Bonaire Is a Haven for Diving, a Buzzing Food Destination and a World-Class Windsurfing Spot. And It’s Getting Even More Popular.  

The snorkeling. The windsurfing. The diving. The lionfish burgers at Cactus Blue. Bonaire is a very unique island, with a colorful, quirky personality that’s, well, been catching on with travelers in the last two years. In a big way.

And tourism to Bonaire saw a solid lift in March, with stayover arrivals rising 7.8 percent year-over-year to 19,594, according to preliminary figures released by Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB). The gain reflects stronger demand from key source markets, including the Netherlands and the U.S.

Dutch visitors led the way, accounting for 40 percent of total arrivals, or 8,228 travelers. U.S. tourists followed at 33.2 percent, with 6,514 arrivals. Curaçao, Canada, and Germany rounded out the top five source markets.

The composition of U.S. visitors skewed toward couples and solo travelers, with vacation (53.5 percent) and diving (32.6 percent) listed as primary travel motivations. Nearly half stayed in hotels (48.2 percent), followed by villas (16.4 percent) and apartments (8.1 percent). New York, Florida, California, Texas, and Pennsylvania were the top U.S. states of origin. The 55–64 and 45–54 age cohorts comprised the bulk of American travelers to the island.

Dutch travelers also favored hotels (47.4 percent), with notable shares staying in apartments (15.3 percent) or with relatives (11.1 percent). Most came from South Holland, North Holland, North Brabant, Gelderland, and Utrecht, and were primarily between the ages of 45 and 64. Vacation was the main draw (69.1 percent), with 10.7 percent citing visits to friends and family.

The data underscores Bonaire’s growing appeal across core European and North American markets, as well as its continued reliance on the leisure travel segment.

Are you heading to Bonaire? If you’re planning a trip, we love the Bamboo Bonaire hotel, the island’s top boutique hotel with some of our favorite rooms on the island (go for the ones with the private magnesium pools in the patios). Rooms start at just $199.20 per night, and $263.20 per night if you want the private pool. 

The vast majority of hotels on the island are really condominium hotels, meaning you get residential amenities and apartment-style layouts. We love Bamboo; if you want something a bit bigger with more amenities, the newly-rebranded Delfins Beach Resort, which is now a Hilton-portfolio hotel, might be a more realistic choice, particularly if you’re traveling with kids (Bamboo is adults-only). Even better? Prices start at just $185 per night. (And did we mention it’s home to the Brass Boer, Bonaire’s world-renowned eatery?)

What about flight prices? 

There aren’t a ton of options but you can fly American from Miami for $618 roundtrip, nonstop right now, according to Google Flights. 

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