Caribbean Resort Home > Caribbean Vacation Tips and Information > Caribbean Vacation Destination

Caribbean Vacation Destination

Choosing a Caribbean vacation destination can be frustrating. By the time most people really need a vacation, they are yearning for warm breezes, sunny days, dreamy afternoons on the beach, soft tin drums, and the smiling people of the tropics. By then, the Caribbean IS the destination, and anywhere will do. But there are dozens of gorgeous islands dotting the Caribbean, each enticing in their own way, and there are so many places of interest, so many activities, so many places to stay, and so many ways to enjoy it all. The staff at Harbour Village Beach Club Bonaire will tell you, and you should listen, that choosing a Caribbean vacation destination isn't about the Caribbean, it's about you.

Before you get too frustrated, close your eyes and imagine all the words that describe you--as you want to be--on vacation in the Caribbean. The words should flow through your mind like Frigate Birds soaring on the trade winds: unhurried, relaxed and then more relaxed, feeling settled in an unspoiled place, fascinated, engaged, living well among unforgettable people. Peace of mind. Find the place where you can have all that--become that person--and you will have discovered the right Caribbean vacation destination for you. But save yourself the search. The staff and guests at Harbour Village already know the answer: the Island of Bonaire.

One of the so-called 'ABC' islands in the Dutch Antilles, Bonaire has avoided the development and more hurried life of its sister islands, Aruba and Curacao. Only about five percent of the island is developed at all. With a population of only 13,000, Bonaire has only two population centers, Kralendijk (pronounced 'Crawl-en-dike' but locally called "Playa", meaning "beach")--and Rincon. Aside from five small villages, that's it.

The people of Bonaire have made the difference. Devoted to their homeland and to their family life, they set aside 100% of their coastline in the 1970's, from the high water mark to the 200 foot depth contour, as the Bonaire National Marine Park, and nearly 25% of their land mostly in the Washington Slagbaai National Park on the northern coast. Ever since, they've been careful to monitor development on the island.

All together, over 170 species of birds are found in Bonaire at one time or another, including heron, osprey, frigate birds, cormorants, and others. Pink Flamingoes breed in only four places and Bonaire is one of them; they live there in the tens-of-thousands feeding on brine shrimp and larvae found in the salt ponds to acquire their pinkish hue. Seeing them float above the white salt flats at sunset is truly unforgettable.

Scuba divers choose Bonaire as their Caribbean vacation destination, as well, to dive at over 80 top-rated sites in waters that are crystal clear because the island is well off the path of storms and hurricanes (which also means you can come anytime and not have to worry about a hurricane season). Over 355 species of fish have been counted by researchers in the waters around Bonaire and groves of stoney corals like Fire, Elkhorn, Massive Starlet, and Boulder Brain corals are common. In 2005, readers of Scuba Diving Magazine rated Bonaire Top Caribbean Dive Destination for the third year in a row in addition to Top Marine Life, Top Shore Diving, Top Snorkeling, and Top Destination for Underwater Photography, and Top Destination For Beginner Diving.

Windsurfers come to Bonaire to skim along the surface of Lac Bay, one of the Caribbean's premier windsurfing locations due to its protected waters, steady trade winds, and average daily temperature of 82 degrees.

The Harbour Village Beach Club is nestled on the western shore of Bonaire providing gracious accomodations in Club Suites and Premier Villas to visitors arriving by boat or plane. It's located within minutes of Flamingo Airport, and the Harbour Village Marina provides anchorage (not permitted in the Marine Park), chandlery supplies, full-service, and fine dining at four restaurants and bars. The club is footsteps away from top diving sites and offers a Great Adventures program for divers, sailers, and kayakers.

Flights from New York, Newark, Atlanta, and Miami to Aruba connect by Air Aruba to Bonaire's Flamingo Airport, and from Europe, ALM and KLM both fly from Amsterdam several times a week. Airlines serve Bonaire out of Caracas, Curaçao, Aruba, Jamaica and St Maarten, as well.

You can open your eyes now, but we're willing to bet you'll see the Caribbean in a whole new light.

Click on the links below to find out more about Caribbean vacations :