Washington-Slagbaai Tour
Full-day tour, 8-9 hrs.
The Washington-Slagbaai National Park is best experienced on an excursion. Hiking, climbing, photography, snorkeling, birdwatching, visiting the museum, and above all enjoying the natural beauty the park has to offer make this private tour versatile and unforgettable. During this fully catered day tour, we tailor the itinerary to your wishes, interests, and pace. Want to go hiking or snorkeling? The guide will join you so you can experience the park even more intensely.
All the famous highlights
You will visit all the well-known highlights of the Washington Slagbaai National Park, such as:
- Landhuis Washington
- Saliña Matijs
- Playa Chikitu
- Seru Grandi with the Suplado Blowhole
- Boka Kokolishi
- Lighthouse on Seru Bentana
- Boka Katuna
- Playa and Saliña Funchi
- Playa Wayaka
- Boka and Saliña Slagbaai
But HopiBonaire goes further with unique places and experiences. You will find those below.
Unique places and activities
Hiking with your guide
Want to start the day with a varied hike? During the Lagadishi Hike (2.5 mi, 4 km) you will spend the cooler hours of the day in the heart of Bonaire’s nature. Along the way, you will visit places hardly anyone goes and learn all about this rugged area. Highlights include:
A cactus forest
A barren eastern coastal plain
The Lagadishi Blowhole
Playa Chikitu
Saliña Matijs with flamingos
Snorkeling with your guide
Prefer to spend the hottest part of the day in the water? The park offers spectacular snorkeling! Your guide will take you to the most beautiful spots of Wayaka, including areas few others get to see.
Not into hiking or snorkeling?
Wewill gladly adjust the itinerary to suit you better, with locations or activities that match your interests:
Extra birdwatching stops at Pos Mangel or Put Bronswinkel
A visit to Boka Chikitu, Malmok, Playa Bengé, the observation tower, and/or the museum
Customize your tour
Take a look at the options to customize your day.
Special experiences
A tour with HopiBonaire is so much more than just a drive:
- A wonderful adventure with your own group: Your tour is completely private.
- A unique tour including a hike and guided snorkel trip.
- You decide the itinerary. Want to hike, snorkel, or go birdwatching? It’s your day!
- Excellent care with a full lunch, fresh fruit, snacks and drinks of your choice, plus breaks at breathtaking spots.
- With our binoculars you can see special birds and lizards up close, and as a lasting memory we take beautiful close-up photos especially for you.
- During snorkeling, your guide also takes underwater photos for you.
- Alongside extensive attention to nature, history, geology and culture, you will be surprised with interesting facts and background stories that bring Washington-Slagbaai to life.
- You travel in a clean, comfortable truck with air conditioning.
- You enjoy in complete peace: Tour at your own pace and escape the crowds when possible.
Sharing Island Love
Want to know more about how we do things? You can learn more about it here.
Extensive tour description
With HopiBonaire you discover the impressive Washington-Slagbaai National Park on a private tour, tailored by your guide to match your pace and interests. You travel comfortably in an air-conditioned truck and enjoy the tranquility of the park. Along the way we take time for breaks at beautiful spots, and you enjoy a full lunch, fresh fruit, snacks, and drinks of your choice. Afterward we send you stunning close-up and underwater photos, a lasting memory of your day.
Washington-Slagbaai National Park
You explore a park that covers almost one fifth of Bonaire, more than enough to keep you busy for a full day. Washington and Slagbaai were once plantations, and you can still see traces of that past in old buildings and ruins. Today nature has taken over, offering a wide range of landscapes where you come face to face with flamingos, parakeets, pelicans, iguanas, and other wildlife. With binoculars you see them up close.
If you are a bird lover, Pos Mangel and Put Bronswinkel are a must. In the dry season you can see countless species flutter by.
The rugged east coast
The route begins along the untamed east coast, where the raw power of the sea is on full display. You see deeply carved bays, towering cliffs, and barren plains. In this dramatic landscape, the Suplado Blowhole creates a spectacular show as water shoots high into the air. At the lighthouse on Seru Bentana, a sweeping view marks your farewell to the wild sea.
The calm west coast
On the calmer west coast you find green valleys, photogenic bays, sandy beaches, and inland lakes filled with flamingos and other waterbirds. Here you enjoy a full lunch by the water. The day ends at the picturesque Boka Slagbaai, once the harbor of the Slagbaai plantation. In the shade of one of the many trees, we raise a glass to an unforgettable day. The return journey takes you through the rolling green hills of Bonaire’s countryside.
Want to hike?
Walking gives you an even deeper connection with the park’s landscapes and wildlife. The Lagadishi Trail (2.5 mi / 4 km) is one of the most diverse hikes on the island. It leads you through striking cactus forests and over bare coastal plains. Along the way you encounter traces of the past, a dramatic blowhole, a bay with sand dunes, and a mangrove area. The trail ends with a view over Saliña Matijs, where large flocks of flamingos gather.
If this hike feels too long or not challenging enough, you can customize your tour with a different walk or another way to start your day.
Want to snorkel?
At midday, Playa Wayaka is the perfect place to cool off. With your guide you discover the best spots on the reef, swimming past schools of colorful fish, exploring diverse coral formations, and uncovering hidden corners of the reef, all away from the crowds. While you explore, your guide captures your snorkeling adventure on camera.
Not a fan of snorkeling? Playa Wayaka is also a wonderful spot for swimming or just dipping your toes in the water.
More information and photos?
Check out our Blog about Washington-Slagbaai!
Highlights
Guided snorkel
Guided hike
Birdwatching at Pos Mangel
Boka Kokolishi
Seru Bentana
Wayaka 2
Iguana at Playa Funchi
Seru Grandi
Flamingo in Saliña Slagbaai
Customize your tour
Would you like to make your adventure even more unique? With the customizations below you can give your tour a personal touch. The extra cost can be found in the price overview.
The Wasao Hike
Customize your tour with the 1.2 mi (2 km) Wasao Hike! This relatively easy trail takes you a little over half a mile up to the 400 ft (125 m) summit at the edge of the national park. There you are rewarded with one of the most beautiful panoramas on Bonaire. You look out over Lake Goto with its flamingos, the Brandaris, Plantation Slagbaai, and the famous ochre-yellow houses of Boka Slagbaai. Here we take time for a cup of coffee so you can fully enjoy this unforgettable view.
The Brandaris Hike
Customize your tour with the 2.5 mi (4km) Brandaris Trail! This challenging hike takes you a little over 1.2 miles (2 km) up to the 791 ft (241 m) summit, the highest point on Bonaire. Along the way you already encounter fantastic viewpoints, but the most exciting part comes later when you scramble over rocks using both hands and feet. At the top the reward awaits: the widest panorama of Bonaire. A strenuous climb, but an experience you will never forget.
Visit the Entire North
For those who prefer to start the day with a scenic drive to the park, you can customize this tour with a visit to the highlights of the north. You travel along the spectacular Queen’s Highway past 1000 Steps, the Love Bridge, and Plantation House Karpata. You also pass Lake Goto, where flamingos are often right next to the road, and explore historic Rincon with its Catholic church and Mangazina di Rei. After your park visit, you can choose whether you want to stop at a viewpoint overlooking Rincon, or enjoy a panorama of Kralendijk and the southern tip of the island.
Dive into the Earliest History
For history enthusiasts, the visit to Slagbaai can be customized with places that tell the oldest stories of Bonaire. At Piedra Boneiru, a striking rock formation, you meet the mythical first inhabitant Bojnaj, born from Mother Earth. The rock paintings of Onima take you to the island’s actual first inhabitants: the Caiquetios, a prehistoric tribe who decorated their sacred sites with religious symbols in red and black pigments. Along the way you will also see the Kaomati, a sacred hill that continues to capture the imagination.
The Wasao Hike
Customize your tour with the 1.2 mi (2 km) Wasao Hike! This relatively easy trail takes you a little over half a mile up to the 400 ft (125 m) summit at the edge of the national park. There you are rewarded with one of the most beautiful panoramas on Bonaire. You look out over Lake Goto with its flamingos, the Brandaris, Plantation Slagbaai, and the famous ochre-yellow houses of Boka Slagbaai. Here we take time for a cup of coffee so you can fully enjoy this unforgettable view.
The Brandaris Hike
Customize your tour with the 2.5 mi (4km) Brandaris Trail! This challenging hike takes you a little over 1.2 miles (2 km) up to the 791 ft (241 m) summit, the highest point on Bonaire. Along the way you already encounter fantastic viewpoints, but the most exciting part comes later when you scramble over rocks using both hands and feet. At the top the reward awaits: the widest panorama of Bonaire. A strenuous climb, but an experience you will never forget.
Visit the Entire North
For those who prefer to start the day with a scenic drive to the park, you can customize this tour with a visit to the highlights of the north. You travel along the spectacular Queen’s Highway past 1000 Steps, the Love Bridge, and Plantation House Karpata. You also pass Lake Goto, where flamingos are often right next to the road, and explore historic Rincon with its Catholic church and Mangazina di Rei. After your park visit, you can choose whether you want to stop at a viewpoint overlooking Rincon, or enjoy a panorama of Kralendijk and the southern tip of the island.
Dive into the Earliest History
For history enthusiasts, the visit to Slagbaai can be customized with places that tell the oldest stories of Bonaire. At Piedra Boneiru, a striking rock formation, you meet the mythical first inhabitant Bojnaj, born from Mother Earth. The rock paintings of Onima take you to the island’s actual first inhabitants: the Caiquetios, a prehistoric tribe who decorated their sacred sites with religious symbols in red and black pigments. Along the way you will also see the Kaomati, a sacred hill that continues to capture the imagination.
After heavy rainfall, Slagbaai remains closed.
Alternative Tour when the Park is Closed
Even if Washington-Slagbaai remains closed after heavy rainfall, you’re in good hands with HopiBonaire. In that case, we offer you a fully-fledged alternative off-road tour through the diverse nature of Bonaire.
Similar to the park, during our alternative tour, we visit a blowhole, a plantation house, a boka, stunning sea views, cliffs, and the rugged eastern coastal plains. You’ll also learn about the geology and history of Bonaire. As a bonus, you’ll visit the indian drawings! The guided snorkeling tour will also proceed as planned. That’s the power of HopiBonaire!
Alternative tour after heavy rainfall.
Our Reviews
At HopiBonaire, it’s all about you as a guest. We do our utmost to make you feel happy so you and your company can fully enjoy the beauty that Bonaire has to offer.
And it’s appreciated! We are proud of the 5.0 stars on Google Reviews. Read here how others experienced their tour to Washington-Slagbaai.
Since it’s a private tour, the day was relaxed. Bas adjusted to our pace. No rushing, no “be back at the car in 5 minutes.” This allows Bonaire to receive the attention it deserves.
A guided snorkel is included.
Practical information
- We pick you up at 7.30 am from your accommodation.
- Fully catered with lunch, fresh fruit, drinks of your choice and snacks.
- You decide the itinerary: You can start with a hike and include a guided snorkel.
- Customization is only available on request.
- For this tour you need a STINAPA Nature Tag.
- Snorkel masks and/or fins are available for rent.
A guided snorkel is included.
Make a reservation
Below, you can reserve a tour in our agenda. You will receive an email which confirms your booking. Before making a reservation, we kindly ask you to familiarize yourself with our terms and conditions.
Fully Booked?
Can’t find an available slot in the online schedule below? Feel free to contact us. We might still be able to arrange something for you!
Our tours at a glance
Mesmerizing Bonaire
Washington-Slagbaai
Gems of the East
The Magical North
Guided Hiking Tour
Birdwatching Tour
Photography Tour
Customized Tour
Our other tours
