There is evidence that humans lived on Bonaire , around the Lac Bay area , as early as 3,000 years ago. These people lived primarily from resources found in the sea and the surrounding mangroves at Lac, such as fish, shellfish, crabs, birds and iguana’s. About 1,500 years ago the first arawak Indian people arrived on Bonaire apparently from Venezuela. They also lived around the Lac Bay area which provided them landing places for canoes and sufficient food. Sorobon, at the south of the Bay was the site of a large conch shell work station. These conch provided food and the shells of the conch were used as tools. The arawak people have lived around the bay until the arrival of the Europeans about 500 year ago.

Bonaire has long been recognized as an ideal location for the production of salt. For over 3 centuries, the island’s culture and prosperity was dependent upon this most important of the world’s spices. As you drive to the south of the island, along the airport and through Belnem, you will see the big piles of salt waiting to be transported to South America or the USA. With that, you will see the traditional slave huts, which were for the African slaves, working in the salt industry. This wasn’t easy life and 4 men often occupied these huts. Go inside these huts yourself and see how the slaves used to live.

Bonaire has been having convicts from Spanish colonies, Indians from South America, settlers from Europe and African Slaves for centuries and these different origins blended until what is now the Bonairean population. However, the Dutch had difficulties remaining it their island and it swapped a few times from owner. That is why the language is also a mixture of Indian, Spanish, Portuguese, English and Dutch.

 

Due to the Treaty of Paris of 1816, the island was returned to the Netherlands and the small Fort Oranje was erected to guard against future attacks. It housed the island’s commander until 1837, when it became a government depot and then a prison. Later, in 1868, a small lighthouse was built near Fort Oranje.

Although it lacked many of the resources that made other Caribbean colonies prosperous, Bonaire did have one precious commodity in great abundance – salt, which was a necessary ingredient for preserving meat and fish before refrigeration. By 1837 Bonaire’s salt production had grown so large that four obelisks were built near the Salt Lake to guide ships coming in to load. The obelisks were painted red, white, blue, and orange (the colors of the Dutch flag and the Royal House of Orange) and a flag of one of the four colors would be raised high atop a flagpole to direct ships to the appropriate pan. These obelisks can still be seen on the south coast of the island.

With the end of slavery, the Salt industry declined and many left to surrounding islands and countries and Bonaire was facing poverty. However, projects begun to rebuild the island as good as possible. The airport was built in 1936.

Bonaire however took the challenge to increase tourism and it worked. With one of the most beautiful reefs, Bonaire is ideal for shore diving.

But still, Bonaire has much more to offer…