Architecture

Houses on the island come in a rainbow of colors.  Most are single story, except on the beach where they sometimes are as many as three stories. Buildings on Bonaire may not be higher than the Authority House (a government administration building).  High-rise is therefore not really found on Bonaire.

In our neighborhood, Belnam, houses come in crazy colors. The houses are 1970's vintage with flat roofs and surrounded by walls.  Some have tile roofs and other even have thatched roofs. We don't know if there are building codes and/or restrictions.  To us, it looks as though anyone can build anything they want, particularly in residential areas.

The colonial Dutch houses have double pitched roofs with narrow dormer windows and white shutters.  Also painted in bright colors.

This is the Marriott on Bonaire.  The suites were built to mimic the colonial Dutch architecture typically associated with the water front buildings on Curacao that show up on all the tourist information.