A guide paddles an orange kayak beneath the mangrove canopy on Bonaire, with other kayaks visible ahead through the branches.

Bonaire Boat Charter · Lac Bay Mangroves

Paddle where the island keeps its quiet

A guided kayak route through Bonaire's mangrove forest — green tunnels, still water, and a nursery hiding beneath the roots. No experience needed, just a willingness to duck a branch or two.

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A narrow green canal winding between mangrove prop roots, with a fallen trunk arching over the water.

The route

The calm waters and Mangroves of Lac Bay

Our mangrove glass bottom kayak & snorkel tour begins at the lovely beach from Lac Cai. The Bonaire Mangrove reserve is located in Lac Bay National Park. Visitors can only enter the mangroves in the company of an experienced nature guide. Your stable, glass bottom sit-on-top kayak is equipped with a comfortable backrest seat, a waterproof bag for your personal belongings and, of course, paddles. Off you go, into the calm waters.

The glass bottom kayak provides an ideal mode of transport in this beautiful and tranquil environment, as you manoeuvre with ease through the mangrove shallows and tunnels.

Gliding by four different species of mangrove trees in crystal-clear waters, paddling past bird habitats and fish spawning areas, you'll learn of the relationship between the plants and the animals. The snorkel location offers a great variety of marine life and is considered by many a must-do while visiting Bonaire!

2.5 hrsguided, easy pace
Up to 15guests per outing
No exp.needed, stable kayaks

What the roots are holding up

Bonaire's mangroves aren't just scenery — the tangle of red mangrove roots is a nursery for the reef. Midway through the route we stop and look under the waterline.

A dense school of juvenile fish sheltering among sunlit mangrove roots underwater, with orange sponges growing on the roots. A close-up of orange and purple sponges and soft corals growing on a submerged mangrove root.

Left: juvenile grunts and snapper sheltering in the root shade. Right: sponges and soft coral growing where the roots meet the reef.

A brown pelican with a reddish neck and white head perched on a mangrove branch, watching the water.

Along the way

You'll paddle past more birds than people

The mangroves are one of the quieter corners of the island, and the wildlife treats them that way — a good pair of eyes and a slow paddle stroke go a long way.

  • Brown pelicansPerched low in the branches, or folding into a dive just off the channel mouth.
  • Herons & egretsStanding still at the waterline, waiting out the small fish.
  • Juvenile reef fishSchooling by the hundreds in the shallows around the roots.
  • FrigatebirdsSoaring high overhead on their long, angular wings, rarely flapping.

Book your kayak tour

Tours run most mornings, weather and tide depending. Send a request and we'll confirm a time within a day.

  • Duration2.5 hours, including the snorkel stop
  • Group sizeUp to 15 guests, private groups on request
  • KayaksTandem, glass-bottom
  • IncludedKayak, paddle, mask & snorkel, dry bag, certified guide including EFR/CPR certified, and fruit punch & a stroopwafel after the tour
  • Meeting pointLac Cai Beach, end of Kaminda di Lac — view on map
  • PickupAvailable for cruise passengers and at all hotels on Bonaire. Note: If you're on a cruise, double check your disembarking time — the latest we can wait until we have to drive to the starting location is 8:40 am local time.
  • BringAll optional: sunscreen, mosquito spray, water shoes, dive mask & snorkel, something to drink
  • ImportantA STINAPA nature fee is required by law to partake in this tour. Exemptions: children under 13, and residents of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten, as well as cruise passengers.

$60 / person

$75 per person with hotel pickup, between Hamlet Oasis and Delfins — pickup from the cruise port is also possible.

Prefer to book by chat? Message us on WhatsApp or by phone — see the footer, or use the WhatsApp button in the corner.