Highlights
Bonaire National Marine Park
The whole coastline of Bonaire, down to a depth of 60 metres, is a protected marine park. Yellow-painted stones along the coast road mark dozens of shore dive and snorkel sites where you can simply walk into the water to reach the reef.
Washington Slagbaai National Park, Bonaire
The north-west of Bonaire is a rugged park of cacti, salt lagoons, limestone terraces and rocky coves. Look out for flamingos, parrots and iguanas, and bring water, as there are few facilities. A high-clearance vehicle helps on the tracks.
Bonaire's salt pans and flamingos
In the south, pink salt evaporation ponds and white salt mountains sit beside tiny stone huts once used by enslaved workers. The island is one of the few places in the Caribbean where Caribbean flamingos breed, and they are often seen feeding in the shallows.
Lac Bay, Bonaire
A shallow, wind-swept bay on the east coast that is one of the world's best-known spots for windsurfing, with mangroves where you can kayak and snorkel among juvenile fish.
The Quill, Sint Eustatius
A dormant volcano whose crater holds a rainforest of giant trees, orchids and land crabs. A steep trail climbs to the rim and down into the crater, the island's signature hike.
Oranjestad, Sint Eustatius
Statia's capital was once one of the busiest trading ports in the Caribbean. Fort Oranje stands above the bay, and ruins of warehouses line the shore of Lower Town, where divers explore old wrecks and anchors in the marine park.
Mount Scenery, Saba
Saba is essentially a single volcano rising steeply from the sea. A trail of more than a thousand steps climbs through cloud forest to the summit of Mount Scenery, the highest point in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Saba Marine Park
The waters around Saba are protected and known for pinnacles rising from deep water, turtles, reef sharks and healthy coral. Diving is small-scale and carefully managed.
Interesting facts about Netherlands Antilles (Caribbean)
- The Netherlands Antilles was dissolved on 10 October 2010; Aruba had already left in 1986 to become a separate country within the Kingdom.
- At 887 metres, Mount Scenery on Saba is the highest point in the entire Kingdom of the Netherlands, far higher than anything in the European Netherlands.
- Saba's airport has one of the shortest commercial runways in the world, set on a small plateau ending at cliffs above the sea.
- In 1776, Fort Oranje on Sint Eustatius fired a salute to an American warship, an event known as the First Salute and often described as one of the first foreign recognitions of the United States' flag.
- Saba's only main road, simply called The Road, was built largely by hand over several decades after engineers had said it could not be done.
Best time to visit
The islands are warm all year and sit in the trade winds, which keep temperatures comfortable. Bonaire lies south of the main hurricane belt and is dry and sunny for much of the year, with a short, light rainy season around October to December. Saba and Sint Eustatius are further north, in the Leeward Islands, and are more exposed to the Atlantic hurricane season from June to November, with the highest risk from August to October. December to April generally offers the most settled weather on all three islands.
Practical information
| Capital | None today; the former capital was Willemstad, Curaçao. Main towns: Kralendijk (Bonaire), Oranjestad (Sint Eustatius), The Bottom (Saba) |
|---|---|
| Currency | US dollar (USD) on Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba; Caribbean guilder (XCG) on Curaçao and Sint Maarten |
| Languages | Dutch, Papiamentu (Bonaire), English (Saba and Sint Eustatius) |
| Plugs | Type A, B |
| Voltage | 127 V, 50 Hz on Bonaire; 110 V, 60 Hz on Saba and Sint Eustatius |
| Emergency | 911 (police, ambulance and fire) on Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba |
| Driving | On the right |
| Tipping | Some restaurants add a service charge; otherwise around 10–15% is customary. Tip dive crews and guides directly. |
Getting around
Bonaire has direct flights from Europe, North America and nearby islands, and is best explored by rented car or pick-up truck, which divers use to hop between shore dive sites; there is little public transport. Saba and Sint Eustatius are reached by short flights on small aircraft, usually from Sint Maarten, or by ferry from Sint Maarten when services run. On Saba, taxis and hiking are the norm on the single winding road; on Statia, taxis, rental cars and walking cover the small island. Travelling between Bonaire and the northern islands means connecting through Curaçao or Sint Maarten.
Staying connected in Netherlands Antilles (Caribbean)
Mobile coverage is good across most of Bonaire, including at many dive sites, with 4G in Kralendijk and the main villages. On Saba and Sint Eustatius networks are small but generally cover the inhabited areas, with weaker signal in the crater of The Quill, on Mount Scenery's upper trails and along remote coastlines. Phones on Saba and Statia can sometimes connect to networks from Sint Maarten or other nearby islands. Hotels and dive resorts offer Wi-Fi. Install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land.
See Netherlands Antilles (Caribbean) eSIM plans · How to install an eSIM
Useful apps for Netherlands Antilles (Caribbean)
- Google Maps: Download offline maps of each island; useful for finding shore dive sites and trailheads.
- Windy: Wind and wave forecasts for diving, windsurfing at Lac Bay and checking ferry conditions.
- WhatsApp: Widely used by dive shops, taxi drivers and guesthouses for bookings.