Panama Canal Voyage: Kralendijk
In this second post of a multi-part series, Bethany explores Kralendijk, Bonaire on her Panama Canal Voyage on Azamara.
The second stop of my fabulous Panama Canal Voyage cruise was the “B” of the famed “ABC Islands” – Bonaire! I spent a sun-soaked, fun-filled day enjoying this absolutely stunning island. Follow along as I explore a cactus liqueur distillery, marvel at breathtaking views, and take a refreshing swim in Bonaire.
Panama Canal Voyage Full Itinerary
Below is the full itinerary for the trip. This post includes details about Kralendijk, Bonaire. Looking for info on other stops? Check out the ‘Links’ section at the end of this post!
- December 3: Miami, Florida
- December 4-5: At Sea
- December 6: Oranjestad, Aruba
- December 7: Kralendijk, Bonaire
- December 8: Willemstad, Curaçao
- December 9: At Sea
- December 10: Cartagena, Colombia
- December 11: At Sea
- December 12: Cruising the Panama Canal
- December 13-15: Panama City, Panama
Welcome to Bonaire
We arrived into the port of Kralendijk, the capital of Bonaire, the morning of December 7. The island is in the Leeward Antilles and is a public body (a special municipality) of the Netherlands. Bonaire covers about 111 square miles (288 square kilometers), is 24 miles (38 kilometers) long from north to south, and is anywhere from 3-5 miles (5-8 kilometers) wide from west to east. There are just over 25,000 permanent residents who call this paradise home.
Exploring Beautiful Bonaire
My excursion today was a full tour of the beautiful island of Bonaire, hosted by the Azamara CEO Dondra Ritzenthaler. We drove all around the island, making several stops along the way. Below are some pictures from the first few scenic stops.
Bonaire is well-known for its flamingoes. This scenic overlook provided us a great view of a small island in a lake where hundreds, if not thousands, of flamingoes call home.
Cadushy Distillery Tour and Tasting
The next stop of today’s excursion was the Cadushy Distillery. Here, they make liqueur from native cactus, called the “Spirit of Bonaire.” My first tasting of the day was this bright green cactus liqueur and it is delicious – sweet but tasty!
Master distiller, Eric Gietman, gave us a tour of the facility. He started by explaining how the liqueurs are made. He and his team make a unique liqueur (with its own unique color!) for each Dutch Caribbean Island: Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Sint Eustatius/Statia, and Saba. They used native, traditional flavors from each island to craft each liqueur. The only island that did not have any traditional flavors to use was Sint Maarten. So this island’s liqueur pays homage to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and is an orange liqueur.
The distillery also produces some more traditional spirits, including rum, tequila, vodka, and whiskey. Our tour continued into the main distilling building, which is an old movie theater. The distillery owners have kept the original projection room and large screen as an homage to the history of the building. The tour concluded back at the main bar, where I sampled a few of the other products. The rum is fantastic!
I got to meet the two cats here at the distillery as well. They are both wonderful ambassadors!
Salt Flats and Slave Huts
After the distillery tour, we headed back into the vans and continued our journey in Bonaire. We drove past the massive salt flats owned by Cargill. We stopped near the flats to see the salt up close – there are massive piles of salt everywhere in large chunks, and we were welcomed to take as much as we wanted.
Just past the salt flats was an area with several old huts where the salt flat workers (slaves) would sleep at night. The ground here is covered with old, dried coral. More of the local celebrities (the flamingoes) were also here.
Beach Time
The last stop of today’s excursion was a private beach resort, where we had a light lunch by the water.
We then had some free time, so I did not hesitate to throw my bathing suit on and take a swim in the water. The water is very (very!) salty, but clear and refreshing. It was a great way to relax after a hot and busy day.
Colorful Kralendijk
After my excursion ended, I chose to walk around the colorful Main Street area, which is right where the ship was docked in Kralendijk. The brightly-colored buildings were filled with shops, restaurants, cafes, and bars.
Destination Immersion in Bonaire
My day in Bonaire ended on a festive (and delicious!) note! There was a wonderful “Destination Immersion” event on the ship. We had a huge Caribbean buffet for dinner up on the pool deck. Then, there was some local entertainment to help us dance the night away.
Conclusion
I was absolutely mesmerized by Bonaire. This little gem of an island has so much to offer. The sheer beauty is a major selling point, of course. But the people are also so very welcoming and friendly. My excursion gave me a wonderful overview of some of the highlights of the island, including gorgeous views, tasty food and drinks, and a refreshing swim.
Links
Check the main page for this cruise to read more about my adventures:
Click the button below for more information about Azamara:
