
Collectively known as the ABC Islands, Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao are three gems clustered just off the northern coast of Venezuela.
Their location in the southern Caribbean makes the ABC Islands extremely easy to visit from Panama and Colombia, and we started with Curaçao in August 2019. We enjoyed that trip so much that we booked another to visit Aruba and Bonaire in 2020. You can probably guess what happened next: The global pandemic hit, and we had to back-burner that trip along with several others. With Covid cases on the wane in the Caribbean and South America, in late October we finally rounded out our ABC Island experience with a visit Aruba and Bonaire.

Comprising the Netherlands Antilles, the three islands share many interesting similarities — one of the most striking of which is language. Almost every citizen speaks at least three: Dutch, English, and the local dialect known as Papiamento (sometimes spelled Papiamentu), and many speak Spanish as well. This diversity is reflected in the faces of the locals – a mixture of Dutch, African, and Hispanic, with a faint echo of the long-lost indigenous cultures that first inhabited the islands.
Aruba: Beaches for Miles
Like Curaçao and Bonaire, Aruba was originally a Dutch colony and has a deep historic connection within the Netherlands. In 1986 Aruba became an autonomous nation within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and its citizens are Dutch nationals.
Of the three ABC Islands, Aruba is the most highly visited by American tourists and is the most popular stopover for ginormous cruise ships. For the month of November alone, 40 ships were scheduled to call in to Aruba, and that’s just the beginning of the cruise industry’s gradual comeback from Covid.
Sadly, the historic downtown of the capital city, Oranjestad, has seen better days. We thought Covid was the driver for the scores of boarded-up storefronts, but we were told that the development of the newer Palm Beach area up-island had been siphoning business from the downtown mom-and-pop merchants. Progress . . .
(USUAL NOTE: Most of our pictures are in galleries. Just click on the first one to click through larger versions with captions.)
While we weren’t too impressed with the scores of American-style condo complexes, casinos, and high-rise hotels, the beaches were what we loved the most about Aruba. One in particular, Eagle Beach, is regularly listed as one of the top beaches in the world. It’s a stunning stretch of white sand that just cries out for you to spend a day with a couple of beach chairs, a cooler of beer, and a good book (so we did!).
We did do two very choppy and rough boat dives in Aruba but were a bit underwhelmed with the marine life. We were looking forward to the legendary shore diving of Bonaire, and it did not disappoint!
Bonaire: Diver’s Nirvana
There’s a good reason Bonaire is known as one of the top diving destinations in the world. Unlike Aruba, the entire reef encircling the island has been designated as a national marine park, and the locals are serious about protecting its pristine beauty. Bonaire makes diving easy with more than 60 officially designated and well-marked shore diving sites, many of which are also great for snorkeling. Until this visit, we’d only done one other shore dive on our 2019 trip to Curaçao, and now we’re spoiled forever for boat diving. And the WATER: I don’t think I’ve seen so many shades of turquoise, and it’s clear enough to spot bright tropical fish just by looking down from the end of a dock. Heaven!
If you’re not a diver, there’s plenty more to see and do on Bonaire. Head to the southern end of the island and you’ll learn plenty about the salt mining industry past and present. You’ll also see flock after flock of Bonaire’s famous flamingos, who thrive in a sanctuary of salt flats that are well-managed by the Cargill salt harvesting company. Here’s an interesting article about Bonaire’s salty history and Cargill’s present-day solar salt operation.
Bonaire is also a mecca for kite boarding and wind surfing, and a world-famous wind-surfing school is located on the windward side of the island at Lac Bay. There’s also horseback riding, caving (both dry and wet), and exploring the history-soaked town of Rincón, the oldest settlement in the Dutch Caribbean.
Curaçao: Awash in Color
We enjoyed our visit to Curaçao in August of 2019 so much that we’re thinking of a new trip next April, combined with a repeat visit to Bonaire. After visiting Aruba and Bonaire, what stands out about Curaçao is the excellent job they’ve done in preserving their colorful past. A couple of examples are the beautifully restored buildings in the downtown area and the Queen Emma floating pontoon bridge. Here’s our post about our 2019 visit, and another little post we did about the birds and other critters we encountered there. We’re really looking forward to seeing Curaçao again!

Our Tips
Bring your wallet.
Coming from super-economical Colombia, we were prepared for sticker shock – but maybe not the $15 mojitos we encountered our first night on Aruba! (We were tired and landed at the first beach bar we found. Lesson learned!) From then on, the “mojito index” became our benchmark for the affordability of an eating/drinking establishment. Of the three ABC Islands, Aruba is the most expensive – possibly because it’s also the most touristic. All three islands gladly accept US dollars, BTW.
Also, at this writing both Aruba and Bonaire require a PCR test for entrance – and without proof of full vaccination, Bonaire requires it to be done within 24 hours of your arrival. Trust us, this can become a major expense if you’re going to hop between the islands as we did. Covid testing will definitely be a budget consideration for us going forward as we start to dip our toes more into international travel.
Local Transportation

We puddle-jumped between Aruba and Bonaire on a tiny EZAir plane that made a stopover in Curaçao. These flights turned out to be surprisingly expensive, but we were using vouchers (this trip was one of several we had originally scheduled for 2020 but had to rebook because of Covid). Our recommendation is to shop around, since there are several different inter-island carriers.
Also, we highly recommend renting a car on both islands. On Aruba we used Budget, but we would probably go with a less expensive local company next time. On Bonaire, we lucked into Libertad Car Rental, a local outfit that was both convenient and economical. The friendly owner met us right at the airport entrance with our car and handed us the keys. No waiting, no fuss, no filling out millions of forms.

Food and Drink – Aruba
We didn’t eat out much on Aruba, but when we did, we stuck mainly to happy hours that also offered food deals. Our favorite – hands down – was Bugaloe Beach Bar, an over-the-water hangout in the Palm Beach area. Mojito index: $7 at happy hour, with an awesome fish special we shared. And as a happy hour bonus, Bugaloe has singing servers. The night we were there, a pint-sized gal with a kick-ass voice belted rock classics for over an hour. It might sound cheesy, but she was seriously talented! Bugaloe also serves a good and economical (at least for Aruba) breakfast.
Other Aruba restaurants we enjoyed were Terraza for good Italian food and a birds-eye view of Eagle Beach; The Old Fisherman in downtown Oranjestad, where we shared an excellent fish chowder; and Crosta Pizza in the Bochincha Container Yard, which turned out to be quite the scene on Halloween night. We also heard rave reviews about Yemanja Woodfired Grill and Zeerover, although we didn’t make it to either (next time!).
Food and Drink, Bonaire
Our Bonaire favorite was Karel’s Beach Bar, another over-the-water establishment on the main waterfront promenade in Kralendijk. Mojito index: $8, with equally reasonable food and great service. Also check out The Beach, a great little beach club south of town where you can enjoy a leisurely breakfast with an unmatched seaside view. And one of the best deals on the island is Julian’s Cafe, just across the street from Karel’s, with lunch specials in the $10-$15 range and super-friendly people. Finally, do not miss Gio’s Gelateria & Cafe on the main street a block over from the water. Their extra-dark chocolate gelato is some of the best I’ve ever had!
Lodging, Aruba
On Aruba, we spent most of our time in a spacious and beautiful condo at Oasis Condominiums on Eagle Beach (booked through Airbnb). It was a bit of a splurge, but the kitchen was so well-appointed that we were able to save money by eating in most of the time. But we want to give a special shout-out to our lodging on our last night in Aruba, after flying back from Bonaire and just before flying home to Colombia: Wonders Boutique Hotel. We’re kicking ourselves a little that we didn’t pick this place from the beginning, and it was a shame we only had one night there. Wonders is a little gem in the middle of an otherwise uninteresting Aruba neighborhood, but it’s also within walking distance to downtown Oranjestad. It’s beautifully landscaped with a nice pool and wonderfully appointed, comfortable rooms. The host, Gaston, welcomed us warmly and even drove us to the airport the next morning, saving us Aruba-priced cab fare. Wonders, we’ll be back!
Lodging, Bonaire
Well, this is kind of a complicated topic. We did not have great luck with our lodging on Bonaire, for a variety of reasons (message us if you want the full story). But we got some good ideas about where to stay next time. For divers, what little research we’ve done shows that hotels that offer diving packages are a very cost-effective way to go.
Diving
Honestly, we can’t recommend the dive outfit we used on Aruba (message us if you want more info). It was a different story on Bonaire with VIP Diving. The VIP staff call themselves “professional dive butlers” and it shows in

every level of their service. Example: I was having a problem with the second stage of my regulator, and Kevin the friendly tech manager loaned me another one (and installed it on my reg) for our day of diving. He also gave me some great advice about why my 20-year-old BCD is leaking air (it’s toast, sadly). We had two really enjoyable and stress-free dives with Sage from the Cliff and Tolo dive sites.
Note: Anyone entering Bonaire waters to dive or snorkel is required to pay a nature fee to the National Parks Foundation, which goes to preservation and protection of the fragile underwater ecosystem. The pass is $45 for divers and $25 for non-divers and is good for a year. Here’s more information.
37 Comments
curaçao is absolutely one of my all time favorite places! I just loved the beautifully colored Dutch architecture set against that Caribbean blue! I loved Aruba too although I found it was so different from what I expected. Now I just need to see Bonaire for the full ABC 🙂 Wonderful post for this murky Sunday morning!
Glad you enjoyed the post! We liked Aruba but Bonaire really blew us away. And Curaçao is so unique and colorful – we understand why you love it! Hope your days have been a bit less murky lately 🙂
I’ve wanted to visit Curacao for a while but now I’ve put Bonaire at the top of the list. We’re itching for a dive trip. Beautiful photos of all three. Maggie
Thanks, Maggie! We had great dives on both islands. Hope you can see the ABCs someday.
Wonderful write-up. I’m ready to head south. I love the mojito index. We’ve used the Margarita index in Key West and wine by the glass price in Big Sur.
Thanks so much! And we’ll have to remember that margarita index for our next few trips. 🙂
What a paradise, your photos are so beautiful and I definitely want to visit the ABC islands 🙂
Thank you!! Hope you can see the ABCs someday. They really are that beautiful.
Once again, I’ve ridden along with you through these stunning islands ( except for the diving!) I loved that you were able to stand on the dock and see amazing fish in the clear waters.
Thank you, Mimi!! We would have loved to have you along 🙂 That water really is amazing.
This brings back fond memories of our time at the ABCs, even if we stayed for maybe a total of 6 hours on each of them. The snorkeling on Bonaire was good, but I remember the current was very strong. Lots of fishies though. Thanks for sharing!
Hope you guys can get back to the ABCs and spend more than 6 hours! Glad you got to snorkel on Bonaire. We didn’t encounter big currents when we dove there, but we definitely did on Aruba. Guess it depends on the day, weather, etc.
Bonaire looks dreamy 😍😍
It was, for sure!! Can’t wait to go back.
Born and raised in Indonesia, I can be very difficult to please when it comes to beaches as my standards are high (blame those utterly beautiful white, gold, and black sand beaches across Indonesia with the most vivid blue and turquoise colors I’ve ever seen). However, the ABC Islands look legit! They remind me of some of the beaches I went to in eastern Indonesia. I can’t help but think from the Dutch perspective: they lost Indonesia but at least they still have these Caribbean islands to boast about and tell the world that the Kingdom of the Netherlands has white sand beaches with clear turquoise water. 🙂 This post really makes me miss going out to the sea.
Oh, Bama – now you have us craving a trip to Indonesia to see those amazing beaches! Someday . . . And I didn’t realize there was a Dutch element in Indonesia’s history. Hope you can get some “Vitamin Sea” soon. Take care!
Indonesia (or the Netherlands East Indies as it was called before independence) was in fact often described as “the Netherlands’ most precious gem”, depicted in this old image here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1916_Dutch_East_Indies_-_Art.jpg
Thanks! I surely hope I’ll get to any beach soon.
Definitely paradise! The colours are breathtaking…and your photos stunning!
Thanks so much, Donna!
I enjoyed your photos and experiences!
When we sailed along the ABC islands in Irie, we stopped in Curaçao for a few weeks, anchored in Spanish Waters to do boat maintenance. While we didn’t like to local and (Dutch) sailing crowd there, we did spend an enjoyable day in the capital for my birthday.
Bonaire was a highlight for us, even though we don’t dive. Renting a scooter for a day or two does the island and its sites justice. We snorkeled from shore and our boat and once took our dinghy to Klein Bonaire as well. The water, indeed, is stunning. I remember Karel’s but we never ate or drank out.
We briefly stopped in Aruba – just for the night. We had a weather window to Colombia the next day and weren’t too interested in this Americanized island. Ironically, Mark’s brother recently bought a house on Aruba, so I assume we will check it out one day. I am curious about the beaches.
And, the other coincidence is that my cousin and her husband – who love Bonaire, where one of the restaurants sells my family’s home brewed Belgian beer – are on their way to Curaçao for their annual vacation as I write this. 🙂
Hi Liesbet!
We would have loved to visit the ABCs as cruisers!! When we were at the main waterfront on Bonaire, we had some serious boat envy looking out at the cruising boats at anchor. A few years ago, you would have been one of those! We remember what a joy it was to be able to snorkel off our own boat, and it must have been fantastic in Bonaire.
When we were on Curaçao in 2019, we met Lisa Dorenfest and her partner Fabio, who were finishing their circumnavigation and had dropped anchor in Spanish Bay. Have you ever come across them? We mention them in our Curaçao post.
Which restaurant on Bonaire serves your family’s beer? We’ll have to try it next time.
Hope you two are well – thanks for your memories!
– Susan
Yes, that mooring field in Bonaire was super attractive. But, with west winds, you better be gone!
Do we know Lisa and Fabio? That had me snicker big time…
1) We met them in the Gambier Islands of French Polynesia in 2013, crossed paths multiple times, shared happy hours and meals, and have been good friends ever since.
2) Lisa is mentioned in my book, Plunge, on two occasions/ in two chapters.
3) We visited the couple by plane, on a break from our boat, in New Zealand (2014) and stayed on their boat, Amandla.
4) We met up in April of this year in Tucson, Arizona, right before we sold our Zesty. Lisa was working remotely from there: https://www.roamingabout.com/how-are-mark-maya-and-i-really-doing-update-from-the-heart/
5) We visited Lisa and Fabio again on our drive across the country a couple of months ago, this time in Chicago – Lisa was still working remotely and their boat is still in Puerto Penasco, Mexico: https://www.roamingabout.com/how-to-visit-chicago-for-free-in-a-small-camper-skylines-social-times/
6) I remember them visiting the two of you in Colombia. As a matter of fact, it might have been because of Lisa that I found your blog. 🙂
My cousin’s cactus beer is served at the rum distillery in Bonaire. Not sure about elsewhere, I’ll ask… 🙂
Oh, I feel so foolish! OF COURSE I remember reading in Plunge how you met Lisa and Fabio in the South Pacific, and how Lisa became one of your besties and confidants. I remember saying to John, “Hey, they know Lisa and Fabio!” Silly me 🙂 And I also realize I need to catch up on your blog. Thanks for the reminders!
Haha, no worries, Susan. I had a feeling you already knew this but forgot. By the way, I forget these things all the time – we can’t remember everything and keep everyone’s friends and blogging pals straight. I can’t, anyway… 🙂
These islands all look amazing but I’d love to visit Bonaire for some diving. That water looks incredible!
Hi Becky! Hope you can see Bonaire someday. Curaçao is also well worth a visit. Aruba, not so much (except that it’s the starting point for most international travelers). The water IS amazing – our pics don’t do it justice.
Oh I am so jealous! 😳 That turquoise water, the white sand, the sun, the warmth. Sitting here in cold rainy Vancouver this was a lovely escape. I think you convinced me to not bother with Aruba, but Bonaire definitely looks like my style!
Alison
Ah, glad you enjoyed the post, Alison – and that it warmed you up a little 🙂 I would recommend Aruba for maybe a night or two – it does have its charms – and then get to Bonaire. Curaçao is also an amazing place that’s well worth a visit. I don’t recall completely, but it seems that most international flights start in Aruba anyway. Hope you can see the ABCs someday!
Me too!
Thanks for taking me to the tropics! I feel the same as Alison (above).Your photos are so appealing. I love the colourful main streets in Bonaire and Curacao. We’ve only been to Bonaire for a diving holiday about 10 years ago. We loved it.
Hi Caroline – glad you got to see Bonaire! Hope things are well up your way 🙂
Very inviting all way around! Just heard that the ‘mojito index’ is being investigated by the SEC. 🙂
Jajaja! Great to hear from you, Henry – hope you’re well. Hugs!
We were recommended Aruba by an exiled Arubian(?) here in England back in 2018. Therefore it was solidly on our pre-COVID bucket list. It looks and sounds as idyllic in your pisr and photos as he made it sound. It remains on the list!
It really is beautiful – hope you can see the ABCs soon! With Omicron, it’s hard to tell what the future holds for us travelers – but hopefully the news will be more positive soon.
What absolutely fabulous memories you will have when you get to my age. Good on you! Happy Holidays. Muriel
Happiest of Holidays to you too, dear Muriel!! 🙂