{"id":1698146,"date":"2026-11-03T11:01:51","date_gmt":"2026-11-03T10:01:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/?p=1698146"},"modified":"2026-11-03T11:01:51","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T10:01:51","slug":"harbours-bonaire-kralendijk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/segelmagazin\/haefen-bonaire-kralendijk\/","title":{"rendered":"Harbours on Bonaire: Kralendijk, Getting There, Harbour Information and Sailing Destinations"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Bonaire lies in the southern Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela, and the berths for visiting yachts are in Kralendijk, the main town on the west coast: at Harbour Village Marina and at the mooring field off the town. Here you can read how to get from the airport to Kralendijk, where the berths are, where to shop and park, what the sailing weather is like, which sailing destinations are nearby and what skippers need to bear in mind in the marine park.<\/p>\n<h2>The essentials at a glance<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Bonaire has an international airport with direct flights from Amsterdam, Miami, Newark, Atlanta, Houston and Toronto, among others, as well as from Cura\u00e7ao and Aruba. There is a taxi rank and there are car hire companies at the terminal.<\/li>\n<li>Yachts berth either at Harbour Village Marina on the northern edge of Kralendijk or at one of the visitor buoys in the bay off the town. Anchoring is prohibited throughout the marine park around the island.<\/li>\n<li>Visitors pay an entry tax of 75 US dollars from the age of 13 and 10 US dollars for children up to 12, plus the Marine Park nature fee of 40 US dollars per calendar year for everyone aged 12 and over who goes into the water (as of November 2026). The currency is the US dollar.<\/li>\n<li>The trade wind blows moderate to fresh from the east all year round. Bonaire lies on the southern edge of the hurricane belt; tropical storms are possible from June to November, but they rarely hit the island directly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Where are the berths on Bonaire?<\/h2>\n<p>On Bonaire, visiting yachts berth in Kralendijk: at Harbour Village Marina, a sheltered harbour basin on the northern edge of the town. To the south, in the open bay off the town centre, is the mooring field off Kralendijk with visitor buoys. The two are closely linked, as the marina also looks after the mooring field. There is also the smaller Plaza Marina at the Plaza Resort.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Feature<\/th>\n<th>Harbour Village Marina<\/th>\n<th>Mooring field off Kralendijk<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Location<\/td>\n<td>Harbour basin on the northern edge of Kralendijk<\/td>\n<td>Open bay off the town centre<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Berths<\/td>\n<td>60 berths for yachts up to 150 feet, one pier for megayachts<\/td>\n<td>Visitor buoys for visiting yachts up to 18 metres<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>berthing<\/td>\n<td>Alongside, stern-to the pier or Mediterranean-style at the promenade<\/td>\n<td>On a buoy with your own line, anchoring prohibited<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Login<\/td>\n<td>Harbour office, VHF channel 12<\/td>\n<td>Before use, at customs and at Harbour Village Marina<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Electricity and water<\/td>\n<td>Yes, 127\u2013130 volts and 230\u2013240 volts at 50 hertz<\/td>\n<td>no<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Fuel<\/td>\n<td>Diesel and petrol<\/td>\n<td>At Harbour Village Marina<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>Arriving for the start of your sailing trip in Kralendijk<\/h2>\n<h3>From the airport to Harbour Village Marina<\/h3>\n<p>The airport's official name is Bonaire International Airport, and it is also known as Flamingo Airport. There are direct flights from Amsterdam, Atlanta, Houston, Miami, Newark and Toronto, as well as from Barranquilla, Santo Domingo, Sint Maarten and the neighbouring islands of Cura\u00e7ao and Aruba (as of November 2026). From other countries you will need to change flights, for example via Amsterdam, one of the US cities or Cura\u00e7ao.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1698086\" src=\"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/toernfinder-bonaire-kueste-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Houses on the coast of Bonaire\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/toernfinder-bonaire-kueste-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/toernfinder-bonaire-kueste-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/toernfinder-bonaire-kueste-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/toernfinder-bonaire-kueste-16x12.jpg 16w, https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/toernfinder-bonaire-kueste-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/toernfinder-bonaire-kueste.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The easiest way to reach the harbour is by taxi. The taxi rank is on the left as you leave the terminal. Give the driver the full name, \"Harbour Village Marina\". Car hire companies have desks right at the airport, and their cars are kept in a separate car park.<\/p>\n<h3>By hire car<\/h3>\n<p>On Bonaire, a hire car is handy if you want to explore the island before or after your sailing trip, for example the national park in the north or the lagoon in the east. For Washington Slagbaai National Park, a car with high ground clearance is advisable; golf carts, quad bikes and scooters are not allowed there.<\/p>\n<h3>Entry tax and nature fee<\/h3>\n<p>Two charges are payable for a stay on Bonaire. The entry tax is US$75 per person aged 13 and over and US$10 for children up to 12. It is best paid online from seven days before your trip; at the airport you can only pay by card, not in cash. The QR code is valid for one month from arrival, and during that time you can re-enter without paying again, for example after a trip to Cura\u00e7ao.<\/p>\n<p>The nature fee for the Bonaire National Marine Park must be paid by every visitor who goes into the sea, including for swimming or snorkelling. It costs US$40 and is valid for the calendar year from January to December, and also covers Washington Slagbaai National Park. Children under 12 and residents of the Dutch Caribbean islands are exempt.<\/p>\n<h3>Parking<\/h3>\n<p>Harbour Village Marina has its own car parking. Another car park is about 300 metres away on Kaya Gob. N. Debrot. A hire car is handy for your first shopping trips in town, as the supermarkets are a good kilometre away.<\/p>\n<h3>Toilets<\/h3>\n<p>Harbour Village Marina has shower and toilet facilities and a laundry that charges by weight.<\/p>\n<h3>Shopping for the trip<\/h3>\n<p>The nearest supermarket to Harbour Village Marina is Kadeshi, about 1.1 kilometres away. Other shops are in Kralendijk, between 1.3 and 1.6 kilometres from the marina: Hamacan Minimarket, Zhung Kong Supermarket, Wiing Cheung Supermarket and Top Supermarket. For a big shop with lots of water and drinks, it is best to take a hire car or taxi. You can get ice and propane gas right at the marina, as well as diesel and petrol.<\/p>\n<h3>Doctor, pharmacy and emergency services<\/h3>\n<p>The nearest pharmacies are Botica Bonaire, about 1.6 kilometres from the marina in town, and Botica Sabana, about 2.2 kilometres away. There are doctors' surgeries in Kralendijk, about 1.5 kilometres from the marina, including Centro M\u00e9dico Central, Primary Care Caribbean and Bonaire Medisch Centrum. Fundashon Mariadal hospital has an emergency department.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>911 or 112: general emergency number and police<\/li>\n<li>912: ambulance<\/li>\n<li>919: Fire brigade<\/li>\n<li>913: coastguard<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Where is Harbour Village Marina?<\/h2>\n<p>Harbour Village Marina is on the northern edge of Kralendijk on the west coast of Bonaire. The harbour basin lies inland, within the Harbour Village resort. The town's supermarkets, pharmacies and doctors' surgeries are around 1.1 to 1.6 kilometres away.<\/p>\n<p>The marina is also the point of contact for yachts at the mooring field: this is where they check in and pay for the buoy. The marina also has a dinghy dock.<\/p>\n<h3>Facilities at Harbour Village Marina<\/h3>\n<p>The marina has 60 berths for yachts up to 150 feet and a berth for superyachts. At Piers A and B, yachts lie alongside or between other boats, at the Lighthouse Pier they moor stern-to, and along the promenade they moor Mediterranean-style. There is a separate rate for catamarans up to 25 feet in beam. Shore power is available at 127 to 130 volts and 30 amps, as well as at 230 to 240 volts and 50 amps, both at 50 hertz. There are also fresh water, Wi-Fi, security, car parking, a laundry, ice, propane gas, diesel and petrol, and a pump-out facility.<\/p>\n<p>Alongside at Piers A and B, yachts of 40 to 64 feet pay US$1.40 per foot per day, with lower rates for weekly and monthly stays, plus 6 per cent tax (as of November 2026). The berthing fee is paid in advance, with a credit card held as security. Departure is by 12 noon.<\/p>\n<h2>Where is the mooring field off Kralendijk?<\/h2>\n<p>The mooring field is in Kralendijk Bay, directly off the town centre, south of Harbour Village Marina. The park authority STINAPA has laid around 50 visitor buoys here for visiting yachts. You can recognise them by their two-coloured marking, as opposed to the yellow dive-site buoys along the coast.<\/p>\n<p>Because anchoring is prohibited in the marine park and nobody may stay overnight on the public buoys, visiting yachts lie at these visitor buoys outside the marinas. The town centre is right on the shore opposite, and diesel, water and a laundry are available at Harbour Village Marina.<\/p>\n<h3>How do the visitor buoys work?<\/h3>\n<p>The visitor buoys are intended only for visiting yachts up to 18 metres in length. Before your first night, you check in with customs and at Harbour Village Marina. You may stay on the buoy for as long as your residence permit is valid. Commercial activities are not permitted at the visitor buoys. You do not make fast directly to the buoy but with an additional line of your own, and you cross the field slowly in the dinghy.<\/p>\n<h2>What is the sailing weather like on Bonaire?<\/h2>\n<p>Bonaire lies in the dry zone of the southern Caribbean. All year round, the trade wind blows moderate to fresh from the east.<\/p>\n<p>The hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November and is most active from August to October. Bonaire lies on the southern edge of the Atlantic hurricane belt, and direct hits are rare. If hurricanes pass further north, however, they can bring high waves, heavy rain and gusts. The weather service issues graded warnings of rough seas and strong winds. For tropical storms it publishes bulletins, from advance information to warnings when storm conditions are expected within 36 hours.<\/p>\n<h2>Which sailing destinations are near Bonaire?<\/h2>\n<p>From Kralendijk, the neighbouring islands of Cura\u00e7ao and Aruba lie to the west, that is, downwind with the easterly trade wind. The islands of the Lesser Antilles, by contrast, lie to the east, against the trade wind.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Klein Bonaire: The uninhabited island lies directly opposite Kralendijk, only 800 metres off Bonaire at its narrowest point. It is part of the marine park. At the public buoys there, you may moor for a maximum of two hours; overnight stays are prohibited.<\/li>\n<li>Cura\u00e7ao: The neighbouring island lies west of Bonaire and is the nearest larger sailing destination.<\/li>\n<li>Aruba: Further west still lies Aruba, the third of the so-called ABC islands.<\/li>\n<li>Coast of Venezuela: The South American mainland lies south of Bonaire.<\/li>\n<li>Lesser Antilles: To the east and northeast lie the Windward Islands, such as <a href=\"\/en\/sailing-magazine\/port-louis-marina-st-georges\/\">Grenada<\/a> or <a href=\"\/en\/sailing-magazine\/martinique-le-marin-marinas\/\">Martinique<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What can you do on a harbour day on Bonaire?<\/h2>\n<p>A harbour day on Bonaire revolves around the water and the island's nature. For destinations outside Kralendijk, you will need a hire car.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Terramar Museum in Kralendijk: Housed in one of the few surviving historic buildings in the town centre, the museum covers 7,000 years of the history of the Caribbean and Bonaire.<\/li>\n<li>Klein Bonaire: You can reach the uninhabited island opposite the town by dinghy for snorkelling and swimming.<\/li>\n<li>Snorkelling along the coast: The dive and snorkel sites are marked with yellow stones on land and with yellow buoys bearing the site's name on the water. Because of a coral disease, you need to disinfect your snorkelling and diving equipment before its first use and after its last use on Bonaire.<\/li>\n<li>Washington Slagbaai National Park: The park in the northwest covers 4,286 hectares and in 1969 was the first nature reserve in the Netherlands Antilles, home to parrots, flamingos and iguanas. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 8 am to 5 pm, with last admission at 2:30 pm.<\/li>\n<li>Lac Bay: The shallow lagoon on the east coast has the largest mangrove forest in the Dutch Caribbean.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>For skippers: Registration, mooring and marine weather on Bonaire<\/h2>\n<p>On Bonaire, yachts berth at Harbour Village Marina or at visitor buoys. Anchoring is prohibited in the marine park, and fixed maximum speeds apply.<\/p>\n<h3>Responsible authorities<\/h3>\n<p>Bonaire belongs to the Netherlands. Customs Caribisch Nederland is responsible for the control of goods, and the Koninklijke Marechaussee for border control of persons. The island administration checks whether buoys are being used correctly and whether anyone is anchoring, while the coastguard checks ship's papers and the number of people on board. You can reach Harbour Village Marina on VHF channel 12; the harbour office is staffed Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm and Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm.<\/p>\n<h3>Harbour rules in the marine park<\/h3>\n<p>The Bonaire National Marine Park covers all waters around Bonaire and Klein Bonaire from the high-water line down to a depth of 60 metres. The following rules apply to yachts:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Anchoring is prohibited. The only exceptions are small traditional fishing boats of up to 4 metres.<\/li>\n<li>The maximum speed in the marine park is 10 km\/h, and 5 km\/h in mooring fields. Pass boats moored to a buoy at a distance of at least 50 metres.<\/li>\n<li>You may use public buoys (yellow or blue) for a maximum of two hours at a time, only for boats of up to 13 metres and moored by the bow. Overnight stays are prohibited there.<\/li>\n<li>In the dark, always stay seaward of the buoys in the deep blue water.<\/li>\n<li>Water skiing and other water sports behind the boat are prohibited in the marine park.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Which marine weather forecast applies on Bonaire?<\/h3>\n<p>The responsible body is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meteo.cw\/forecast_marine.php?Lang=Eng&amp;St=TNCC&amp;Sws=R11\">Meteorological Department Cura\u00e7ao<\/a>, which also covers Bonaire. Every morning it issues a marine weather forecast for the waters around Cura\u00e7ao, with the new one published at 10:15 UTC. It includes the weather situation, wind in Beaufort, knots and km\/h, visibility and wave height. There is also a multi-day forecast for the southern Caribbean between 68 and 72 degrees west, the area in which Bonaire lies. Warnings of rough seas, strong winds and tropical storms appear at the very top of the website.<\/p>\n<h2>Sailing trips from Bonaire on T\u00f6rnfinder<\/h2>\n<p>You can find sailing trips that start on Bonaire or stop off here at <a href=\"\/en\/cabin-charter-caribbean\/\">Sailing in the Caribbean<\/a>. You can find all offers by date and sailing area under <a href=\"\/en\/sailing-trips\/\">Trips<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>How do I get from Bonaire airport to Harbour Village Marina?<\/h3>\n<p>The easiest way is by taxi; the taxi rank is on the left in front of the terminal. You can pick up a hire car right at the airport, and the marina has its own car parks.<\/p>\n<h3>Where do yachts moor on Bonaire?<\/h3>\n<p>In Kralendijk, either at Harbour Village Marina on the northern edge of town or on a visitors' mooring buoy in the bay off the town centre. Anchoring is prohibited in the marine park around the island.<\/p>\n<h3>Do I have to pay a nature fee on Bonaire?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, every visitor aged 12 or over who goes into the sea pays 40 US dollars per calendar year. The fee covers the marine park and Washington Slagbaai National Park.<\/p>\n<h3>Where can I buy provisions for my sailing trip in Kralendijk?<\/h3>\n<p>The nearest supermarket is around 1.1 kilometres from Harbour Village Marina, with others in town 1.3 to 1.6 kilometres away. For a big shop, a hire car or taxi is handy.<\/p>\n<h3>Am I allowed to anchor off Bonaire?<\/h3>\n<p>No, anchoring is prohibited throughout the marine park. Overnight you moor at Harbour Village Marina or on a visitors' buoy off Kralendijk, after checking in with customs and at the marina.<\/p>\n<h3>When is the hurricane season on Bonaire?<\/h3>\n<p>From 1 June to 30 November, with the most activity from August to October. Bonaire lies on the southern edge of the hurricane belt and is rarely hit directly, but storms nearby can bring heavy swell.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wie du vom Flughafen nach Kralendijk kommst, wo Yachten in der Harbour Village Marina und am Bojenfeld liegen, wo du einkaufst und wie das Segelwetter ist.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":1698083,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_tf_mag_toernhinweis":"karibik","footnotes":""},"categories":[536],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1698146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviere-haefen","category-536","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1698146","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1698146"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1698146\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1698153,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1698146\/revisions\/1698153"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1698083"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1698146"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1698146"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1698146"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}