More than 80 different dive sites. A food scene anchored by a restaurant with a three Michelin-star pedigree. A fun, carefree, quintessential small-island vibe. 

Travelers have been flocking to the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire over the last few years, as a destination that was long something of a secret has started to find its place on the travel map. 

Now, it’s a whole lot easier to get there, with just-launched flights between New York and Bonaire on JetBlue. 

The new nearly-five-hour flight, which officially started this past week, will be running twice per week, with nonstop flights on Tuesdays and Saturdays out of New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. 

JetBlue has already flown for years to Bonaire’s Dutch Caribbean neighbors of Aruba and Curacao, and now it’s completed the trifecta. 

It’s “significant step in our commitment to making our beautiful island more accessible to North American travelers,” said Tourism Corporation Bonaire CEO Miles Mercera, in a statement provided to Caribbean Journal. 

So what do New Yorkers need to know about the island? 

Well, the island found fame for its diving. What’s unique in Bonaire is that you don’t have to take a dive boat. Practically every dive site on the island is a shore diving spot, mean you can pull up your car right to the coastline, grab your tanks and jump in. (Most hard-core divers rent pick-up trucks for this purpose). 

If you’re not a diver, you can dive into a food scene that is among the best in the region. It’s topped by the Brass Boer, the Caribbean outpost of the three-Michelin-star Die Librije in Holland and one that has regularly found its way to the top of the 50 Best Restaurants in the Caribbean rankings. It extends to everything from food trucks (make sure you go for the lionfish burgers at Cactus Blue) to seafood spots like At Sea. 

What about hotels? 

We love the Harbour Village Beach Club, a resort we named Caribbean Hotel of the Year in 2023 and one that remains the island’s signature place to stay — including the best beach in Bonaire. Rates from $350 right now. 

There’s also the fun, sleek Delfins Beach Resort ($226), which, as we just reported, is joining the Hilton portfolio.

For a boutique stay, try the lovely Bamboo Bonaire, an adults-only hotel that’s all about wellness and serenity (Rooms starting at $226)

What about flight prices? You can book on JetBlue for as low as $555.24 for an itinerary in mid-November.