Washington-Slagbaai National Park

Washington-Slagbaai National Park occupies the entire northwestern tip of Bonaire, covering roughly one third of the island and protecting a landscape of volcanic hills, deep ravines and a dry forest that is surprisingly rich in wildlife. The park was formally established in 1962, making it one of the oldest nature parks in the entire Netherlands Antilles and a precursor to the marine park that would follow decades later. A private foundation manages the park and employs wardens who monitor nesting sites, patrol the coastline against illegal activity and maintain the network of hiking trails. The park's entrance gate is staffed during daylight hours and visitors receive a map of the trail network at the entry station.

The terrain is dramatic by Bonaire's standards: volcanic hills rising to just over 300 metres, deeply cut valleys known locally as rooi that channel flash floods during the brief rainy season, and a coastline of sheer cliffs and small coves accessible only by sea. The vegetation is characteristic dry forest — columnar cacti, divi-divi trees bent permanently horizontal by the persistent northeast trade winds, and thorny scrub that retains green foliage through the long dry season by virtue of exceptionally deep root systems. The park's isolation from the rest of the island by a ridge of volcanic hills creates a microclimate that is slightly cooler and measurably wetter than the southern lowlands, supporting vegetation types found nowhere else on Bonaire.

The park protects several endemic and endangered species including the rare Aruban burrowing owl, the Caribbean parakeet and the oilbird, a nocturnal fruit-eating bird whose presence in the dry forest is considered a reliable indicator of ecological health. Introduced species such as donkeys, goats and pigs roam freely within the park and are managed by the foundation to prevent overgrazing of native vegetation. Hikers and birdwatchers will find several marked trails winding through the volcanic interior, ranging from short loop walks around the entrance area to the demanding full-day traverse of the park to the lighthouse at the northern tip. The most popular destination is the summit of Mount Brandaris, the highest point in the park and on Bonaire, which offers sweeping views of the park's volcanic interior and the island's western coastline.

Washington-Slagbaai represents Bonaire's serious commitment to terrestrial conservation and is a essential complement to the island's world-famous marine park. The park protects habitats for species that cannot survive in the island's heavily developed coastal zone and demonstrates that Bonaire's conservation legacy extends beyond its celebrated coral reefs to encompass the full range of the island's dry forest ecosystems. The park is also culturally significant, containing the ruins of several historic plantations, an old lighthouse and the traces of historic donkey and goat trails that were the island's only roads before the modern road network was built. For visitors who have already explored Bonaire's underwater world, the park offers a compelling reason to stay on land a little longer.

One of the last intact dry forests in the northeastern Caribbean, with species found nowhere else on Bonaire.

The volcanic hills and deep ravines offer a rugged landscape completely different from the island's coastal areas.

Endemic birds including the Aruban burrowing owl and Caribbean parakeet are most reliably seen here.