Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and-grass shanties, then in
these stone huts. Stoop
down and enter the win-
dowless interior to get an
idea of what it was like to
sleep here after a long day
of labor. Usually, five or six
men shared the cramped
space. There were no cook-
ing or washing facilities,
and the huts were used only
for sleeping.
More slave huts and obelisks are on the coast at
Rode Pan
, just before
Willemstoren Lighthouse, built in 1837 on the island's southern tip. As
you round the curve of the island and look north up the east coast, notice
how the sea changes from calm to choppy.
The east-coast road passes
Sorobon Beach
on Lac Bay. You can stop to
watch the windsurfers in the sheltered, shallow-water cove as they sail
over the turquoise sea powered by a steady onshore wind. The bay is now a
protected recreation area, and the Bonaire Marine Park will not allow fur-
ther development along the shore.
Mangroves growing on the north side of the cove make
Lac Bay
a favorite
with nature lovers. Marine birds and sea animals breed in the under-
growth; birdwatchers should bring along a pair of binoculars. On the south
shore, unclothed vacationers relax on the sand at the naturalist
Sorobon
Beach Resort
.
A dirt road near the water mill on the main road leads to
Cai
, a small fish-
ing village. Eco-tourists will appreciate the natural landscape that
attracts marine birds such as egrets and cow-herons. As you round the
northern curve of the bay, you'll begin to see heaps of discarded conch
shells at
Boca Cai
.
Did You Know?
Conch is now protected by the
Marine Park, so the shells are old. If you're served
conch at a restaurant, it's imported.
If you stroll along the shore, enjoy the clean smell of the salt-scented
breeze and watch the surf break over the windward reef. With a mask and
snorkel, you can explore the water around the mangroves where hundreds
of species of fish feed and breed. (See
Adventures on Water
, page 179, for
information about renting a kayak at Jibe City, the best way to explore the
mangroves.)
On Sundays, you will find plenty of company at Boca Cai, especially
around the snack shack called
Lac Suit
(South Lake). Tour buses some-
times drop off a load of visitors, but mostly the crowd is made up of locals
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