You can relax on the beach or find good snorkeling right off the water. Hopefully you'll find another itinerary with it in the future! The underwater marine life in Lac Bay is truly fascinating to explore, and the place is perfect for those in search of a tranquil oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the town. Each obelisk is painted a different color to help the ships navigate. The Tourist Information Office in Kralendijk. Bonaire is a very scenic island boasting a variety of natural treasures and rich flora and fauna. This open-air shopping complex is known as Harborside Mall. Which is usually great, but dont you find that sometimes you want to bust out of the pre-baked itinerary and do your own thing? It is located on the southeastern coast of the island, approximately 10 km/6.5 miles from the Bonaire cruise terminal (a 15-20 minute drive). This area near the salt flats gives you unique views but also an idea of the islands history. They also have everything from bicycles, scooters and motorcycles to cars, trucks, and vans. Enjoy a lovely sail along the coastline and then experience a guided snorkel by professional Bonaire shore excursion guides. The animals greet visitors when they arrive at the park, which is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The beaches had names, and the snorkeling spots had numbers. When your ship pulls into any port around the world, take comfort knowing youre being taken care of by an experienced cruise excursion operator. The cruise port is right in downtown Kralendijk. The most popular excursions to Lac Bay include clear-bottom mangrove kayaking, snorkeling and swimming. What do you do on cruise excursions? Flamingo spotting is another major attraction. Catch a 10 minute cab ride north to Eden Beach. Life magazine named it one of the best beaches in the Caribbean. and each tour stops at popular snorkel sites where you get to discover Bonaires fascinating sea life. Head east and go windsurfing and swimming at Jibe City and take a kayak tour with the Mangrove Center in the mangroves on Lac Bay. The island has taxis and rentals cars but no public transportation. You can take a 10 minute walk southto the Divi Resort. Norwegian Communications Center. Very interesting writing and informative post Thanks for sharing with us. When I went there, I remember that a taxi driver charged us around 6 $ per person one-way (we shared a vehicle with a few other people). If you are looking for a hotel to stay in for a longer stay in Bonaire, you can start your search for a hotel here. several islands in the Bahamas with Groupon and Living Social, walk from the port to Rento Fun (map here), full directions including maps of the walking routes and best snorkeling areas here, You can see the schedule and reserve seats online. DIY Excursions for the Bonaire Cruise Port 1. It lies below a 10-foot cliff, according to Tourism Corporation Bonaire. Almost all Bonaire beaches are public except for Sorobon, a clothing-optional beach in a private nudist resort where non-guests pay $10 for admission. If snorkeling is more of what you are looking for, Lac Bay is perfect for snorkeling along the reef that borders the bay. Landmarks like the Fort Orange and lighthouse, the Queen Wilhelmina Plaza or the Government Office Building are impossible to miss. Complimentary bottled water, soft drinks, andsnacks on board! Find the most popular adventures, water activities, boat tours, sightseeing tours and other Things to Do during your vacation in one of our tropical destinations. The best time to visit is almost any month of the year except the last three. One tour operator was offering a guided seven-hour excursion for $80. When we first arrived, we picked up a map with beaches and suggested snorkeling spots. Photo courtesy of Rene Cicero.Photo courtesy of Rene Cicero. You can make the most of your time in the port of Bonaireand head back to your ship having had a good sampling of the island. Plus, you can enjoy watching windsurfers of all skill levels cruise around the bay. It is called Chachacha. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. The easiest ATM to find is next to the main entrance of the Tourism Office, at the start of Kaya Grandi. See the list of the best catamaran and snorkel tours in Bonaire, See the list of Washington Slagbaai National Park tours, See the list of Mangrove reserve kayak and snorkel tours, Explore Bonaire National Marine Park tours and activities. Apparently the sand used to be much more pink, but that changed after a storm in the late 1990s. Tenders & Terminals | George Town and Beyond | Public Bus, For those that have never been in Grand Cayman, the cruise passenger should know that George Town is a tender port, Where and What | Top Attractions | Shorex or On Your Own. We loved the freedom of renting a car in Bonaire because we were one of the few cars on the road. The cruise traveler contemplating the idea of exploring the island at leisure may look into renting a car, a scooter or a bicycle. When I saw a beach on the map called Pink Beach, we had to check it out. Explore more with the Wayfaring Views newsletter. WebCruise Excursions & Shore Excursions With more than 17 years of online cruise excursions agency and cruise shore excursion operator experience, Shore Excursioneer understands cruise passengers and cruise shore excursions, and we keep improving every day in order to provide the best possible value offer including price, customer service, professionalism, reliability, etc. If your cruise stops at the port of Bonaire, youll have your choice of shore excursions, but youve only got one day so make the most of it. As much as there are lots of nice and easy things to do on your own when calling at the port of Bonaire, all cruise lines and independent local tour operators offer excellent shore excursions, which cruise passengers should consider. Taxis are affordable, in good shape, with AC and available next to the exit gates of both the Northern and Southern Piers. Agreed :-) We loved visiting all of the ABC islands, but we especially loved Bonaire because it was less commercialized and more quiet. We only saw about ten cars the entire time we drove the southern coast, including stops. Bonaire is part of the ABC Islands - Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao. You need to be able to walk around 10 minutes to reach the dock where youll embark on your catamaran. Chairs and umbrellas available for rent at some of the beaches! The beaches are as stunning as numerous, highlights like Nelson's Dockyard and Shirley Heights shouldn't be missed. Lac Bay is perfect for windsurfing and has quickly become the capital of windsurfing in the Caribbean. Celebrity Cruises offers as many 44 shore excursions and There are many excellent restaurants in town and a few bars with stunning settings to enjoy a cocktail, the local Polar Beer or a smoothie. Photo stop at 1000 Steps, Flamingo Sanctuary, Salt Flats (pink lagoon), and Slave Huts! If you are looking for a Caribbean island to visit in the future, give Bonaire a chance. We are a participant in the various affiliate programs including the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Make sure to take food and water with you. Pink Beach, the longest beach on the island, has fine pink sand. Full of white sandy beaches, turquoise blue water and lots of peace and quiet. and Princess has 29 excursions available. Bonaire makes it easy for cruise visitors to find a beach with 22 of them scattered around this small island and four right by the Kralendijk cruise port. Head back north and stop to check out the Cargill salt ponds You cant tour them but it is worth it to stop and spend time viewing them because they are such a striking feature of the landscape. Bonaire Cruise Port: Tips, Excursions, Weather Quick Travel Tips. The official legal tender in Bonaire is the US Dollar. The Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary is one of only a handful of places were flamingos actually breed, and it is home to over 10,000 flamingos. English is widely spoken in all tourist areas and tractions. Land Excursions Family Friendly Light Adventure Water Tours Bonaire Shore Excursions WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEING A PART OF YOUR REASONS TO Having worked in the cruise industry for over 7 years as Concierge and Shore excursions staff (Rivages du Monde, Viking River Cruises, Royal Caribbean International), Ive gained priceless, inside knowledge about the ports of call and have become a shore excursions expert. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. I just qualified for my Advanced Open Water and so now I'm planning all the places I want to travel to so that I can dive. Because we dont plan ahead, we walked in and asked what was available. Be sure to avoid the channel and be aware that on especially rough days, you will still have to fight a current in the usually calm bay. Banks are open between 8AM and 4PM. The arid Washington/Slagbaai National Park has hiking trails among the spare landscapes of cacti, iguanas and divi-divi trees as well as dry forest, mangroves, beaches and sand dunes. Give a gift to your friend going on one of our cruises! But there are other ways to explore this pristine beauty of Bonaire's crystal clear waters - on a water taxi to Klein Bonaire to snorkel, on a semi-submarine or on a glass bottom boat. For those interested in oceanic wonders, Bonaire is paradise underwater. The houses are painted various shades of pink, orange, and white which contrast with the blue waters beyond them from the road. Other options include island tours for $75 to $125 that usually include a Wildlife includes parrots, flamingos, parakeets, iguanas and all four species of Caribbean nesting turtles. They are painted red, white, blue and orange, the four colors that have been used in the Dutch flag throughout history. Open Bar: soft drinks, fruit punch, beer, wine (rose and white) and rum punch! (This article contains affiliate links. Unlike what you may read in many reports, blogs and reviews, the Cruise Port in Falmouth has the best location to explore the Jamaica. Snorkel set includes varied sized fins, sanitized snorkel, silicone mask, and vest! Obviously, all cruise lines offer many and diverse shore excursions in Bonaire (Kralendijk) cruise port. There is no question while standing on this coastline that swimming is a bad idea, even for strong swimmers. WebExcursions & Tours About Bonaire Cultural Museum, Island Sightseeing with Optional Beach Drop Off Price: $40.00 See iconic landmarks like the flat salt ponds, the White Slave huts, and more on this exciting island sightseeing tour in Kralendijk. The obelisks guided ships to the type of salt they wanted to purchase. , offering great food and a variety of drinks. All of these islands have something unique about them, and all of them have things we liked about them. WebMake a payment and confirm your reservation. Bonaire Island Area: 114 sq mi (294 sq km), Docking | Traveling Around by Bus | The Best of Oranjestad. Cruise visitors will find that it has a few qualities in common with its sister islands: nice beaches, plenty of snorkeling and diving, and an arid landscape. Sail to Klein or to the South Coast, snorkel or just relax, you choose where to go! Whatever you choose to see and do in Bonaire, it is easy and affordable to explore the Island on your own. Then you get back into the boat and tell them how long you want to snorkel for. Manage Settings Holland America offers 19 cruise excursions, WebSnorkel the gorgeous waters in the Bonaire Marine Park and enjoy the beach on the uninhabited island of Klein Bonaire. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Many reviews and travel guides still refer to Bonaire as part of the Dutch or Netherlands Antilles. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'adventourbegins_com-leader-3','ezslot_13',135,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-adventourbegins_com-leader-3-0'); Your email address will not be published. The park was the first nature sanctuary of the Netherland Antilles islands when it was created in 1969. Oranjestad the capital and cruise port of Aruba is a very neat city, clean, well kept that embraces you with a sense of relaxed safety. Of salt they wanted to purchase tour stops at popular snorkel sites where get... Standing on this coastline that swimming is a very scenic island boasting a variety drinks! Chairs and umbrellas available for rent at some of the ABC islands Aruba. 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