JUNE

June 1-September 30: Summer-Long Photo Contest – Compete for prizes with other Bonaire visitors by uploading your best photos taken between June 1 and September 30!

June 1-September 30: Soldachi Tours in Rincon – The Rincon Village Tour includes a visit through the culture, history and architecture of the Village, including Kas Krioyo, a 100+ year old house. $15 per person. Nature walks in Rincon include taste and surroundings. $20 per person. Historic bus trips through Rincon include a visit through culture, nature and architecture. $20 per person. For more information email wilmari@bonairelive.com.

June 1-September 30: Horseback Riding – Admire Bonaire's beautiful landscaping on horseback. Morning and afternoon trail rides last four hours and includes visits to a flamingo nesting site, the mangrove forest and a beach for a swim with the horses (bring swimwear and a towel). Tours are daily at 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and price is $120 per person for groups of two minimum and five maximum. Visit www.horsebackridingbonaire.com for more information.

June 1-September 30: Telerin Car Rental Dive Into Summer Special – Telerin Car Rental is offering all double cab pickup trucks with air conditioning for only $45 (all inclusive) per day! Mention the Dive Into Summer Special when you make your reservation by calling 011-599-9-516-3001 or email telerin@bonairelive.com.

June 1-September 30: Snorkel Into Summer with Windwood Cruises – Guided sail and snorkel tours Sunday through Friday include sailing, snorkeling, guiding, instruction, lunch, snacks and drinks (including adult beverages). Just bring a towel and Windwood provides the rest! Prices start at $45. Guided night snorkels available on request. Call for a free snorkel lesson. More information available at 011-599-786-5055 or visit www.windwoodbonaire.com.

June 1-30: Bonaire Wellness Month – Join Bonaire Wellness Connexions in a celebration of health and fitness. Activities will include group fitness activities, outdoor activities, stability ball and core exercises, stretching techniques, Mr. & Ms. Wellness competition and an awards ceremony. For more information visit www.bonairewellness.com.

June 1: Bonaire Wellness Connexions Challenge Race – Mountain Bike Race starts at 4 p.m. For more information visit www.bonairewellness.com.

June 1: 39th Anniversary of Washington Slagbaai National Park – Enjoy free admission to the Park, entrance to the houses at Slagbaai, guided hikes on three different walking trails, special activities for children, a bar at the Terrace with live band music and food and drinks available for purchase at the Marshe de Rincon.

June 8: Jong Bonaire 6th Mini Fun Triathlon – A fun activity for teenagers, for more information call 011-599-717-4303 or email at franklinveeris@hotmail.com.

International Year of the Reef Week, June 21–28: Sand Dollar Condominiumswill host this week focusing on Bonaire's role as a world leader in marine conservation. The week will feature dives and seminars with Jan and Alexandra Cousteau of EarthEcho International; REEF fish count dives and snorkels with Bonaire's own naturalist Jerry Ligon; interactive workshops with Bryan Dias from the Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL); and a parade and food festival in the center of town at Wilhelmina Park. For more information about Sand Dollar Condominiums, visit www.sanddollarbonaire.com. For more information including the full schedule of events click here.

June 22: A Taste of Bonaire – Experience food, culture, local handicrafts and all things Bonairean at this festival located in the center of town at Wilhelmina Park from 6-9 p.m.

June 22: Kayak Tour Around Klein Bonaire – This unique challenge event has been planned with the intention of exercising and exploring Bonaire's nature at the same time. Distance around Klein Bonaire is 12.8 km and the tour itself is about 14 km long. Participants will start paddling from Eden Beach Resort heading down towards east part of Klein Bonaire. The 14km trip will be made counter clockwise and there will be boats to provide support in case is needed. A couple of stops have been planned for those who would like to take a break and re-hydrate. Participation Fee: $15 per person and includes drink, fruits and boat support. More information at www.bonairewellness.com.

June 29: Bonaire Wellness Month Closing Ceremony – A BBQ celebration hosted by Bonaire Wellness Connexions. More information at www.bonairewellness.com.


JULY

July 6: Annual Bonaire Arts Day – Put on by the Bonaire Art Foundation, "Fundashon pa Arte i Kultura di Bonaire," since 1993, this event also known as the Dia di Art, Bonaire Arts day gives artists the opportunity to showcase their handmade arts and crafts, as well as local music and dance. Initiated to promote local artists to the Bonaire community, the event will take place from 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. at Wilhelmina Park. For more information visit www.bonaireart.org.

July 6-12: Starboard Women's Windsurf Week – Learn under the expertise of two phenomenal sailors, Petra Kanz and Beth Powell Winkler. Both highly skilled instructors will teach this Women only clinic for beginners and intermediate sailors. Past students have found a women only environment allows a comfortable learning situation. The setting in Bonaire is near perfection with shallow, see to the bottom warm water. Our package includes: airport meet and greet, free on island Concierge Service and a welcome cocktail party. You will have a windsurf orientation meeting with your instructor and then 3 days of lessons geared for women. Also available on site are spa services by Luna Massage. There will be guided nature hikes, snorkel trips and opportunities to learn to scuba dive. For those who are keen on learning to kite, instruction is available by an IKO Kite Instructor. $385 for the three day clinic (July 9-11). Gear rental is additional. Rooms start at $65 a night. Cars start at $176 per week. Taxes and insurance not included. Please email Ann at ann@bonairewindsurfing.com for more details. She can arrange special programs for your children or non-sailing partner so please call 800-219-0118.

July 12: Underwater Clean-Up – Dive Friends Bonaire, together with NetTech, N.V., organizes and sponsors the quarterly Bonaire Underwater Clean Up Dive. On each Clean Up Dive, a different area of Bonaire's coastal reefs or beaches is selected and any trash which has not become part of the reef is collected.

July 19-26: Scuba Diving Magazine Week – Join Scuba Diving staffers for a fun-filled week of diving, dive trivia quizzes, contests and more! For more information click here.

July 25: A Taste of Bonaire – Experience food, culture, local handicrafts and all things Bonairean at this festival located in the center of town at Wilhelmina Park from 6-9 p.m.

July 27-August 3: Pro Kids World Freestyle Windsurfing Competition – Be a spectator or participant at this exciting annual event. Find out how by visiting www.prokidsfreestyle.com.


AUGUST

August 1: A Taste of Bonaire – Experience food, culture, local handicrafts and all things Bonairean at this festival located in the center of town at Wilhelmina Park from 6-9 p.m.

August 9-16: Fish ID Challenge – Hosted by Sand Dollar Condominiums and Bonaire Dive & Adventure, the First Annual Fish ID Challenge includes: multimedia fish ID seminars, guided dives with the Naturalist, printed guide of the top 100 species found on Bonaire, ReefNet Inc. H2YO noisemaker, Reef fish interactive DVD, introduction to conducting Reef surveys, prizes for the most fish "ID'd," video reviews highlighting unusual fish behavior and dive tanks! $100 per week for Sand Dollar guests, $150 per week for all others. Advanced registration is required prior to June 15. For more information call 800-288-4773 or email usreservations@sanddollarbonaire.com.

August 16-23: Fish ID Challenge – Hosted by Sand Dollar Condominium Resort and Bonaire Dive & Adventure, the First Annual Fish ID Challenge includes: multimedia fish ID seminars, guided dives with the Fish ID experts Patti & Scott Chandler of ReefNet, Inc and Bonaire Dive & Adventure Naturalist Jerry Ligon, a printed guide of the top 100 species found on Bonaire, ReefNet Inc. H2YO noisemaker, Reef fish interactive DVD, introduction to conducting Reef surveys, prizes for the most fish "ID'd," video reviews highlighting unusual fish behavior and dive tanks! $100 per week for Sand Dollar guests, $150 per week for all others. Advanced registration is required prior to June 15. For more information call 800-288-4773 or email usreservations@sanddollarbonaire.com.


SEPTEMBER

September 1-30: Buddy Dive Welcomes Ned & Anna DeLoach – Join Ned & Anna DeLoach all month long at Buddy Dive giving presentations on marine life, leading boat dives and giving snorkeling tours in the mangroves.

September 6: Bonaire Day (Dia di Bonaire) – Bonaire Day, which commemorates Amerigo Vespucci's arrival in Bonaire in 1499, includes activities held at Wilhelmina Park in Kralendijk, Bonaire's capital city, and around the island. Celebrating the Bonairean people and their history, on this legal holiday visitors and local residents gather in the Park to enjoy folkloric dancing, music, art and local food. Throughout the day local dignitaries from the government and the community address the participants with stories of the Bonairean people and history. As part of the celebrations a 5 km Bonaire Day Fun Run will also take place.

September 19: A Taste of Bonaire – Experience food, culture, local handicrafts and all things Bonairean at this festival located in the center of town at Wilhelmina Park from 6-9 p.m.

September 20-27: Love Our Planet Week – Features above and below water cleanups, interactive seminars and other conservation activities. Plus, the results of the International Year of the Reef Ecology Project will be announced at the end of the week!

September 20: Underwater Clean-Up – Dive Friends Bonaire, together with NetTech, N.V., organizes and sponsors the quarterly Bonaire Underwater Clean Up Dive. On each Clean Up Dive, a different area of Bonaire's coastal reefs or beaches is selected and any trash which has not become part of the reef is collected.

September 27: Bonaire Wellness Connexions Mountain Bike Tour – For riders of all levels of experience. Starts at 3:45 p.m. For more information visit www.bonairewellnes.com.

September 27-October 4: Wounded Warriors Dive Certification Trip – Veterans wounded in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan will travel to Bonaire with their families to become certified divers.


About International Year of the Reef
Bonaire is hosting International Year of the Reef Week June 21–28. Sand Dollar Condominiums will host this week focusing on Bonaire's role as a world leader in marine conservation. The week will feature dives and seminars with Jan and Alexandra Cousteau of EarthEcho International; REEF fish count dives and snorkels with Bonaire's own naturalist Jerry Ligon; interactive workshops with Bryan Dias from the Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL); and a parade and food festival in the center of town at Wilhelmina Park. For more information about Sand Dollar Condominiums, visit www.sanddollarbonaire.com. For more information including the full schedule of events click here.