Cheap Bonaire vacation: how to keep your trip affordable without missing out

Bonaire is not a budget destination. Almost everything arrives on the island by ship or plane, and you notice that in the supermarket, at the car rental desk and on restaurant menus. A cheap Bonaire vacation is still possible. You need to know which levers to pull.

We live and work on the island, so we see every day how guests stretch their budget. Below are the choices that make a difference in practice. We don’t mention amounts, because prices change quickly. We don’t promise deals either, since those come and go. The principles last.

A cheap Bonaire vacation starts with your travel dates

The biggest saving often lies in when you travel. During the busy weeks, flights, accommodation and rental cars all go up in price at the same time, and there is less to choose from.

These are usually the busiest periods on Bonaire:

• Christmas and New Year, when many Dutch visitors and visiting relatives fly in.
• The winter months until roughly April, when Americans and Canadians escape the cold.
• Carnival, with the big parade through Kralendijk.
• Dutch school holidays, especially in May and during summer.

Outside these periods you have more choice and often pay less. The weather is no obstacle: Bonaire lies below the hurricane belt and stays warm and dry all year. In September and October the trade winds often ease off, so the sea on the west coast is extra calm. Divers and snorkelers benefit most. In our blog about the Bonaire low season, we explain which months we recommend.

One more tip for traveling to Bonaire on a budget: compare flights with flexible dates. Leaving a few days earlier or later sometimes saves more than you expect, though there are no guarantees.

Sleeping and eating: choose a kitchen over a resort

An all-inclusive resort may seem convenient, but you also pay for facilities you might barely use. With an apartment or vacation home that has its own kitchen, you eat breakfast on your terrace, pack lunch for the road and cook a few dinners yourself. On a cheap Bonaire vacation, that kitchen makes a big difference.

This matters most for families and groups. Take our Bon Bida Buriku apartment with a shared pool in Hato, for example. From this central neighborhood, you drive to Kralendijk, the large supermarkets and the coastal dive sites in a few minutes.

Shop smart for groceries

• Do one big shopping run at a supermarket like Van den Tweel or Warehouse Bonaire instead of small purchases every day.
• Compare store brands with imported brands. The price difference can be large.
• Drink tap water. On Bonaire it comes from purified seawater and is safe to drink.
• Bring a cooler on beach days, so you don’t have to buy drinks everywhere.

Eat like a local

Eating out is part of any vacation. Now and then, try a local snèk or food truck instead of a restaurant on the boulevard. That’s where you’ll find Bonairean classics such as stoba, keshi yena or pisca kriyoyo with funchi. Portions are usually generous and prices lower. In Rincon, Bonaire’s oldest village, there are also simple eateries where mostly locals eat.

Share your transport and head into the sea yourself

On Bonaire, you almost always need your own transport. Public transport is limited, and many beaches and dive sites lie outside Kralendijk. A rental car is a fixed cost, but one you can share.

• Traveling with friends or family? Rent one car or pickup together instead of two smaller cars.
• Divers often choose a pickup. Tanks and wet gear go in the back, and everyone sits inside.
• Never leave valuables in the car. Many divers even leave their windows open on purpose, so nobody needs to break one.

Then there’s the sea. Bonaire is world famous for shore diving. Along the coastal road, yellow stones mark the dive and snorkel sites, and you walk from the shore straight onto the reef. You don’t need a boat trip to see coral, parrotfish and sea turtles.

Bring your own snorkel set to save on rental. You also pay a nature fee for diving and snorkeling in the marine park. The website of STINAPA Bonaire, the organization that manages the national parks, lists the current rules and fees. For other diving costs, see our blog about dive prices on Bonaire.

What’s free on Bonaire (and that’s a lot)

Many of the island’s highlights cost nothing. A cheap Bonaire vacation doesn’t mean missing out.

• Flamingos from the road: drive past the salt pans in the south or to Gotomeer in the north. Keep your distance and park safely on the shoulder.
• The slave huts on the south coast, a piece of history beside the white salt mountains.
• Sunsets on the Kralendijk boulevard or from one of the west coast beaches.
• The view over Lac Bay and the mangroves near Sorobon.
• Seru Largu lookout, with a view over the island.
• The rugged northeast coast, where waves crash against the limestone.

Many beaches are also freely accessible, such as Te Amo Beach next to the airport, where planes fly low overhead. Bring a cooler with homemade sandwiches and a day like that costs almost nothing.

Our conclusion: Bonaire on a budget

A cheap Bonaire vacation comes down to a few choices. Travel outside the busiest weeks, pick accommodation with a kitchen, share your transport and explore the reef straight from the shore. The flamingos, the coastline and the quiet of the island are free.

Want to know which accommodation fits your budget? Send us an email or browse the accommodations on our website. We live on the island and are happy to help you plan a cheap Bonaire vacation.