A shore thing in Bonaire

Deco stops
Some evening, stop off for a fresh wahoo pizza and a slice of frozen margarita pie to go from Pasa Bon Pizza & Bar just north of Kralendijk, and head south to watch the sunset at the 19th-century slave huts, a stark reminder of how Bonaire’s white gold was mined — crawl inside one and try to stretch out. Just across the street in the open marshes is the Flamingo Sanctuary where you can see flamingos in the morning and at dusk (but stay on the road; the sanctuary is closed to humans). Decompress on your last day at the Lac Bay mangrove forest, four miles southeast of Kralendijk. The Mangrove Info Center Bonaire offers one- and two-hour guided kayak tours through this aquatic maze for $25 for a one-hour tour or $43 for a two-hour tour.

The guide to Bonaire

Average water temperature: summer 84°F; winter can drop into the upper 70s

What to wear: 3-5 mm suit; forgo pocket fins for booties (almost all the dives are shore dives from rugged ironshore or stony beaches) 

Average visibility: 100-plus feet 

When to go: The diving is good year-round; November to January is the wet season.

Must do
Rent a car and drive to the very northern tip of the island to visit Washington Slagbaai National Park, where the land wrinkles up into dusty, cactus-spiked hills and flamingos can be seen wading the briny pools (bring the receipt from your Bonaire National Marine Park pass). Bring along a mountain bike (Buddy Dive Resort rents them for $10 a half day or $15 for a full day) and patrol the narrow dirt roads winding through the park. Keep your eyes peeled for wild donkeys and the endangered prikichi — a Caribbean parakeet — one of 130 avian species that reside here.

Must dive
Hilma Hooker: This 236-foot cargo freighter was sunk for divers in 1984 and has become a brilliantly colored canvas for reef life. While it is accessible from shore, this dive is most easily done by boat.

Oil Slick Leap: Enter this site with a 5-foot giant-stride off the ironshore to the right of a wooden deck (where your only exit, a ladder, is located). The mooring is in 28 feet of water, and it’s an easy dive with lots of pretty gorgonians — a great spot to learn fish species.

Monte’s Divi, Klein Bonaire: Just off the mainland, this dive offers the best of Klein Bonaire with plenty of fish and sponges.

Salt Pier: Probably the most famous dive on Bonaire, for good reason. The pillars supporting the pier are dressed in fantastic sponges and are home to all sorts of fish and invertebrates; night dives here are particularly rewarding. Your dive outfit will be able to arrange for the required permission and dive guide. (Diving is prohibited when ships are docked.)

Rigged & ready
SCUBAPRO 5 mm Molded Sole Boots: Lightweight and flexible, these booties are suitable for various settings, including shore diving.  scubapro.com

SeaLife Digital Pro Flash: This flash (shown with SeaLife DC600 Digital Camera) helps capture underwatersplendor. sealife-cameras.com

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