Bonaire is a beautiful island with clear waters and bright beaches. It has many of the best beaches in the Caribbean, so it's no surprise that it attracts many tourists from all over the world.
One of the sunny islands of the southern Caribbean, Bonaire is famous for its rich coral reefs, which attract divers and snorkelers. Here the underwater world is magnificent! They call it Diver's Paradise after all. So the number one item in your suitcase should be your snorkel! You will be surprised at how beautiful the underwater world is. At the same time, Bonaire's beaches welcome sunshine, and many people enjoy the calm turquoise waters for swimmers.
On the best beaches in Bonaire, you can stroll the pink or black sands, experience the waves crashing against the rocks, and learn to spread your wings, Caribbean style, by taking surfing lessons or kitesurfing.
Join us to enjoy the 10 best beaches in Bonaire below.
1. No Name Beach, Klein Bonaire
No Name Beach is a stunningly beautiful beach on the north side of Klein Bonaire. To the west of No Name Beach is dive spot Sampler, and to the east is Ebo’s Reef. Klein Bonaire is just over 800 meters away from Bonaire.
No Name Beach is Bonaire’s most beautiful sandy beach. Waves of the azure-colored Caribbean Sea gently wash onto the snow-white powdery sand, which feels wonderful and invites you to take a walk barefoot or sunbathe in it. Beautiful green trees and plants grow on the outer edges, providing shade from the tropical sun.
Although people sun and picnic on the 300-yard stretch of white sand, many come to snorkel the bountiful reef that lies a few feet from the shore. No Name especially appeals to novice snorkelers who don’t want to swim too far out.
You will see coral, schools of tropical fish, and eels that inhabit the island’s rock ledge. Because No Name lacks services, except for two shelters to shield you from the sun, bring plenty of water and snacks.
2. Pink Beach
Pink Beach is located on the southwest coast of Bonaire, ten kilometers southwest of Kralendijk, the capital city of the Dutch diving island. Kite Beach is on the south side of Pink Beach, and Bachelor’s Beach is north.
Once Pink Beach was colored pink. The sand was made of crushed and pulverized shells from foraminifera, single-celled organisms with an external skeleton of calcium carbonate. But in November 1999, Hurricane Lenny left a trail of destruction on Bonaire, including much damage at Pink Beach. From that moment on, the enchanting pink glow disappeared and the beach became much narrower. It has a length of 1.5 kilometers and today consists mainly of fossilized coral and hard stones. Several swaying palm trees provide a tropical atmosphere and pleasant shade on the beach’s narrow strip of sand.
As Pink Sand Beach has no services, bring water and snacks. The few scattered palm trees offer more decoration than meaningful shade but this is a beautiful place to stroll.
3. Sorobon Beach
Located on the southeast coast of Bonaire, eight kilometers southeast of the historic center of Kralendijk, Sorobon Beach is one of two beaches in Lac Bay; a dazzling lagoon 700 acres in size. The other beach is called Lac Cai Beach; it is situated on the northeast side of the lagoon.
Sorobon Beach is the island’s most beautiful beach. It’s a Caribbean standout, with its snow-white sand, swaying coconut trees, and crystal blue waters. The windsurfers on Sorobon Beach are a colorful blur against the deep blue sea; when you look out from one of the beachside restaurants, you can’t help but feel like you’re in paradise.
Since Lac Bay’s calm water averages between just two and four feet in depth for a long way out, you can easily stand up if—when—you fall off your board.
Since the near-constant breezes blow toward shore, new windsurfers needn’t worry about losing control and gliding to the other side of the bay.
Here, you’ll find both beginning and intermediate windsurfing lessons. For lunch, try the salads and sandwiches at the waterfront Hangout Beach Bar.
4. 1,000 Steps
A sliver of sand strewn with chunks of coral and backed by dense vegetation on Bonaire’s west coast, 1,000 Steps takes its name from the long stairway of 67 limestone steps, mercifully not 1,000, down to the beach.
From 1,000 Steps, one of Bonaire’s best beaches for snorkeling, you can swim above an elkhorn coral forest inhabited by parrotfish, blue tang, and surgeonfish. Nearby, look for star coral, hawksbill turtles, filefish, and manta rays.
Climbing back up the stairs, you realize the aptness of the name as it may feel like 1,000 steps. At the top, while you catch your breath, take the perfect shot of the turquoise and deep blue water edged by white sand.
It’s wise to wear water shoes to protect your feet on the steps and the coral on this Caribbean beach. Since 1,000 Steps lacks facilities, bring plenty of water.
5. Boka Slagbaai
Allow time when visiting Washington Slagbaai National Park to swim at Boka Slagbaai. The park sprawls across 14,000 acres of land on Bonaire’s northwest.
A drive along the park’s dirt roads (four-wheel vehicle or a tour recommended) leads you into a stark desert landscape of cacti and scrub brush, freshwater springs that attract birds, salt pans where flamingos flock, and fringing beaches.
Cool off at Boka Slagbaai, or “slaughter bay”. During the plantation era, more than 100 years ago, workers killed and salted goats in the bay before exporting them to Curacao and other places. Some of the remaining bright yellow buildings left over from that era contain picnic tables and bathrooms.
A mix of sand and rocks, Boka Slagbaai draws snorkelers. Just offshore, swim over coral formations and with brightly colored fish and rays. Be sure to look for the flamboyance of flamingos (the collective name for the bright pink birds) at the nearby salt pan, Salina Slagbaai.
6. Boka Kokolishi
Situated on the northeast coast of Washington Slagbaai National Park, Boka Kokolishi, one of Bonaire’s most interesting beaches, rewards visitors with dramatic contrasts.
Boka Kokolishi effectively has two bays. Rock ledges and a natural breakwater shield the inner bay, creating calm waters. Beyond the volcanic rock breakwater in the outer bay, the surf pounds against the cliffs with a booming fierceness, throwing up spray.
Watch the spectacle of the powerful waves from the shore or by wading in at the first bay. Do not swim or stand near or beyond the rocks, though, as the surf can be fierce.
If you examine the limestone boulders dotting the beach, you see layers of embedded coral and shells. Kokolishi, often referred to as a black sand beach, isn’t like the volcanic blank sand beaches in Hawaii that are inky dark.
Instead what you’ll find are ribbons of dark-hued sand created by the crushed skeletons of tiny black sea snails.
7. Atlantis Beach
Gliding on the surface of the sea pulled by the wind feels like flying. Because of its mix of flat water and steady winds, Atlantis Beach is one of the best beaches in Bonaire for kiteboarding, also known as kitesurfing.
Situated on the island’s southeast, Atlantis Beach has predominantly offshore winds that average 17 to 22 knots.
Although the offshore winds add a degree of difficulty for beginners, intermediate and advanced kiteboarders enjoy the opportunity to perfect their skills.
Even if you don’t kiteboard, come to watch the impressive instructors and advanced kiteboarders flip and twist on their boards. The water is calm and suitable for swimming but do be careful of the kiteboarders, who may not be able to dodge you.
In addition to the spectacle out on the water, stroll along the brilliant white sand and search for sea creatures in the tide pools here.
8. Playa Chikitu
Bonaire’s only dunes edge striking Playa Chikitu. Bookended by limestone plateaus and big rocks, the cove on Washington Slagbaai National Park’s windy east side delights with white sand and waves that crash against the rocks with a thunderous roar.
Enjoy the site, but don’t swim at Playa Chikitu because of the dangerous waves and the rip currents. In season, sea turtles nest here and you may spot one digging a nest in the sand in which to bury its eggs. If not, the turtle tracks leading up from the shoreline are a sure sign that there are nests here.
Nearby, Suplado Blowhole, northwest of Playa Chikitu, shoots spray high into the air. It’s an impressive sight.
9.Te Amo Beach
Visiting Te Amo Beach is one of the best things to do in Bonaire. Located across the street from Bonaire’s airport, the vistas of turquoise sea and blue sky are punctuated by the sight and sound of planes taking off, to some, a mesmerizing sight.
This white sand beach features relatively calm water for swimming and snorkeling. Snorkelers can discover brain and star coral, sergeant majors, trunkfish, and other tropical fish.
Be sure to stay within the breakwater to the right of the beach that separates Te Amo Beach from the entrance to the boat harbor.
Often, the Kite City food truck is at Te Amo beach, offering wraps, burgers, quesadillas, and seafood platters for a tasty al fresco lunch.
10. White Pan Beach
Come to White Pan Beach for the history. Caught between the turquoise sea and the pink salt pans, rows of tiny white coral stone huts line the beach.
The striking setting belies the area’s tragic past. As in many Caribbean islands, the scourge of slavery was part of Bonaire’s history.
In the 1850s, the West India Company (WIC) built the five-foot-high structures to lodge two and sometimes up to six enslaved laborers forced to work the salt pan.
After chopping the salt, the slaves carried it to small boats that would ferry it to the WIC’s ships. The intense glare of the sun reflected in the salt blinded many.
Bonaire outlawed slavery in 1863 and the surviving slaves were freed. At White Pan Beach, you can remember those who suffered and perished at the slave huts, which have been carefully preserved as part of the island’s cultural heritage.
Bonaire Island has some of the best beaches we have ever seen. They aren’t the typical long beaches you might see on other Caribbean islands, but that is what we like about them. They are unique and offer a new experience for those who want something more than a sandy beach. Bonaire is the perfect spot to visit if you love beaches that offer vibrant and easily accessible snorkeling, along with incredibly warm and bright blue water.
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