Klein Bonaire water taxi

Klein Bonaire sits about 800 metres off Kralendijk: six square kilometres of flat scrub, never more than two metres above the sea, with nobody living on it. The water taxis run through the day from the town waterfront (Karel's Beach Bar, the Bonaire Nautico Marina on the boulevard, and Buddy Dive Resort) and put you ashore at No Name Beach, where you step straight off the boat onto the sand. You pick a later boat back, so the stay can be an hour or the whole day.

The reef starts almost at the waterline. Numbered yellow rocks near the beach shelter mark where you can cross the shallow reef top into deeper water, and the current runs from right to left as you face the sea. Green and hawksbill turtles live around the island all year. Some departures offer a drift-snorkel drop-off outside the reef: you float back toward the beach with the current and the boat collects you about 45 minutes later.

There is nothing on the island except an open shelter and the ruins of old slave huts. No running water and no toilets, so bring drinks, food and sunscreen, and it has to be reef-safe (no oxybenzone or octinoxate). The island is part of the national marine park, which means a STINAPA Nature Tag for everyone except cruise passengers and residents. Snorkel sets, life jackets and cold drinks can be had on some boats.