A little more
Netherlands Antilles.
A lot less roaming.

Travelling to Netherlands Antilles: what to know before you go

The Netherlands Antilles no longer exists as a country: it was dissolved in 2010. Curaçao and Sint Maarten became constituent countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, each with its own guide, while Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba became special municipalities of the Netherlands, known together as the Caribbean Netherlands or BES islands. This guide covers those three islands: Bonaire for shore diving and flamingos, Sint Eustatius and Saba for volcanoes, rainforest and quiet reefs.

Where to go

• Bonaire National Marine Park. The whole coastline of Bonaire, down to a depth of 60 metres, is a protected marine park.
• Washington Slagbaai National Park, Bonaire. The north-west of Bonaire is a rugged park of cacti, salt lagoons, limestone terraces and rocky coves.
• Bonaire's salt pans and flamingos. In the south, pink salt evaporation ponds and white salt mountains sit beside tiny stone huts once used by enslaved workers.
• Lac Bay, Bonaire. A shallow, wind-swept bay on the east coast that is one of the world's best-known spots for windsurfing, with mangroves where you can kayak and snorkel among juvenile fish.

Best time to visit

The islands are warm all year and sit in the trade winds, which keep temperatures comfortable. Bonaire lies south of the main hurricane belt and is dry and sunny for much of the year, with a short, light rainy season around October to December.

Staying online in Netherlands Antilles

Mobile coverage is good across most of Bonaire, including at many dive sites, with 4G in Kralendijk and the main villages. On Saba and Sint Eustatius networks are small but generally cover the inhabited areas, with weaker signal in the crater of The Quill, on Mount Scenery's upper trails and along remote coastlines. Phones on Saba and Statia can sometimes connect to networks from Sint Maarten or other nearby islands. Hotels and dive resorts offer Wi-Fi. Install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land.