Lac Bay, Bonaire: The Mangroves and the Conch Mounds
A protected wetland on the windward side, best seen from a kayak at water level.
Why Go
Lac Bay is the large shallow inlet on Bonaire's eastern coast, protected by reef and fringed with mangroves, and it is one of the most important pieces of habitat in the Dutch Caribbean — a Ramsar-listed wetland that works as the nursery for a great deal of what you later see out on the reef. Most visitors know its western shore as Sorobon, where the windsurfers are. The northern end is a different proposition entirely: still water, tunnels through the mangrove roots, and a beach built partly out of discarded conch shells.
The Experience
The bay is wide and shallow, and the two ends could not be less alike. Sorobon on the inside of the southern shore is bright, breezy and busy with sails. Up at the northern end the mangroves take over, and the water goes quiet and glassy under the canopy — you paddle through channels barely wider than a kayak, with roots on both sides and juvenile fish everywhere in the shade. At Lac Cai, on the point, generations of conch fishing have left mounds of empty shells that have become part of the shoreline, and on Sundays there is often music and a local crowd. The easternmost point of Bonaire is out here. Away from those two spots the bay is left alone, which is the intention. The bay is also the reason parts of Bonaire look the way they do. Mangrove systems trap sediment and calm the water behind them, so the reef offshore stays clear and the nursery keeps restocking it — the diving on the other side of the island depends on this quiet corner in ways that are not obvious while you are paddling through it.
What to Try
Take a kayak into the mangroves — this is the thing to do here and it is genuinely unlike anything else on the island. The Mangrove Center runs guided paddles and Windows to the Sea Kayaking covers the same water; going with a guide matters more than usual, because the channels are easy to get lost in and the habitat is fragile enough that where you put a paddle counts. Royal Activities runs the other trips on the bay. Visit Lac Cai for the conch mounds and, on a Sunday, whatever is happening on the beach. The Lac Bay Bar is the stop. Then drive out to the easternmost point of the island, which is empty rock and open Atlantic and about as far from a resort as Bonaire gets.
Insider Tip
Book a guided mangrove paddle rather than renting a kayak and setting off alone. The channels genuinely do branch and close in, the seagrass and roots are damaged easily by people who do not know where the shallow parts are, and the guides show you things — juvenile barracuda, upside-down jellyfish, the way the nursery works — that you would paddle straight past. Go early, before the trade wind puts chop on the open part of the bay and makes the crossing to the mangroves hard work.
The Practical Stuff
Lac Bay is about fifteen to twenty minutes east of Kralendijk, with Sorobon on its southern shore and the mangroves and Lac Cai at the northern end reached by a separate track. You need a vehicle, and the road out to Lac Cai is unpaved and rough in places. The bay is a protected area: the STINAPA nature tag applies, and there are rules on where kayaks and boards may go to protect the seagrass and mangrove nursery. Facilities are minimal — a bar and the tour operations, nothing else — so bring water. Bonaire lies outside the main hurricane belt and the trade wind blows year-round, strongest in the afternoon.
Common Questions
What is special about Lac Bay?
It is a Ramsar-listed protected wetland — a shallow reef-enclosed bay fringed with mangroves that acts as a nursery for much of the marine life later seen on Bonaire's reefs.
Can you kayak the mangroves?
Yes, and it is the main reason to come to the northern end. Go with a guide: the channels branch and close in, and the habitat is easily damaged by people who do not know the shallow parts.
What are the conch mounds at Lac Cai?
Mounds of empty conch shells left by generations of local fishing, now part of the shoreline itself. Sundays often bring music and a local crowd to the beach there.
Is Lac Bay the same as Sorobon?
Sorobon is the windsurfing beach on the southern shore of Lac Bay. The mangroves and Lac Cai at the northern end are a separate place with a completely different character.
How far is Lac Bay from Kralendijk?
Fifteen to twenty minutes east across the island. The track out to Lac Cai is unpaved and rough in places, so take that into account with a hire car.
When should you paddle?
Early. The trade wind builds through the day and puts chop on the open part of the bay, which makes the crossing to the mangrove channels hard work by the afternoon.
Pair It With
- Mangrove Center — The guided paddle that makes the bay legible.
- Lac Cai Beach — The conch mounds, and a Sunday crowd.
- Easternmost point of Bonaire — Open Atlantic at the end of the track.
