Belonging to the Netherlands Antilles, located in the Caribbean, surrounded by turquoise blue water, blessed with shallow lagoons - the thought of it makes every windsurfer's heart beat faster - at least that of all those windsurfers who are not looking for their ultimate kick in the world's biggest waves. The thought of Bonaire will definitely warm the hearts of all intermediates and freestylers!
Matching the selection of top spots in the current issue we present you here once again in more detail theTop spot number two for newcomers: The Caribbean island of Bonaire.Ideally, you should reckon with a good twelve-hour flight - Caribbean sun, thermal wind and perfect shallow water conditions are then your well-deserved reward!
With air temperatures between 20 and 33 degrees and the water at a bathtub-warm 28 to 29 degrees, you can be out here in shorts or board shorts all year round. The wind blows a little stronger in winter -the best time to travel for all wind and sun worshippers is in the winter months from November to March. This makes Bonaire the perfect place to escape the German bad weather.
Wind:Bonaire benefits from the constant trade winds, which give their all here, especially in the winter months of November to March. On the eastern side of the Caribbean island, facing the Atlantic, the easterly trade wind is not disturbed by anything, so that it hardly ever gusts even in strong winds. After the Wind statistics of the Surf & Action Company you will find the best wind in the winter months from November to March, According to Windfinder the summer months of April to July are not bad either. Of course, Europe also has pleasant temperatures to offer in summer - so our recommendation for the best time to visit Bonaire remains the winter months.
The advert: In the east of the island lies Lac Bay, also known as Sorobon Beach - a 5 kilometre long and more than 2 kilometre wide bay with a fine white sandy beach, lined at the northern end by dense mangrove forests. You can stand in the knee- to waist-deep, turquoise-blue water here, which is a good kilometre wide and long. The wind here is usually onshore and the Atlantic surf waves, which can easily reach three metres in height, are calmed by an offshore reef. Directly downwind of the reef, on the first 30 to 50 metres, you will find a perfectly flat speed slope - without small choppy waves, with just man-sized waves passing the reef. This creates a fantastic combination of flat water and a constant trade wind that is not disturbed by anything. Fantastic conditions and it is virtually impossible to drift off.Beginners, intermediates, freestylers and speed junkies alike will find their surfing happiness here.
To theshort spot info in our spot map it goes here .
Two surf schools have settled in Lac Bay: The since 1996 existing Surfstation THE PLACE, also known as Bonaire Windsurf Place . This is the quieter and more informal of the two surfing centres. At the JibeCity a DJ also likes to play light house rhythms. This is where the younger crowd gathers. Both centres naturally offer surfing courses for everyone, as well as a reasonable infrastructure including a restaurant or beach bar.At the Bonaire Windsurf Place you will find hire equipment from RRD, Starboard and HotSails, special children's equipment, a surf shop and even a massage house right next door for non-surfing companions. This is run by an external provider.In the JibeCityyou will find rental equipment of the brands JP, Neilpryde, F2 Beginnerboards, Surfline Munich, Gaastra, Ezzy Sails and Fanatic as well as good parties including DJ.
Alternatives in the neighbourhood: As far as the eye can see, there are cacti and barren landscapes reminiscent of Mexico. In the north of the island, you can encounter wild donkeys, flamingos and giant lizards in a national park. It's definitely worth packing your snorkelling gear: there are countless well-known reefs on site that invite you to take a trip into a breathtaking underwater world - because Bonaire is one of the best diving areas in the entire Caribbean!
Accommodation:Only the Sorobon Beach Resort has the slogan "From bed to board". Here you will find wellness offers and yoga classes on the SUP for non-surfing guests. A hire car is recommended for all other accommodation. You will find a wider selection of hotels, some within walking distance of the spot (still an acceptable 15-minute walk) and some with a shuttle service to the surf centre. A selection of accommodation is offered by sun+fun and from the Surf & Action Company where you can also book the entire trip.
Journey: KLM operates daily direct flights to Bonaire via Amsterdam. Feeder flights from almost all European airports are included with KLM. ArkeFly (TUI Holland) flies several times a week from Amsterdam, AirBerlin flies once a week via the neighbouring island of Curacao - so a stopover on this island is also possible. The journey from the airport on Bonaire, called "Flamingo Airport", to the spot takes barely 10 minutes.
For true Caribbean fans it is also worth checking out the detailed travel reports with lots of information about the islands and spots in the Caribbean. You can find the entire collection in the Caribbean area of the travel centre of the surf magazine. A detailed Report on Bonaire can be found in the surf issue 01/2012.
