The East Coast of Bonaire: Washikemba, Bolivia, and Onima

The east coast of Bonaire is often overlooked by visitors. It’s the rugged side of the island. You can’t swim there, it’s a maze of poor, unpaved roads, and if you even have phone reception, Google Maps will fail you. Yet, you shouldn’t miss the eastern part of Bonaire during your vacation! Here, you can enjoy the power of the ocean crashing against the cliffs. You will traverse unique landscapes and discover countless hidden gems. Above all, you can enjoy the peace and quiet of Bonaire’s east coast. You can drive around for hours without encountering anyone!

Leave the beaten path with us and join the adventure on our tours on Plantation Washikemba, Bolivia, and Onima!

Plantation Washikemba

Plantation Washikemba is a small plantation on the east of Bonaire. Goats were primarily kept here, and aloe vera was cultivated. The old plantation house, Plantation House Washikemba, can still be admired. You can read more about the plantation era in our blog about The History of Bonaire. Besides the plantation huse, there are many more reasons to visit this diverse area during your vacation on Bonaire!

Boka Washikemba

Boka Washikemba is one of the many inlets on the eastern cliff coast of Bonaire. In the boka (mouth in Papiamentu), azure waves roll towards a small beach. It’s a beautiful spectacle to watch.

The Longest Tree of Bonaire

In the extension of Boka Washikemba stands The Longest Tree of Bonaire. It is indeed a very long tree! The boka acts as a wind tunnel, causing this white mangrove tree to grow not in height but in length.

Saliña Washikemba

Saliña Washikemba is a barren valley bordered by beautiful cactus forests and unique rock formations. At sunset, the red-brown soil takes on an even redder hue, with the cacti standing out sharply against the stunning skies. In the dry season, it is a dusty plain, but during the rainy season, many tourists find themselves stuck in the mud here.

The Natural Bridge Blowhole

The Natural Bridge Blowhole is one of the blowholes found in the Washikemba area. This geological feature is named after the blowhole of whales. When a strong wave hits the cliff, a column of water shoots up. With the right wave action, the water splashes many feet into the air!

The Most Beautiful Sunrise of Bonaire

The most beautiful sunrise on Bonaire can be found at Plantation Washikemba. Here, the first rays of the sun shine through the splashing water of Blowhole Washikemba , a feast for the eyes! Want to witness this for yourself? Ask us for an early start to the Gems of the East tour.

Punta Blanko

Punta Blanko is a desolate moonscape where few plants grow. This landscape is filled with large, mysterious rocks. During our excursions, we explain the fascinating history of how this plain was formed and how these rocks ended up here. There is also a beautiful cliff to be found. Moreover, this is one of the few places on Bonaire where you can encounter wild sheep.

The Red Hill Hike

On the Washikemba plantation, you’ll find an accessible yet diverse trail through a cactus forest, past a lagoon with mangroves, and across a barren coastal plain. Learn all about this Red Hill Hike in our blog on The Ten Most Beautiful Hikes on Bonaire.

Visit Plantation Washikemba

During our Mesmerizing Bonaire Island Tour, we make sure to show you as many different sides of the island as possible. So, Plantage Washikemba is definitely on our itinerary!

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You can also tour Plantation Washikemba in combination with Plantation Bolivia. Read on for more details!

Plantation Bolivia

Plantation Bolivia is the largest plantation on Bonaire. A long cliff separates the area into two parts. On the middle terrace, you’ll find a unique forest that is almost impenetrable. We explore the lower terrace of Plantation Bolivia, starting at Landhuis Boven Bolivia. Will you join us on an exploration of the Gems of the East?

Plantation House Boven Bolivia

You can find Plantation House Boven Bolivia (Upper Bolivia) in the southern part of Plantation Bolivia. The plantation house is situated on the middle terrace and used to overlook the lower terrace. There are two other ruins on Bolivia: Overseer’s House Beneden Bolivia (Lower Bolivia) on the lower terrace and Overseer’s House Midden Bolivia (Middle Bolivia), more centrally located. These buildings formed the heart of the plantation. This was the place where the workers reported and where many of the operations took place, such as the production of aloe oil, lime cement, and charcoal.

Lighthouse Spelonk

Lighthouse Spelonk proudly stands above the flat landscape of Plantation Bolivia. Next to this thirty-meter-high tower from 1910 is the dilapidated keeper’s house. The rough splashing seawater slowly but surely erodes the building. This is not the case for the lighthouse, which is well-maintained as it is still in operation.

In 2005, this lighthouse made the news when two bodies were found there. The Spelonk Murder Case developed into the largest judicial error of the Dutch Antilles, successfully brought to light by famous Dutch lawyer duo Geert-Jan and Carry Knoops.

Cave Spelonk

In the cliff between the lower and middle terraces, the sea left its marks a million years ago. One of those marks is Cave Spelonk, a sea cave that has become dry due to the fascinating Geology of Bonaire. Now you can simply walk into it. The roof of the cave seems to be supported by numerous thick columns.

The Spelonk Cave is the ideal place to admire The Bats of Bonaire. During the day, they rest on the cave’s ceiling. The quieter you are, the better you can observe them.

The Indian Drawings of Spelonk

Cave Spelonk was a sacred place for the Caiquetio Indians, the original inhabitants of Bonaire. Here, they made offerings to the spirits to keep them favorable. The Caiquetios adorned the walls and ceiling of the cave with numerous religious symbols. These Spelonk Indian drawings have been preserved all this time!

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Boka Spelonk

Boka Spelonk is a small inlet in the cliffs of the east coast of Bonaire. It’s a beautiful spot to visit during your exploration of Plantation Bolivia, where you can dream away as the azure blue waves roll in.

Sinkhole Spelonk

The lower terrace of Plantation Bolivia was formed in the sea over 200,000 years ago. The substrate consists of fossil stony corals that have been compressed into a limestone layer. Sea and rainwater found their way into the many cracks and cavities in the limestone, leading to the formation of the hundreds of caves that Bonaire is known for. Sinkhole Spelonk was once such a cave until its roof collapsed. Now, it is a unique circular depression in the landscape. This type of sinkhole is also known as a doline.

Visit Plantation Bolivia

Our Gems of the East Tour is a stunning off-road adventure through Plantations Washikemba and Bolivia. Far from the crowds, this excursion allows you to fully enjoy the ruggedness, vastness, and tranquility of Bonaire’s east coast.

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Plantation Onima

Plantation Onima is located quite far north on Bonaire’s east coast. It is a small plantation, but the entire coastal strip between the plantation and the old wall of Plantation Washington is worth exploring. Here, you can enjoy the rugged east coast of Bonaire, find various bokas, barren plains, beautiful cactus forests, and many traces of the rich History of Bonaire.

Boka Pamper

Hidden behind the old wall of Plantation Washington is Boka Pamper, a small but spectacular boka. Pamper is Papiamentu for Permit, a type of mackerel found in the waters around Bonaire. The sea crashes with great force onto the cliffs. You can find the photo of Boka Pamper at the top of this blog. At this boka, you will also find a spectacular view along the rugged coast of this part of Bonaire.

The Morotin Plain

We continue our exploration with the Morotin Plain. This plain stretches from the old plantation wall of Washington to Boka Onima. The landscape is barren along the coast, with barely any plants growing in these salty conditions. Further inland, you will find beautiful cactus forests and the cliff of the middle terrace.

Twelve windmills tower above the Morotin Plain. They once supplied 30% of Bonaire’s electricity needs. Today, that’s only a small part, as Bonaire is rapidly developing.

Playa Grandi

Playa Grandi is one of the few places on Bonaire’s east coast without cliffs. It’s a long beach, full of driftwood, bamboo, and unfortunately, plastic. If you can overlook that, it’s a beautiful place to visit. The waves roll in gently for east coast standards.

Piedra Bonaire

Halfway across the Morotin Plain, you suddenly encounter two enormous rocks. This spiritual place is called Piedra Bonaire, the Bonaire Rock. The rocks seem out of place in this otherwise flat landscape. Piedra Bonaire is the birthplace of Bojnaj, child of Mother Earth and the first Bonairian. This place is attributed with purifying and healing powers. By performing a special ritual, you too can spiritually become a child of the island. However, this requires some flexibility!

When Bonairians move abroad, they take some sacred soil from this place with them. If misfortune strikes, the soil can be placed under the pillow of their deathbed. This way, Bonairians can die on their beloved homeland even when abroad.

Boka Onima

Boka Onima is the only inlet on the east coast of Bonaire that you can drive through with your car. It requires a bit of courage! In the inlet, you’ll find a sandy beach with some driftwood logs. The view from one of the cliffs is also definitely worth it. The rolling waves are a spectacular sight!

The Kaomati

In the inland of Boka Onima lies a special hill: The Kaomati. This is one of the sacred places of the Caiquetios, the original inhabitants of Bonaire. Besides indian drawings, this tribe has left behind many geographical names and words.

Hike: Climbing the Kaomati

You can climb the Kaomati during a beautiful and versatile hike. The last part is a thrilling challenge. You’ll scramble over large rocks and climb the final cliff using two wooden ladders. Afterward, you’ll be rewarded with a fantastic view of Bonaire’s east coast. This hike is poorly marked, but the guide from HopiBonaire knows the way. Are you up for the challenge? Contact us here !

Other hikes can be done on your own. Learn all about them in our blog series Hiking on Bonaire.

The Onima Indian Drawings

At Plantation Onima, you will also find a collection of beautiful Indian Drawings from the Caiquetios. The Caiquetios roamed all over Bonaire for hunting and gathering, but they chose the east coast as their residence. Here, they could find sufficient drinking water. The most important sites of these Indian Drawings are all found along the east coast of Bonaire. However, the Caiquetios also decorated their offering places with drawings at other locations, such as Boka Druif.

Visit Plantation Onima

The northern part of Bonaire is beautifully diverse, but you certainly shouldn’t miss out on this stunning section of the east coast! During our Magical North Tour, you explore all the well-known northern tourist spots like 1000 Steps, Lake Goto, and Rincon. But HopiBonaire offers more! Along the way, we also take time to explore hidden gems, including the treasures of Plantation Onima.

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The kunuku of Bonaire

On the east coast of Bonaire, you will also find a large part of the kunuku, the rural area of Bonaire. This area is set up for agriculture. Agricultural activities on the island mainly take place around the rainy season. Only then is there enough rain to provide the plants with water. Irrigating with drinking water is too expensive, and the groundwater on Bonaire is too salty. Rainwater is therefore carefully retained with dams and in small ponds. This way, crops can still be irrigated for a while after the rainy season. Dam Grandi is the most well-known dam. Even at the end of the dry season, there is a freshwater pond behind the dam. Unfortunately, we find fewer and fewer of these places on Bonaire, as many dams are poorly maintained.

The somewhat brackish groundwater is suitable for livestock drinking water. Therefore, keeping animals is viable on Bonaire. Livestock farmers get the water from the pos, the well. On the well stands a windmill that pumps up the groundwater. As you drive through the kunuku, you will come across many of these wells. In the rural area of Bonaire, mainly goats are kept. This is often done by people who live permanently in the kunuku, or by retirees who drive from Kralendijk daily to take care of their animals.

Besides being an agricultural area, this region has another important function. On weekends, the people of Bonaire retreat to the kunuku to enjoy the outdoors. Many families have their own piece of land where they meet on weekends. On this piece of land, there is often a simple house, a canopy, or a sea container that serves as shelter from the sun or rain. Such a shelter is also called a kunuku.

Life on the kunuku is entirely back to basics. The area is not connected to water or electricity. Many small farms have a large water tank that is filled once a week by the drinking water company. Solar panels are used to generate some energy, for example, to run a small refrigerator and to have some lighting in the evening. Furniture from the good house in town often gets a second life on the kunuku when it becomes worn out. There, it is used up completely. Life on the kunuku is simple but very cozy!

Exploring the East Coast of Bonaire

To safely explore the east coast of Bonaire, you need good knowledge of the local roads and conditions. Google Maps does not cover the east of Bonaire, and you often have no mobile reception there. Parts of Washikemba, Bolivia, and Onima are less accessible or even completely impassable after periods of rainfall. Without the necessary experience in off-road driving, you can easily get stuck in the mud. Therefore, it is advisable to explore Washikemba, Bolivia, and Onima during a guided tour. This way, you can fully enjoy the beautiful landscapes of the east and the hidden gems mentioned above.

If you still want to explore the east coast on your own, please consider the following:

• Explore these areas only with a good pick-up truck or other 4×4 vehicle, with at least half a tank filled.
• Ensure reliable offline navigation.
• You must be an experienced off-road driver.
• Be prepared to change a tire if you get a flat and make sure you can maneuver yourself if you get stuck.
• Know the phone numbers for emergencies.
• Gather information from a local familiar with the current situation in the areas you plan to visit.
• Bring more than enough food and water for your adventure.
• Bring pruning shears to clear the way. This will help prevent car paint damage.
• Stay focused and don’t hesitate to turn back if you encounter difficulties.

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Touring with HopiBonaire

For those who want to explore the east of Bonaire without worries, booking one of the tours with HopiBonaire is the best option. You’ll tour through desolate landscapes from one beautiful spot to another. During our excursions, we can visit all the highlights mentioned above. Venturing off the beaten path, we’ll encounter few other people, making your excursion in the east of Bonaire a unique experience. Along the way, the guide will tell you all about the area you’re driving through, bringing the surroundings to life even more! Moreover, you set the pace during your excursion. Bonaire cannot be explored hastily!

HopiBonaire is not the kind of off-road company that drives open jeeps “to make your experience even more rugged.” With HopiBonaire, you explore the east of Bonaire in comfort. You’ll be chauffeured in a modern pick-up truck with powerful air conditioning. The guide will teach you how to minimize shaking while off-roading. At the most beautiful spots, we set up camp to enjoy the surroundings more extensively. And enjoying is certainly better with a snack and a chilled drink from the wide range we carry during our excursions. With HopiBonaire, you explore Bonaire in style!

Book your comfortable exploration tour through the east of Bonaire with HopiBonaire now and discover the hidden gems of Plantation Washikemba, Bolivia, and Onima!

Visit Plantation Onima during The Magical North Tour:

Visit Plantation Washikemba and Bolivia during The Gems of the East Tour:

During our Island Tour, we cannot skip the East Coast. Visit Plantation Washikemba during the Mesmerizing Bonaire Island Tour:

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