This small, arid boomerang of an island is a divers' paradise. Skeptical? Read the license plate on your rental car, pal. This isn't just tourist-bureau puffery either: Bonaire really does have some of the best diving in the region, most of it within the prophylactic Marine Park encircling its shore.

More low-key than its Latin-influenced big sisters, Aruba and Curaçao, Bonaire has gone to great lengths to preserve its natural resources. Until flippered folk discovered the island, its claims to fame were salt production and flamingos - hardly front page stuff - and Bonaire continues to keep a tight lid on tourist development.

Washington-Slagbaai National Park

Created out of the grounds of two former plantations on the northwestern knob of the island, this park contains 5500ha (13,500 acres) of scrub-covered hills, lakes, hiking trails and over 100 avian species. The island's hilly northern extremity culminates in the 235m (780ft) Mount Brandaris, not far from the northwestern shore. The peak is a good place to take in the sweep of the island and the curve of the Caribbean horizon.

Unlike much of Bonaire, the park has some good beaches. Playa Slagbaai on the western coast has bright yellow 19th-century buildings and good swimming; to the north, Playa Funchi has good snorkeling in calm waters full of parrotfish and coral. The park's saliñas (salt pans) host hundreds of flamingos but you're not allowed to get too close.

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