Bonaire is known for its tranquility and beautiful nature. This doesn’t only apply to the underwater world, because above water there’s also plenty to discover. And what better way to do that than walking? This way you get to places that you couldn’t get to by car. 

The south of Bonaire, where the salt pans are located, is very flat. The further north you go, the hillier it gets. It’s in this hilly area where you can find several beautiful hiking trails. We’ll put the most beautiful walking routes on Bonaire in a row for you.

Before you hit the road 

Most hiking trails on Bonaire are well indicated with pink stones, so getting lost won’t easily happen. However, good preparation is important. The majority of the walking routes consist of unpaved paths with loose stones. The paths are often surrounded by cacti or other vegetation that aren’t very friendly to your bare feet. This is why it isn’t very convenient to walk these trails in flip-flops. So make sure you have good, closed walking shoes.

The best time to go hiking on Bonaire is in the early morning or late afternoon. You shouldn’t go out too late in the afternoon, you don’t want to be walking along a dark path with loose stones after sunset. And even if you’re not walking during the hottest moments of the day, sunscreen is a must! Some hiking trails offer hardly any shade. 

You should also make sure to have enough drinks (and something to eat) for on the go. You won’t come across any catering establishments while on the walking trails.

1. Dos Pos in Rincon

This beautiful, solid walk of about an hour starts at the well and windmill of Dos Pos, where there’s space to park your car. You follow the pink stones to where the path starts with a climb through wooded terrain. Soon you’ll arrive at a more open terrain, with beautiful views of the surrounding hills. The path consists largely of loose stones, and it’s bordered by many cacti. During this walking tour, you really get to see the rugged nature of Bonaire. 

After a while of walking, you get a view of the Goto lake. Loras and Cara Caras regularly fly in this area, so stop and look at the sky every once in a while, who knows, you might see them! Once you arrive at the street, turn left. You will then pass the starting point of the Montaña hiking trail. If you want to save this route for another time, just follow the street further and you’ll arrive back at the starting point.

2. Montaña hiking trail in Rincon

The starting point of this trail is also at the mill of Dos Pos. First, you have to walk a bit across the street, towards Gotomeer. Even before you reach Gotomeer, you’ll find a path with a pink stone on your left. This is the starting point of the walking trail. The first part you walk on a wide, unpaved trail. At the end of it you turn left, into the path with the pink stone. Montaña means mountain, and that’s what you’ll be experiencing from now on! 

A steep climb takes you to a somewhat flatter path. Here, you walk mainly in the shade under some vegetation. The last part of the path is tough, you have to climb a steep slope with loose stones to get to the highest point. Here you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful view of the Caribbean Sea and a view over a large part of the island! You walk back to the parking lot at Dos Pos taking the same path as before. This walk takes about 1,5 hours.

For sports enthusiasts,the Montaña hiking trail is easy to combine with the Dos Pos trail because you pass the starting point of this trail while walking the Dos Pos route. But you can also choose to only walk the Montaña route. 

3. Tras di Moñtana on Seru Largu

Seru Largu, the large cross that stands on top of the mountain, can be seen from far away. From there you have a beautiful view over the south side of the island of Bonaire. 

Recently, a new walking route has been made right next to the monument. This simple trail, which takes about 45 minutes, offers stunning views over the east coast and Tras di Moñtana. During this short and easy walk, you regularly come across goats, and the vegetation consists of a lot of Brazil trees. The trade wind, which almost always blows on Bonaire, provides the necessary cooling.

Do you want to make this route more challenging? That’s possible! Instead of parking your car at the starting point of the route on top of the mountain, park it at the foot of the mountain in the Nawati or Santa Barbara district instead! Via the sloping asphalt road, you walk to Seru Largu, which is a tough climb! This route is also a favorite with a lot of sporty locals. In the early morning or late afternoon, there are a lot of walking and jogging people here.

4. Bara di Karta walking route

With 15 minutes, this is the shortest route of all, but it’s definitely worth it. The starting point of this route is on the street, which has the same name as the route, at the well with a windmill: Pos Bara di Karta. In this predominantly flat part of Bonaire lies the hill of Bara di Karta with a height of 57 meters.

After a short climb over a path with loose stones, you reach the top of this hill. The view is beautiful; from here you can see Lac Bay, the salt pans and the East Coast. In a westerly direction, you can see Kralendijk and Klein Bonaire. Looking north you can even see the lighthouse of Spelonk with next to it the dilapidated house of the lighthouse keeper. In short, this is one of the most beautiful and easiest trails to reach on foot, with great viewpoints of Bonaire. 

5. Red Hill trail

The name of this approximately 1,5-hour walking route, only partially covers what you’ll see on the trail. During this trail, which is also in the Bara di Karta area, there is much more to see than just the Red Hill. 

The starting point of the trail is also on the Bara di Karta street. Pay close attention to the pink stone on the left side of the dirt road that marks the starting point, which is a bit before you reach the longest tree on Bonaire.

The route starts with your ascent of the Red Hill, a well-walked path with a slight gradient. Once on top of the Red Hill, you walk towards the water of Lagun. There you follow a part of the beach, and then after a short climb you reach the plain. You walk for a while along the rugged east coast of the island, there’s hardly any vegetation here. The waves crash on the rocks here, which is a spectacular sight to see. You walk to Boka Washikemba and via the longest tree of Bonaire back to the starting point of this trail.

Come and walk on Bonaire

Do you want to explore the beautiful island of Bonaire on foot? If you do, this is where you’ll find the best offers to the island! On foot you can see and experience so much more. Enjoy the beautiful nature of the island. Get to places you can’t get to by car. Be surprised by overflying loras or maybe you even come across a wild pig at Dos Pos! Don’t forget to bring your camera to capture all of the beauty!

Did you know that there are also beautiful walks in the Washington Slagbaai National Park? Read our extensive article about the three walking routes in the park. 

Tip: Don’t forget to book a rental car in advance. The walking routes listed above are not accessible by public transport. 

Tip: Do you want to take a refreshing dip in the sea after hiking? Simply pay the mandatory ‘nature fee’ online, for enjoying the sea around Bonaire. The funds benefit STINAPA Bonaire, which is responsible for the maintenance and conservation of the nature of Bonaire.