Bonaire Cruise Port Guide: How to Explore the Island on Your Own

Bonaire's cruise pier sits right in the center of Kralendijk, the island's small and colorful capital. Step off the ship and you're in town within minutes. The question is: what do you do with your day? Here's an honest overview of your options, from a local.

What's within walking distance

Right across from the pier is Wilhelmina Plaza. On cruise days, local artisans set up a market there with crafts, art and local food. From the plaza you can stroll along the waterfront boulevard, with cafés, shops and views of Klein Bonaire, the small uninhabited island just off the coast.

If you just want a relaxed morning in town, you don't need any transport at all. But the best of Bonaire lies outside Kralendijk: the pink salt pans and flamingos in the south, the turquoise water of Lac Bay in the east, and the snorkel spots along the west coast.

Your options to see more of the island

• Taxi: taxis wait near the pier. Bonaire uses fixed government rates instead of meters. Good for one destination, but the costs add up quickly if you want to make several stops.
• Water taxi to Klein Bonaire: boats leave from near the cruise pier throughout the day, for about $25 per person return. Perfect for a beach and snorkel day, but you only see Klein Bonaire.
• Organized excursion: cruise lines sell guided 4x4 tours of the island. A typical tour takes about three hours and costs around $80 per person.
• Golf cart: popular and fun for short distances, but limited in range and not allowed on every road. We compared them in Golf cart, scooter or car on a Bonaire cruise day?
• Your own car: the most freedom. You decide where to stop and for how long.

What does it cost? An example for 4 people

• Guided 4x4 excursion: 4 × about $80 = around $320, for roughly three hours, on a fixed route.
• Our Jeep Wrangler for the day: $[X], for the whole day, wherever you want to go. Add a big cooler box with ice ($10) and snorkel sets ($2 each) and your beach day is sorted.

For a family or a group of friends, your own car is usually the cheapest way to see the most.

How it works with Spare Keys

Lynden meets you at the pier with the keys, gives you a few tips, and you're off. At the end of the day, you drop the car back at the pier at least [1 hour] before all-aboard. No counter, no queue. Read more in Cruise stop: renting a Jeep at the pier.

Where to go in one day

Bonaire is small: you never drive more than about 45 minutes in one direction. A popular loop takes you south to the Salt Pier, the salt pans and the flamingos, then east to Lac Bay for lunch and a swim, and back via Rincon, the island's oldest village. The full route with times is in One day on Bonaire by car.

Love snorkeling? Read Best snorkeling near the Bonaire cruise port.

Good to know

• Nature Fee: to snorkel or swim at the reef, cruise passengers pay a STINAPA Nature Fee of $10. Visiting Washington Slagbaai National Park also costs $10 for cruise passengers. Check stinapa.org for the latest rates.
• Currency: Bonaire uses the US dollar.
• Driving: on the right, no traffic lights, plenty of roundabouts. See Driving on Bonaire.
• Time: keep a buffer. The ship won't wait.