Shopping on Bonaire

A clear blue sky, a pleasant temperature and cozy shops are the ideal ingredients for a great few hours of shopping on Bonaire.

Add to this the fact that the Caribbean island has a favorable tax climate, which means that some items are reasonably priced by Dutch standards, ideal for shopping during your holiday. Tax-free shopping is only possible at Bonaire's airport.

Shops that sell perfumes, jewelry, designer clothes (including Benetton), watches and electronic devices do good business on Bonaire. Especially when the colossal cruise ships dock, the local market quickly fills with hundreds of cruise tourists.

Hotel Boutiques

Most of Kralendijk's hotels and resorts own luxury boutiques within their own complexes. Often all well-known world brands are represented. Even if you are not staying at the hotel, you are also welcome in the hotel shops to buy all that beauty.

Shopping Malls

Kralendijk is of course the place to go shopping on Bonaire. Most of the shops here are located on Kaya Grandi and the surrounding streets, but the range of shops is limited.

For shopping you can also visit the few shopping centers in the capital such as the Harbor Side Shopping Mall, Lourdis Shopping Mall, Stephany Shopping Center, Royal Palm Galleries, La Terrasa Mall and the Les Galeries Shopping Mall.

Souvenirs

In addition to the usual souvenirs such as caps, T-shirts, bath towels and Delft Blue porcelain, there are also authentic Bonairean products for sale on the Caribbean island.

The store shelves are filled with Bonairean handicrafts (wood carvings, paintings and pottery) and products made from aloe vera plants. Jelly-like gel is squeezed from the leaves of these plants, which is after that made into shampoos, lotions and sunscreens. The juice from the aloe leaves has a medicinal effect. Furthermore, souvenirs of painted driftwood are very popular on Bonaire.

Some plant and animal species on Bonaire are seriously threatened in their existence and are therefore legally protected. It is very tempting to take home a beautiful piece of coral or large shell. In addition to the fact that you do not help nature with this, you risk high fines if you are intercepted at Flamingo Airport and other airports.

Daily groceries

Bonaire is one of the most prosperous islands in the Caribbean region and that also has positive consequences for the supply in the food stores. The shelves are filled with delicious seafood from the ocean (lobster, salmon and tuna), French cheeses, exclusive Italian meats, etc.

Venezuela is the main supplier for meat, shrimp, squid, vegetables and fruit. Typical Dutch delicacies such as cheese, licorice and chocolate are flown in from the Netherlands. Furthermore, the Bonairean ocean is full of the most delicious fish that find their way to the food stores.

Because many of the foodstuffs have to be flown in and Bonaire is small-scale, the foodstuffs on the Caribbean island are not cheap. The meat that comes from South American countries, on the other hand, is priced low.

Various bakeries on Bonaire ensure that you can buy delicious freshly baked bread and local specialties every day.

Opening hours

The shops on Bonaire open their doors at 08:00 and close at 18:00. The shops are closed between noon and 2 p.m., as well as on Sundays.