Overview

The words on the license plates are a clue: "Diver's Paradise. " From fantastic snorkeling just off the beach (just imagine being dropped into a tropical fish tank) to deep wall dives, Bonaire offers what is arguably the best diving in the Caribbean. Much of the credit goes to its visionary Marine Park - the island waters have been protected since 1979.

Yet Bonaire is no one-hit wonder. Sure, other watersports are popular (windsurfers find steady tradewinds and a conveniently shallow sandy bottom at Lac Bay) and it's not hard to find a secluded beach (the black sands of Boca Cocolishi are often deserted), yet this is an island with surprising natural attractions. Granted, the interior is mostly an arid, desert-like terrain complete with countless cacti, and the coast is lined with miles of salt pans, but the 13,500-acre Washington Slagbaai National Park is a wildlife sanctuary not only for iguanas but nearly 200 bird species, including the island's national symbol - the flamingo.

In the end, however, it's the underwater scene that brings most visitors to Bonaire. Even the nightlife in the main city, Kralendijk centered at the hotels, is likely to begin around the bar with discussions about the day's dives.

 Plan Your Trip

DIVING

Warm (78 to 84 degrees), clear (visibility up to 150 feet) water, with a pristine undersea landscape (the most diverse fish population in the West Indies) ... what's not to like? The Marine Park extends completely around the island, but some of the best scuba sites are at Klein Bonaire, an islet less than a mile offshore. A favorite with photographers is Carl's Hill, a sheer wall close to shore that is a colorful collage of corals and sponges, with schools of blue tangs as accents.

NATURE

For a look at the bird that inspired generations of lawn decorations, go to Goto Meer Lake, in Washington Slagbaai National Park or the Pekel Meer Sanctuary, where clouds of orange-pink flamingos flock around salt ponds during the January-July breeding season. Bring a telephoto lens (flamingos are notoriously shy and skittish) and a bird guide - the island is also home to more than 170 other bird species.

BICYCLING

Hardcore fat-tire fans may point their knobbies to the unpaved roads of the hilly, desert-like northern interior, but more casual cruisers will appreciate the network of biking trails that generally follow the shoreline. Explore the northwestern coast, where you can bike past the Goto Meer flamingo haven, or take a challenging dirt road to secluded Nukove Beach and super snorkeling at remote Playa Frans.

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