Christmas and New Year's on the Island of Bonaire ~ December 2024

We returned to Bonaire for 17 days over Christmas and New Year's. This was our 6th visit to Bonaire and our 3rd time in 2024 (eeekkk!!) I guess you can say we're addicted. Being in this special place, during this time of the year, with my absolute favorite person, brings me so much happiness. I love the feeling of quiet peace. 

This was our third time renting the Watervilla Airbnb. While it's much larger than we need, the private pool is a game-changer. We love sitting outside on our back patio during all hours of the day and night.

During this trip, we rented a Moke...quite possible the coolest car we've ever driven...and definitely the coolest car on the island! It is a cross between a golf cart and a Jeep...standard shift, open air and so much fun!

We had another great trip with great food, fun drinks and lots of snorkeling. The food is surprisingly spectacular and we have a handful of favorites we make sure to enjoy during each of our visits to the island. 

Osaka, El Bigote, Chefs Bonaire and Brass Boer are our top choices, followed closely by Sebastian's and It Rains Fishes. Unfortunately, Chefs Bonaire often requires a reservation up to 6 months in advance and we weren't able to get in this time (I tried booking in July!)

Osaka is the place we go to when we want refreshing and delicious sushi and sashimi. We went 3x during our stay and our favorites are the tuna tataki, tuna sashimi, and the spicy caterpillar, kamikaze, hurricane and red dragon sushi rolls. The penicillin cocktail is excellent!

El Bigote is a hidden gem with great Mexican food. We went 3x during this stay and I am unapologetic to admit that I ordered the ribs every single time. I actually think I've ordered the ribs 7 of the last 7 times we've visited the restaurant. Our favorites are THE RIBS (obviously), jalapeno poppers and Caesar salad. We call it the trifecta! Surprisingly, the key lime pie (more like a mousse) is outstanding! 

So much to love at this cool little spot. 

Brass Boer has one of the most creative and whimsical menus we've experienced. We always choose our own courses (rather than the pre-fix menu) and usually share. The menu changes regularly, but the one item that always remains (for a reason) is the corvina. Just get it!

On Christmas Eve, we enjoyed a special 5-course dinner under the stars at Brass Boer. The Foie gras secretly presented as a turtle was pretty awesome, but the dessert was the highlight and represented Bonaire, Curaçao, and the Netherlands.

Sebastian's is the place to go for some of the best sunsets. We enjoy their spicy spaghetti pasta, shrimp fettuccini and lobster pappardelle. 

It Rains Fishes is a waterfront restaurant in downtown Kralendijk. Their fish and chips and tuna poke bowl are consistent and delicious. Their fish special is also a great choice. 

Don't forget to stop at Gio's gelato for dessert. Just perfect!

We tried a few new places this visit including C'est La Vie, Mezze, fondue at Sonrisa Bonaire, Foodies, and Pizza Mare. We'll be returning to Sonrisa for their schnitzel and Mezze now ranks at the top of the list! 

C'est La Vie is a cute little spot with the best octopus carpaccio we've ever had!

I've always hesitated going to Mezze because we have such great Mediterranean food at home. My sister had told me it was one of their favorite restaurants on the island and now I see why! We can't wait to go back. We ordered quite the spread, but the highlights were the Istanbul style shrimp and Turkish kebap.

Sonrisa Bonaire is a small restaurant at a boutique hotel. They have themed dinners a few nights a week so we decided to give them a try on their fondue night. Fondue is somewhat nostalgic for me and Steve and we had a fun time. The cheap wine was a bonus!

We enjoyed lunch at Foodies. The portions were huge, and the salad was delicious. Unfortunately, the tuna sashimi wasn't that great (Osaka is so much better!) I'm happy we gave it a try, but probably won't return. 

Pizza Mare was a good lunch spot after a morning of snorkeling on the north side of the island. We ordered the pepperoni pizza and added ricotta cheese. 

We typically enjoy breakfast or lunch at home, but food trucks are a staple for lunch on the island. Our favorites are the ground beef wrap at Cactus Blue and pretty much anything at King Kong.

Sometimes, we'd go into downtown Kralendijk before dinner so we could grab a drink and watch the sunset. 

Bubbles was a new place we enjoyed for a pre-dinner glass of bubbles. Cute...and who doesn't love bubbles?!

The drive around the southern part of the island is our favorite thing to do and there is so much to see! Salt mines, donkeys, flamingos, turquoise blue water...it's beautiful. We usually stop at a few snorkel sites during the drive. It's so easy to hop out of the car and get right in the water.

Jibe City is easily one of our favorite places on the island. It's on the complete other side from our place and the drive is incredible. Once you arrive, it's pure relaxation. A bucket of beers and a bowl of truffle fries from Sebastian's Beach Bar...that's what I call the breakfast of champions! We would spend most mornings here enjoying the sun and watching wind surfers.

Early Christmas morning, Steve and I snorkeled at Salt Pier and saw an incredible TEN TURTLES! 

We rang in 2025 with traditional Dutch Flugel’s, chambongs (of course!) and a fabulous fireworks display. 

The snorkeling on Bonaire is some of the best in the world and one reason why we love to visit. 

We enjoyed our first night snorkel with Sea Cow Snorkel Tours. It was very cool! We saw so many lionfish (the Caribbean’s most invasive species) in addition to 5 turtles, octopus and eel…there are a lot new things to see in the pitch black water.

17 days…and it’s never long enough! Our 6th visit to the island and time and time again, we are so happy to be in a place where we feel total peace. It’s incredible to be somewhere with clear skies so we can watch the stars every night and clear water to see the beauty of the coral and fish. The weather…ugh. Why does it have to be [almost] perfect?! 

We can’t wait to return and keep living this island life. 

Cheers to a happy and healthy 2025!