Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary

Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary is on the s.w. end of the island. This vast stretch of salt flats is the chief breeding ground for flamingos. As seawater evaporates, the beds turn various shades of pink, matching these birds that choose to nest near towering stacks of salt crystals. The flamingos skillfully construct nests of mud in which they hatch their young during March and April; the birds must be watched from a distance outside the sanctuary boundaries.

Three 30-foot obelisks used as navigational aids by the salt ships of the 1800s still stand, and primitive stone huts of the slaves who once worked the saltpans have been restored. The majority of salt produced in Bonaire today is used in water softeners.