Bonaire: Where the Flamingos Outnumber the People and Your Feet Are Always Wet

If you love scuba diving, donkey traffic jams, and wearing flip-flops to literally every event, welcome to paradise.

Bonaire is a tiny Dutch Caribbean island where the official sport is finding a yellow painted rock, pulling over on the side of the road, and running towards the ocean with at least one diving tank on your back. There isn't a single traffic light on the entire island, mostly because the local wild donkeys haven't learned how to read them anyway.

Between flamingos looking mildly offended by your presence, endless coral reefs right off the shore, and a wind so constant it double-checks your hairstyle every five seconds, Bonaire is wonderfully laid-back. Just remember: shore diving here is amazing, but lugging heavy scuba tanks over sharp ironshore rocks in 90-degree heat will make you question all of your life choices—at least until you hit the water.

March, 2026
September, 2024