For more than half a century, the island of Bonaire has been well-known to divers as a premier destination in the Caribbean. Located only fifty miles off the coast of Venezuela, Bonaire has declared all its off-shore waters a National Marine Park, and rigorous conservation measures have meant huge numbers of fish and other marine creatures for divers to enjoy viewing.

For those who aren't divers, Bonaire has not been recognized as a major tourist spot. Yet on land as in the water, the government of Bonaire has been careful to set aside some of its most beautiful areas as national park land. Washington-Slagbaai National Park occupies about one-third of the island's land area, and it is carefully protected by a team of park rangers.

Bonaire, Aruba, and Curaçao make up the so-called ABC islands under Dutch administration. Four languages are widely spoken on Bonaire: English, Dutch, Spanish, and Papiamento (the latter a melding of the other three languages). Direct flights to Bonaire from the United States are still uncommon, but it is easy enough to fly to Curaçao and then continue to Bonaire on BonairExcel Airline at a cost of $40 each way.

Once on the island, there really are no viable public transportation options for visiting Washington-Slagbaai National Park. A few local tour companies do take small groups into the park. If you prefer to visit on your own, you'll need to rent a Jeep or Pick-up truck. While 4-wheel drive isn't necessary in the park, you will need high clearance to make your way over the park's rough roads.

From the airport to the gates of Washington-Slagbaai National Park is a mere thirty minute's drive. Be sure to buy some food and plenty of bottled water before you head to the park. At the park gates you will be greeted by the rangers, and assessed a $10 fee per person which covers one day in the park. The rangers will give you a map that outlines two possible routes through the park, the yellow route and the green route. The yellow route is 34 kilometers in length, while the green route is 24 km. The yellow route should be your first priority, as it visits ocean shore and inland ecosystems, while the green route is mostly inland and only briefly skirts the coast. The map optimistically states that you can cover the yellow route in 2½ hours, but with the rough roads and all the beautiful places to stop, you should budget at least six.

Only a short distance down the road from park headquarters you will reach a saltwater pond called Saliña Matijs where Caribbean flamingos will be feeding or resting. While wary of visitors, these beautiful birds will allow you to approach close enough to use a 400mm lens with a teleconverter. You can also take beautiful landscape shots that include some of these startlingly colorful birds. The island of Bonaire is home to one of only four nesting grounds for the Caribbean flamingo.

Washington-Slagbaai National Park is a real lizard kingdom. If you are tender-hearted like I am, your progress through the park will be hindered by thousands of Bonaire Whiptail Lizards attempting to cross the road in front of you. While most are fast enough to get out of the way of a vehicle, the occasional flattened lizard in the road attest that not all are fast enough. I tended to brake for them before proceeding slowly ahead. This subspecies of Whiptail is found only on Bonaire. The locals call the males of this lizard Blòblò. The plainer females and immature males were thought to be a different kind of lizard, and they are called Lagadishi.

Perhaps the most exciting wildlife you'll see at Washington-Slagbaai is the Green Iguana, a lizard that sometimes measures five feet long. Their bodies have beautiful scales that look like fine bead work, while their backs have an improbable fringe that would look very much at home on a medieval dragon. These magnificent lizards are threatened by local hunting—iguana soup is a local favorite in this part of the Caribbean—but they have found a safe haven in the national park. Close approaches are possible because the iguanas rely first on camouflage, and they probably won't bolt unless you get within four feet or so. When they do move, they are much faster than you would think possible for a seemingly sluggish lizard!

Halfway around the yellow route is Boka Slagbaai, a natural harbor where you will find picnic tables and a great site for wading, snorkeling, or kayaking. Guidebooks say that the white form of the Reddish Egret is often seen here, though I wasn't lucky enough to spot one. Look for the dark-tipped beak, which sets this bird apart from other white egrets. Flamingos will also be found here. Boka Slagbaai is also the only location in the park for restrooms, other than at the main gate.

When you get back to the park office, visit the park store, where you can purchase ice-cold water, Amstel beer (made in the Dutch Caribbean), salty snack foods, postcards, and trilingual nature books. These latter may be your first books printed partly in Papiamentu!

Near the park office is a museum, which covers both natural history subjects and the human history of Bonaire. Finally, be sure to ask the park rangers to pronounce the name of the park. Saying it properly is an acquired skill, but it should sound something like Washington Slough´ bee, with the most guttural "Slough" you can manage without hurting yourself.

The park is a terrific place to photograph lizards, and beautiful birds including the oriole-like Troupial and two colorful members of the parrot family. Large mammals are not on the approved list for the park, and feral donkeys are mostly kept out, but feral goats are present and often have beautiful color patterns. The landscape photographer will find a lot to like here, with scrubland and its characteristic Candle Cactus, and the very blue Caribbean sea in the background. Secluded beaches, rocky shelves, blow holes, and volcanic flatlands are give a stark beauty to the place.

It is certainly rougher, as far as visitor facilities go, than Yellowstone or Banff, but for those who like wild parks, it would be easy to spend a week here. Camping is not permitted, but hotels are only about 30 minutes away. If you are like me, reviewing your Washington-Slagbaai pictures at home will only whet your appetite to return.