The "B" of the ABC Islands ("A" = Aruba, "C"
= Curacao), Bonaire is one of the Caribbean's
least tourist-developed and least visited larger
islands, yet it is, both on land and under the
sea, one of the Caribbean's most
striking.
Bonaire is located 30 miles
from Curacao; 50 miles north of Venezuela and 86
miles east of Aruba, outside of the Caribbean
hurricane belt. The island is a mere 24 miles
long by 3-7 miles wide
Bonaire's early
years were not ones of prosperity. Her
inhabitants were mostly convicts from other
Spanish Colonies in South America. The only
permanent settlement was the village of Rincon,
located far inland where it was thought to be
safe from marauding pirates. In those years,
development was discouraged in favor of the
richer, more productive colonies.
The
name Bonaire is thought to have originally come
from the Caiquetio word 'Bonay', a name that
meant low country. The early Spanish and Dutch
modified its spelling to Bojnaj and also
Bonaire. The French influence while present at
various times never was strong enough to make
the assumption that the name means 'good air'.
Regardless of how the name came about, the
island remained as a lonely outpost until
1526
In 1633, the Dutch took possession
of Curacao, Bonaire and Aruba. The largest
island, Curacao, emerged as a center of the
notorious slave trade. Bonaire then became a
plantation island belonging to the Dutch West
Indies Company. It was during those early years
that the first African slaves were forced to
work, cutting dyewood and cultivating maize and
harvesting solar salt. Grim reminders of those
days still remain in the form of slave huts and
salt pans which were laboriously constructed by
hand. They are an important part of the island's
heritage and have been left to stand mute
testimony to Bonaire's repressive
beginning.
Until 1816, ownership of
Bonaire changed hands a number of times, finally
being returned that year to the Dutch as a
result of the Treaty of Paris. A small fort,
Fort Oranje, was built to protect the island's
main resource, salt. Salt was one commodity that
Bonaire had in endless supply, although it took
back breaking slave labor to produce it. In the
early days of the industry, the most important
use for salt was in the preservation of food,
since refrigeration was still centuries
away.
By 1837, Bonaire was a thriving
center of salt production. The government, who
by then controlled the industry, built four
obelisks, each painted a different color, red,
white, blue and orange (the colors of the Dutch
Flag and the Royal House of Orange). They were
erected strategically near areas of the salt
lake. The idea was to signal ships where to pick
up their cargoes of salt. A flag of the
corresponding color was raised atop a flagpole,
thus signalling the ship's captain where to drop
anchor. Three of the obelisks can still be seen
today.
The abolition of slavery in 1863
signaled an end to the era of exploitation of
those first Bonaireans. It was almost a hundred
years later that the salt industry was
revitalized. Today it is a division of Cargill,
Incorporated, one of the largest businesses in
the world. It also was during this time that the
island began to attract visitors.
Tourism
was born when the island government constructed
the first ship's pier in the harbor. It allowed
cruise ships to tie up alongside the wharf and
discharge passengers. It also made it easier to
bring in goods and supplies for the island's
residents. Hotels began to spring up and cater
to the early visitors who enjoyed the
tranquility of Bonaire. In 1943, the
construction of a modern airport south of
Kralendijk made it even easier for tourists to
reach the island
It was the sea that
first earned the island it's reputation as a
prime diving and snorkeling destination
,consistently one of the world's top 10. One
reason for this is that Bonaire, surrounded by
fringing reefs, hosts abundant excellent
reef-diving spots that are accessible a few feet
from the shore.
February brings all the
carnival activities: Carnival – Tumba Festival,
Carnival Youth Rincon Parade, Carnival Youth
Playa Parade in Kralendijk, Carnival Adult
Parade in Rincon, then the major Carnival Parade
on the 26th of Feburary.