We docked in Bonaire on time and were ready to get the day started. We were in port from 8am until 10pm and like the other 2 ports we had been here before so we knew what to expect. We had reserved a golf cart through Bonaire Cruisers back on February 7, 2023 for $100 for the day. I knew they sold out quickly so I wanted to be sure to secure mine ahead of time.

We debarked the ship and walked over to Bonaire Cruisers location. There was a group waiting at the tent by the port for directions but I knew where to go, so we all went together. We got to their location which is a short walk from the port and picked our golf cart. This was a quick process and they showed the new people how to use the golf cart and navigate the island.

We left Bonaire Cruisers and headed out toward the southern loop past the airport. We first got to the salt pans which is always fun to see. They fill up the pans with ocean water and let the water evaporate to mine the salt from them. They have huge piles of salt. You can drive closer to the factory and see the raw salt, which is in huge chunks and feels wet. We also bought some water from a guy here since it was such a hot day.

Once we left the salt works we continued up the southern route until we got to the White Pan slave huts. I got an obligatory picture with them, then headed on up the road and stopped at the Orange Pan slave huts as well for another picture. We kept going from there and got pictures at the Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary. The flamingos come to Bonaire because of the salt concentration so they are everywhere on the island.

Once we past the flamingo sanctuary, we made our way to the Willemstoren lighthouse and ruins. We kept going and came to some woodwork that locals had done by the sea which included the “Bonaire” sign, a Christmas tree, some fish. We also saw plenty more flamingos and donkey along the way. We also stopped at Sorobon Beach to look, then made our way back to Kralendijk passing the donkey sanctuary. Once we were back in Kralendijk, my wife had a headache so I dropped her off at the ship. She went back to the cabin to relax on the balcony.

Once I dropped her off, I drove through Kralendijk on the way to the north loop. I rode through the town en route to 1,000 steps. Along the way I saw lots of baby goats. I stopped to talk to them, but they ignored me. If you read my post about Bonaire from last year, you may recall me talking about us parking next to a huge bees nest near 1,000 steps. That same nest is still there!!

I continued on the road where it turns into 1 way shortly after 1,000 steps. My first stop was Landhuis Karpata. This was the manor house of an aloe plantation in the 19th century. The site was named for karpata (castor bean) plants that are abundant in the area. This was a very interesting stop!

I continued my route down to the BOPEC oil rigs where I would turn right and head up toward Gotomeer and Rincon. Along this route I saw many many more flamingos, goats and donkeys. I finally made my way into Rincon which is the oldest town on the island. In Rincon I saw the Cinelandia Complex as well as the Protestant Church. Rincon is a very interesting town and I really enjoyed it.

As I left Rincon on my way back to Kralendijk I made a detour toward Seru Largu which is the highest point on the island. I got some great pictures here including a parrot in the tree. From here, I made my way back to Kralendijk where I would drop off the golf cart and head back toward the ship. It was a fantastic day exploring the island and I highly enjoyed Bonaire. I can’t wait to be back on this beautiful island.