Bonaire's first national park, protecting dunes, salinas, and the island's highest point.
Washington-Slagbaai National Park
Washington-Slagbaai National Park is a protected natural area on the island of Bonaire in the Caribbean, covering roughly 5,643 hectares in the northwestern part of the island. Established in 1969, it is the oldest national park on Bonaire and one of the earliest protected areas in the Dutch Caribbean. The park combines coastal dunes, beaches, mangrove systems, salt lakes, woodland, and dry scrub habitats, creating a varied environment that supports both terrestrial and wetland species.
At the heart of the park's identity are the salinas of Slagbaai and Goto, two inland saltwater complexes that were recognized under the Ramsar Convention in 1971 as internationally important wetlands. These saline lakes host flamingos and a rich mix of migratory and resident shorebirds. Inland from the coast, the terrain rises toward the Brandaris, the highest point on Bonaire at 241 meters, offering panoramic views across the island's arid interior.
The park's cultural origins lie in the former Washington Plantation, whose history of land use and salt production is interpreted at the visitor center near the park entrance. Today the park is managed by STINAPA, the National Parks Foundation Bonaire, which also oversees the surrounding marine park. Washington-Slagbaai is recognized as a key terrestrial counterpart to Bonaire's globally known marine conservation system.
