45.0°,
Partly Cloudy Bonaire: A Diver's Paradise
Posted
It was ideal because it was the undeveloped island that had clear blue waters and an abundance of sunshine. There was one hotel, built by Bill Miller, the father of former New York Times reporter Judith Miller, and a tiny patch of grass that a very dedicated landscaper was desperately trying to cultivate. Now this island, once considered useless by the Spanish conquerors in 1500, is not only known for year-round sunshine and low annual rainfall but is a premier destination for the avid scuba divers and snorkelers.
Bonaire, together with Curacao and Aruba, is one of five islands known as the Netherlands Antilles or more commonly known as the ABC Islands. Its first inhabitants were the Caquetios Indians, a branch of the Arawak who came by canoe from Venezuela. The Caquetios were apparently very tall, so the Spanish name for the ABC Islands was Las Islas de los Gigantes or The Islands of the Giants.
In 1526, when Juan de Ampues was appointed Spanish commander of the ABC Islands, the Spaniards thought Bonaire could be used as a cattle plantation. The Dutch came to the island in 1623 with the formation of the Dutch West India Company. Ships used Bonaire to obtain meat, water and wood. When Curacao emerged as a center of slave trade, Bonaire became a plantation for the Dutch West India Company. During the Napoleonic wars, the Netherlands lost control of Bonaire twice but gained it back as a result of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814. However, it remained a plantation until slaves were freed as part of the Emancipation Regulation.
I learned that the population gradually became dependent on two private landowners and many inhabitants were forced to move to Aruba, Curacao and Venezuela. During World War II and the German occupation of the Netherlands, Bonaire became a protectorate of Britain and the United States. After Germany invaded the Netherlands on May 10, 1940, many Dutch and German citizens were interned in a camp on Bonaire for the duration of the war. As a matter of fact, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Eleanor Roosevelt visited the troops on the island. After the war, the airport was converted for civilian use and the internment camp became the first hotel on Bonaire.
Today, this hotel, now known as part of the Bonaire Seaside Apartments, is one of several resorts offering visitors the opportunity to walk out on the beach and dive into the ocean. My family enjoyed a dive right out of our room after dinner. When they came back, we were greeted by what appeared to be a 100-year-old turtle that was practically the size of our room. In addition, my granddaughter Maris also enjoyed following the flocks of flamingos as she tried to play in the luscious white sand at the beach.
Even the sea life on Bonaire has made the island a prime coral formation with the most thriving marine population in the Caribbean. While the rest of my family enjoyed the sea life first hand, I enjoyed the view from a delightful glass bottom boat tour. In addition to being on of the world's recognized scuba and snorkeling destinations, there is a plethora of land eco-friendly activities. They include kite boarding, mountain biking, hiking, bird watching, horseback riding and nature tours.
In addition to the accolades, Bonaire has received the Islands Magazine/Caribbean Tourism Organization 2008 Sustainable Tourism Award and has been designated as having the healthiest reefs in the Caribbean by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the past year. The island has also been a mecca for its delightful seafood cuisine, which I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
For additional information, contact your favorite travel professional or Tourism Corporation Bonaire in the U.S. at 1-800-BONAIRE.
Copyright by Marcia Abramson
Bonaire, together with Curacao and Aruba, is one of five islands known as the Netherlands Antilles or more commonly known as the ABC Islands. Its first inhabitants were the Caquetios Indians, a branch of the Arawak who came by canoe from Venezuela. The Caquetios were apparently very tall, so the Spanish name for the ABC Islands was Las Islas de los Gigantes or The Islands of the Giants.
In 1526, when Juan de Ampues was appointed Spanish commander of the ABC Islands, the Spaniards thought Bonaire could be used as a cattle plantation. The Dutch came to the island in 1623 with the formation of the Dutch West India Company. Ships used Bonaire to obtain meat, water and wood. When Curacao emerged as a center of slave trade, Bonaire became a plantation for the Dutch West India Company. During the Napoleonic wars, the Netherlands lost control of Bonaire twice but gained it back as a result of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814. However, it remained a plantation until slaves were freed as part of the Emancipation Regulation.
I learned that the population gradually became dependent on two private landowners and many inhabitants were forced to move to Aruba, Curacao and Venezuela. During World War II and the German occupation of the Netherlands, Bonaire became a protectorate of Britain and the United States. After Germany invaded the Netherlands on May 10, 1940, many Dutch and German citizens were interned in a camp on Bonaire for the duration of the war. As a matter of fact, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Eleanor Roosevelt visited the troops on the island. After the war, the airport was converted for civilian use and the internment camp became the first hotel on Bonaire.
Today, this hotel, now known as part of the Bonaire Seaside Apartments, is one of several resorts offering visitors the opportunity to walk out on the beach and dive into the ocean. My family enjoyed a dive right out of our room after dinner. When they came back, we were greeted by what appeared to be a 100-year-old turtle that was practically the size of our room. In addition, my granddaughter Maris also enjoyed following the flocks of flamingos as she tried to play in the luscious white sand at the beach.
In addition to the accolades, Bonaire has received the Islands Magazine/Caribbean Tourism Organization 2008 Sustainable Tourism Award and has been designated as having the healthiest reefs in the Caribbean by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the past year. The island has also been a mecca for its delightful seafood cuisine, which I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
For additional information, contact your favorite travel professional or Tourism Corporation Bonaire in the U.S. at 1-800-BONAIRE.
Copyright by Marcia Abramson
Report an inappropriate comment
Comments