STINAPA - GENERAL INFO ON BONAIRE

For visitors in search of those most elusive of commodities - peace, tranquility and charm - Bonaire is a paradise. A small crescent-shaped island ringed by magnificent coral reefs and set in the shimmering blue Caribbean sea, Bonaire is the least industrialized island of the Dutch Caribbean. Bonaire has no oil refinery, no heavy industry, no high rises and -- believe it or not -- still no traffic lights! With its firm conservation ethos, Bonaire has long been a byword in terms of nature conservation and environmental protection both above and below water. As Captain Don Stewart so aptly puts it: "Bonaire is to Conservation as Greenwich is to time!"

Bonaire is the "B" of the ABC islands; A and C are her sister islands Aruba and Curaçao. The name "Bonaire" is thought to be derived from an Indian word meaning "low country" and indeed both the main island of Bonaire and the small, uninhabited satellite island of Klein (small) Bonaire are startlingly flat. Most of the southern end of the island is less than 2m (6') above sea level. The highest elevation on Bonaire - Brandaris in the Washington Slagbaai National Park - is a mere 238m (785').

Despite its small size, nature conservation is high on Bonaire’s agenda: more than 20% of the total land area of Bonaire and 100% of the waters surrounding Bonaire and Klein Bonaire are protected as Parks. The Washington Slagbaai National Park, which consists of two former plantations and covers a land area of 5,643 ha (just under 14,000 acres), was established in 1977. The Bonaire National Marine Park, which stretches from the high water mark to the 60m (200') depth contour all around Bonaire and Klein Bonaire, followed in 1979.

Constitutionally, Bonaire forms a part of the Dutch Caribbean, a special municipality of The Netherlands, together with the windward islands of Saba and St. Eustatius (Statia). Island affairs are regulated by a local Island Government as well as the Office of the Rijksdienst, the representative of Holland. Economically, the island depends primarily on tourism.

The population of Bonaire is approximately 15,500, with the majority of residents living in and around the centrally located town of Kralendijk (pronounced KRAAL-en-dike). Locals refer to town as “Playa”, a word that can also mean “beach.” There is a second, smaller town to the north, called Rincon. Additionally there are five barios (neighborhoods)! Only about 5% of the total land area of the island is developed. Most of the island remains undeveloped and has been left to Mother Nature: cactus, thorny scrub, and windswept woodlands interspersed with "kunukus" (small holdings) growing "maishi" (corn) and raising goats and sheep.

Bonaireans are among the friendliest and most linguistically able of all Caribbean islanders, able to switch seamlessly between their native Papiamento (pap-yah-MEN-too) and English, Dutch and Spanish.

As for the climate, well, it's mostly sunshine. It does rain about 52 cm (20.5”) a year, mostly between October and February; a single day’s rain can turn a brown Bonaire to vibrant green. Temperatures ranging from a bit below 27 C. (80° F.) at night to 29-30° (the mid-80s) in the daytime, and trade winds averaging 12 knots make Bonaire’s climate about as perfect as it gets.

For more information on Bonaire, visit www.infobonaire.com.