The climate of Bonaire is
tropical semi-arid, hot all year round, since the temperature fluctuates between 30 °C and 33 °C (86 °F and 91 °F) during the day. The hottest and more sultry period runs from May to October. However, the north-east trade winds constantly blow, tempering the heat.
From February to August, the
south-east trade winds blow, which come from South America and bring dry weather, while from October to January, is the period of the
north-east trade winds, which are a little less intense and can sometimes bring rain.
Bonaire is an island located in the Caribbean Sea at 12 degrees north latitude, about a hundred kilometers (60 miles) north of the coast of Venezuela, and it's an official part of the Netherlands. Together with
Curaçao,
Aruba and some islands of Venezuela, it is catalogued among the
Leeward Antilles, namely, those islands that have an arid climate in comparison with the rest of the Caribbean, as evidenced by the vegetation consisting mainly of shrubs and cacti. The three islands that once belonged to the Netherlands Antilles (Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire) are sometimes called ABC Islands.
Here are the average temperatures of the capital,
Kralendijk.
Kralendijk - Average temperatures| Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
|---|
| January | 24.8 | 30.2 | 27.5 | 77 | 86 | 81.5 |
|---|
| February | 24.9 | 30.2 | 27.5 | 77 | 86 | 81.6 |
|---|
| March | 25.3 | 30.6 | 27.9 | 77 | 87 | 82.3 |
|---|
| April | 26.2 | 31.2 | 28.7 | 79 | 88 | 83.6 |
|---|
| May | 26.9 | 31.8 | 29.3 | 80 | 89 | 84.8 |
|---|
| June | 27.1 | 31.9 | 29.5 | 81 | 89 | 85.1 |
|---|
| July | 26.9 | 31.9 | 29.4 | 80 | 89 | 84.9 |
|---|
| August | 27.4 | 32.6 | 30 | 81 | 91 | 86 |
|---|
| September | 27.5 | 32.8 | 30.2 | 82 | 91 | 86.3 |
|---|
| October | 27.1 | 32.4 | 29.8 | 81 | 90 | 85.6 |
|---|
| November | 26.3 | 31.5 | 28.9 | 79 | 89 | 84 |
|---|
| December | 25.5 | 30.6 | 28 | 78 | 87 | 82.5 |
|---|
| Year | 26.3 | 31.5 | 28.85 | 79.4 | 88.6 | 84 |
|---|
only amounts to 465 millimeters (18.3 inches) per year. There is a relatively rainy period between October and December when, however, rainfall remains below 100 mm (4 in) per month. The rains, brought by the northeast trade winds, continue with some frequency also in January and sometimes in mid-February. Here is the average precipitation.
Kralendijk - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 45 | 1.8 | 9 |
|---|
| February | 20 | 0.8 | 4 |
|---|
| March | 13 | 0.5 | 2 |
|---|
| April | 13 | 0.5 | 2 |
|---|
| May | 15 | 0.6 | 2 |
|---|
| June | 14 | 0.6 | 3 |
|---|
| July | 35 | 1.4 | 6 |
|---|
| August | 35 | 1.4 | 4 |
|---|
| September | 35 | 1.4 | 5 |
|---|
| October | 65 | 2.6 | 8 |
|---|
| November | 95 | 3.7 | 12 |
|---|
| December | 75 | 3 | 11 |
|---|
| Year | 465 | 18.3 | 67 |
|---|
The amount of
sunshine is good all year round, as can be seen in the following table.
Kralendijk - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 8 | 250 | February | 9 | 255 | March | 9 | 280 | April | 8 | 240 | May | 8 | 250 | June | 9 | 270 | July | 9 | 280 | August | 9 | 280 | September | 9 | 270 | October | 8 | 250 | November | 8 | 240 | December | 8 | 250 | Year | 8.5 | 3105 |
Bonaire is a flat island, with a certain shortage of fresh water because of the lack of rivers.
The
sea in Bonaire is warm enough to swim in throughout the year: the water temperature ranges from a minimum of 26.5 °C (79.5 °F) in February and March to a maximum of 29 °C (84 °F) in September and October. Here are the average sea temperatures.
Kralendijk - Sea temperature| Month | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|
January | 27 | 80 | February | 26 | 80 | March | 26 | 80 | April | 27 | 80 | May | 27 | 81 | June | 28 | 82 | July | 28 | 82 | August | 28 | 83 | September | 29 | 84 | October | 29 | 84 | November | 28 | 83 | December | 28 | 82 | Year | 27.6 | 81.8 |
Hurricanes
From June to November, but especially from August to October, there is the danger of tropical storms and
hurricanes: at these latitudes, they are relatively rare compared with the rest of the Caribbean, but it is not impossible that they reach the Leeward Antilles and Bonaire, as happened with Hurricane Irene in September 1971, Joan in October 1988, Bret (tropical storm) in August 1993, Ivan in September 2004, and Felix in September 2007.
Best Time
The best time to visit Bonaire runs from
mid-February to May. The period from May to October is sultry, even though the trade winds make the heat more bearable. From October to December, the rainfall is moderate, and sometimes the rains, though not excessive, linger until January or mid-February.
What to pack
All year round: bring light tropical clothes, made of cotton or linen, and possibly a light raincoat for thunderstorms, especially from October to January. Those who are sensitive to cold can bring a light sweatshirt for the evening.
When going to the reef, you can bring snorkeling equipment, including water shoes or rubber-soled shoes.