Have not heard anyone talk about parking around town. I was wondering do most just park along side the street or are there actual parking lots. Many places I have been there are no parking lots and every just parks where there is room. I am guessing driving is like most places in the Caribbean.

John, there are a few parking lots, one is across from the post office, and one is behind the tourism board. There might be others, but I'm not picturing it. There is also parking along the sides of the road. If you are close to town, i.e. Divi, it's easier to just leave the vehicle and walk, but parking has never been an issue for me. Hope this helps !

The driving is easy, the locals drive fast! No traffic lights, it's fun and easy!

What does the blue traffic sign with red diagonal slash mean? It seems to be used for stop, yield, and pay attention.

No parking allowed on either side of the road.

If you see a sign that is half that and the other half is pure white that means you can park on the white side but not the other. The road our gallery is on has the funky half/half sign.

Round red sign with a white hyphen is Do Not Enter. For one ways, they use a blue sign with a white arrow.

I used to think it was to give tourist drivers conniption fits that they were going the wrong way on a one way street.
I remember once having a Bonaire drivers section of a tourist publication that explained a lot of the symbols and driving tips, anybody else remember that?

The Dive & Drive map and the Bonaire Nights booklet have the road sign symbols. I think Calabash Skyviews does as well but my only copy is at the gallery right now so I can't check for you. Bonaire Affair does not have the symbols in the 2003 edition.

The tricky traffic is the circle or rotary. The folks heading along the coast have right of way entering the circle. Those entering from inland and the shore have to yield to the folks in the rotary. So that is a half/half deal.

Seb ... I agree ... everytime we drive on Bonaire I tell Mark he is on a one way road because I can never keep the signs straight! last two trips I decided to make it my goal to really learn the signs (with the help of the above publications) but I already know I need a refresher before we head back this summer or else Mark will want to muzzle me whenever we head into an intersection!!

OMG LInda I had no idea! I thought I had read that cars entering the circle had the right of way. So those heading north have to yield to those heading south?

If you are heading south to north, or north to south, you have right of way entering the rotary. You never have to stop.

If you are heading east or west, you must yield to those in the rotary.

So what happens is this:
I enter the rotary from the north but I want to go east. I have to stop at the south end if any traffic is entering.

Usually rotaries are an either/or proposition - anyone entering has right of way, or those in the rotary have right of way. This one is a little of both. So those of us living on Bonaire know the rules but we also know the tourists don't. So if I see a rental or lots of luggage and dive gear, I'm extra cautious.

Thanks for the lesson on the rotary, Linda.! Now all I have to do is remember them! LOL. Not like the "rules" in NJ for the "circles"...which are rapidly disappearing, by the way....too many collisions and no one was yielding the right of way to anyone! Good old NJ traffic....it can make the hair on your arms stand up straight! LOL. We enjoy driving while on Bonaire....so much less traffic and folks aren't as aggressive. Nice change of pace for us. I hate to drive up here, but actually enjoy driving in Bonaire. Carole

Now I know why everybody was honking at me.....I thought the Round red sign with a white hyphen meant stop

We just returned and we were surprised at the lack of parking spaces available in town. We had to do quite a bit of driving to find a spot. We had to go to the Notaris office right down from City Cafe late morning. We had to park on the other side of town by Cultimara. A women told us that the people who work at the businesses in town take up most of the parking spots. Maybe they need to get a designated area where business people could park. It would leave more spots for the tourists. Ed and I don't mind parking by Cultimara, because we try and make all our business in one trip (yeah, right), and enjoy walking in town. Those who are not used to the heat of the caribbean (especially this time of year), don't want to walk far...suggestions?

Just back from Aruba...what a TRAFFIC nightmare. I do hope Bonaire considers limiting the number of cars a family has? Bermuda allows one per family and I think this makes sense..

Antigua is the same, Liz..but worse..it takes eons to find a place to park.

Ann

We used to love going to Aruba years back....then we watched them develop the heck out of the place and the cars would just come along with that development. I can't even imagine what it is like today.....no thank you! More tourists, more cars, more hotels, more tourists, more cars....more employees driving to and from work.....ad infinitum. Just my two cents worth! LOL. Carole