Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary

Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary

Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary
4.5
Points of Interest & LandmarksNature & Wildlife Areas
About
Salt water flats in southern Bonaire.
Duration: < 1 hour
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles354 reviews
Excellent
146
Very good
158
Average
47
Poor
3
Terrible
0

AHotaling
Chelsea, MI70 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023 • Couples
I’d long known about Bonaire’s flamingo sanctuary and was finally excited to see it in person. I let my husband know to bring his mega camera lens, and I brought binoculars in order to see the birds. These are crucial for viewing the flamingos because the sanctuary waterway where they gather is set well back from the road and, with just the human eye alone, you’ll be lucky to see pink. A short path, bordered by chunks of coral, sets the limits for human approach. It’s illegal to bother, approach, or harass these amazing birds, and there is signage posted — sparsely — on the road indicating this. Pekelmeer is a Ramsar site — a wetland site designated of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental environmental treaty established in 1971 by UNESCO. With more than 100,000 flamingos here by the salt flats (the northern section of Lac Bay is also a RAMSAR site), it’s completely understandable why this area is protected.

Still, there will be clueless tourists who either are ignorant of the local laws or simply could care less. While we stood in that short pathway, well back from the birds, a family of Venezuelans marched right towards the flamingos, becoming quite vocally dismayed that these shy, skittish birds moved far back upon their approach. My husband and I were glad we’d managed to get a few photos before these people’s arrival, since they completely disturbed the birds. Don’t be like these tourists! Bring a telephoto lens, bring binoculars, and observe these beauties quietly from a distance.

I might have had a little talk with the grandmother of the family, who stayed in the car, parked behind our own. She seemed surprised that it was illegal to approach the birds and laughed about her family’s frustrated efforts (no apology on their behalf for ruining our viewing). The four stars instead of five results from the lack of signage. Visitors will tend to park by the lighthouse, where there is space, then cross the street to view the birds. There is no signage at all here. There is one sign further down the road, and one closer to the salt flats, and that’s it. More signage regarding the sanctuary’s laws is needed, especially near the lighthouse, and in multiple languages: not just English but Spanish and Dutch as well, since there are so many visitors from nearby Venezuela and from the Netherlands.

Definitely worth renting a car for the day to visit the flamingos, the lighthouse, and the Cargill salt flats!
Written 13 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

BrakiWorldTraveler
Belgrade, Serbia17,760 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023
This Flamingo sanctuary is at the Bonaire's southern tip.
Bear in mind you cannot access it to watch the flamingos from close. So, when you're around the second row of slave huts (the yellow ones) look inland over the pond. You'll see a huge pink mass in a distance - thousands of them.
Drive slowly around the whole southern tip, as you'll see them at several spots in smaller schools - picture perfect ops of pink flamingos in turquoise water.
Written 9 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Allen B
Muskegon, MI1,221 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022
It is so wonderful to see flamingos in the wild. Great places to take pictures. It was a shame to see that people had littered in places along the road though.
Written 3 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

teknoge3k
Rocky Mount, VA1,573 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
Flamingos are everywhere around Bonaire but you can see a ton of them here. We rented a golf cart and rode around and when we got here, there were thousands of them. Really cool to see!
Written 10 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jaybeeFL
Palm Harbor, FL3,361 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022
Did the South Island tour in a golf cart and this was one of our stops. Plenty of flamingoes and got some great photos of the birds, the pink salt flats and the nearby coast line. A definite "must see" when visiting Bonaire.
Written 17 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tracy W
7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2021
I had a fantastic time when I went, would definitely go again, plenty of sunscreen and water and your good to go x
Written 5 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Elizabeth C
Baarn, The Netherlands142 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2020 • Couples
Nice place, really huge. You can see how much the nature is wild: water, ocean, sand, rocks and a lot of wind. We just expected more from the flamingos reserve. They are really far away from you and you can just stay on the street to wacht them or take some pictures. You are not allowed to get too close. It makes sense because is a Natural reserve. But it should be improved a bit founding a compromise between the security of the animals and the touristic point of interesting.
Written 3 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LaraKZ
Prague, Czech Republic221 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
The trip to Pekelmeer is just breathtaking especially on a sunny day with the pink salt ponds on one side and so many shades of blue in the sea just cross the road. The southern lagoon gets yet other intriguing blue-green shades and if you are lucky to see flamingos they will do a wonderful color contrast with the water.
It`s a place to stop and just take in all this color palet, part natural part man made.
Recommend renting own transportation as the drive south is very scenic.
Drive a bit further when the road turns east to see more of flamingos after you passed the yellow slave huts and the light house, than once the lagoon finishes recommend returning still on the west coast for the views or stops to snorkel.
It`s a must see of the island for sure.
Written 29 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Robert H
Huntsville, Canada126 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
If your doing the South of Bonaire drive, this is worth the stop but youmcant get close for good pics. We found them in the most southern part by the lighthouse and also on the eastern side of the reserve. There are over places on the island though if you want to see them more up close
Written 18 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Geovanny Briceño
Santa Marta, Colombia259 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
Just be careful as flamingos don't really like people to stand so close to them... see them in their habitat.
Cuidado pq los flamingos no les gusta mucho que se les acerquen...
Written 15 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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