Kralendijk

Kralendijk is Bonaire's capital, a small waterfront town with pastel-coloured Dutch colonial buildings. The pier puts you right in the centre, steps from Kaya Grandi, the main shopping street with boutiques and cafés. Bonaire's real draw is underwater: the island is surrounded by a marine park with some of the healthiest coral reefs in the Caribbean, and shore diving is possible from dozens of marked sites along the coast. The salt flats on the southern end of the island have pink-tinged water and historic slave huts from the colonial era, alongside flocks of flamingos. Washington Slagbaai National Park covers the northern tip with hiking trails, rugged coastline, and wildlife. Windsurfing and kiteboarding conditions at Lac Bay are world-class. The currency is the US dollar (Bonaire is a special municipality of the Netherlands). Dive shops and rental cars are easy to arrange from town.