tourism board says the limestone stairway has about 67 steps and that the climb back up can feel much longer after a day there. Klein Bonaire is an uninhabited island about half a mile from Bonaire at its closest point, within the marine park and a turtle nesting ground, and the ferries to it differ by operator. Plan it as its own outing rather than an add-on to a study afternoon.

Flamingos and salt in the south

At the island’s south end, the Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary lies on the salt pans and is home to more than ten thousand flamingos. Visitors are not allowed in the sanctuary itself, but the tourism board says you can watch the birds with binoculars from the road or from nearby Pink Beach.

A salt industry still operates here, and the tourism board describes large mounds of salt crystals along the south end. Bring binoculars and sun protection, and treat the south as a short scenic drive rather than a long outing.

Washington Slagbaai National Park

The park combines two former plantations, Washington and Slagbaai, which once exported salt, charcoal, aloe extract, divi-divi pods and goats to Curaçao and Europe. The Washington part was established on 9 May 1969 as the first nature sanctuary of the Netherlands Antilles, and the Slagbaai plantation was added in 1979.

The park covers 4,286 hectares in the northwest, with beaches, dirt roads, hiking trails and habitat for flamingos and the endemic Lora parrot. A long driving route takes about two hours and passes 20 points of interest; a shorter route is also available. Three hiking trails run from easy to difficult, and the park advises against hiking or swimming alone.

The park is closed on Mondays and on holidays, and it can close fully or partly after heavy rain. It has no restaurants, so bring food and water, and the island’s car rental page says a pickup or high-clearance jeep is required. Diving is not permitted inside the park, but the park lists kayaking from Boka Bartol to Boka Slagbaai, mountain biking on the 34 km of dirt roads and three cabins at the Slagbaai lagoon. Gotomeer, a saltwater lagoon near the northern end, is a flamingo gathering place with an observation area, and the tourism board says January to June is the time to see young birds.

Rincon and Lac Bay

Rincon is one of the island’s oldest villages, and the tourism board says it was built to prevent pirate attacks. Its narrow streets and historic architecture suit a slow afternoon walk.

On the eastern side, Lac is a lagoon of 700 hectares with a barrier reef across most of its entrance and mangroves around it. Two peninsulas, Cai and Sorobon, border it, and the marine park lists coral reef, sea grass and mangroves among its habitats. The marine park lists Lac and Klein Bonaire as internationally recognized wetlands, and the tourism board names the mangrove trees among three globally endangered species found at Lac.

When to visit Bonaire

The Meteorological Department Curaçao, which covers the ABC islands, says temperatures are warm year-round with sea temperatures averaging about 27°C. The dry season runs from February to May, the rainy season starts in October and ends in January, and July to September is transitional. Sustained easterly winds are typical. Use the local forecast when you plan outdoor time.

Getting to Bonaire and your study setting

Bonaire International Airport, also called Flamingo Airport, is the arrival point shown in this guide. The island’s tourism board notes that traffic keeps to the right, speed limits are 40 km/h in urban areas and 60 km/h outside them, and taxis, scooters and bicycles are also available. Choose your accommodation with both your study setting and your plans outside study hours in mind.

The map shows straight-line distances from Shift’s designated center. These are orientation distances, not driving distances or travel-time estimates. Check your exact address against the conference’s check-in area before booking.