Once a Visitor, Always a Friend...

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. Still, Bonaire is a long way from becoming an urban mecca. Here, the flamingo population rivals the human one, building size is strictly limited, and the circumference of the island is a protected marine park.

Stones marked with the names of dive sites can be seen from the coastal roads and a 'two minutes’ swim (literally) will reveal a reef teeming with marine life. Drive-through dive stations allow divers to refill their tanks before heading out to other alluring spots.

Amazing as the diving is, there’s much more to do on Bonaire. Sign up with the Mangrove Info and Kayak Center for a kayaking session through the pristine mangrove system – one of the few left in the world. Drive north up the west coast past a prime flamingo-viewing lake called Goto Mere.

Spend a day in Washington-Slagbaai National Park amidst more than 13,000 acres of flora and fauna. See rock formations like Seru Bentana (Sky Window), and spot any number of birds and beasts at the Pos Mangel watering hole. The park has many beaches, some of which are very small.

Heading south down the east coast, visit the tiny village of Rincon. Catch the panorama from Seru Largu, a hilltop viewpoint. Drive south to the salt pans, signs of the salt industry that still thrives here. Just below the white mountains of salt rising from purple “lakes”, you’ll find the Flamingo Refuge. You can stand roadside and (very quietly) observe these elegant and shy creatures. Park yourself close by on Pink Beach, and at sunset you can see them lighting up the sky as they wing their way on their nightly trip to Venezuela.

AIRPORTS/GATEWAYS/FLYING TIMES:

Flamingo International Airport. Located a short drive from Kralendijk, the capital.

AIRPORT/GATEWAYS:

Canadian Gateways: TBA
US Gateways: Service is available from many cities in the U.S. on American Airlines/American Eagle (via San Juan), Delta Airlines (via Atlanta) and Continental from Houston and Newark.
Other Gateways: TBA
There are no direct flights from the UK, however KLM fly from Amsterdam and BonairExcel from Curacao. The airport in Bonaire is the quaintly named, Flamingo Airport (BON) on the west coast.

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

DINING:
Restaurants - Local. Seafood. Italian. Gourmet. International. Indonesian. 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. Theatres. 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.

****** WEDDING REQUIREMENTS IN BONAIRE ******

Bonaire Marriage Requirements:

The information below outlines the marriage requirements for getting married in Bonaire: You need to allow four to six weeks for all the paper work. One of the couple needs to procure a temporary residency permit from immigration.

Documents - To apply for a temporary residency permit the following are required:

• 2 Passport photos of the Bride & Groom (and any witnesses being brought to the island, if applicable)
• Photo copy of first page of passport (Signature & Photo page)
• Date of arrival on Bonaire
• Intended length of stay on Bonaire
• For the official marriage petition the following documents are required for both the bride and groom:
• Photo copy of first page of passport (Signature & Photo page)
• Original Birth Certificate. Birth Certificates must be issued by the state or province of birth, feature a raised seal, have the names of both the mother and the father on them, and for citizens of the U.S., Canada, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, or the United Kingdom, they must have an Apostille affixed to them (an Apostille is an internationally recognized validation of a certificate or document, and is only issued by the office of vital statistics located within the state or province capital office; in the U.S. this would be your state's Secretary of State).
• Declaration of Marital Status by the Civil Registry.
• If divorced or widowed, divorce decree or document of proof is required affixed with an Apostille.
• All certificates must be originals and have been issued no more than six months prior. The passports used must be valid for at least six months beyond the intended departure date from Bonaire.

If you choose to bring witnesses from home, they should also apply for temporary residency.

After arrival on Bonaire, it takes four working days to arrange for all the forms to be processed.

Registrars Offices
The registrar's office should be contacted for specific rules regarding planning your destination or beach wedding in Bonaire. They will also provide information regarding marriage licenses and marriage certificates.

Please Note: Wedding requirements above are for information purposes only and may be out of date as of this print. Only use this information on this page as a guideline, and for more current and up to date information, please contact the countries Consular Affairs, Embassy, or the countries Tourism Bureau.