Permit· Lac Bay· Other Caribbean
Lac Bay Approach & Restrictions (Bonaire)
12° 6.0′ N · 68° 14.0′ W
The reef-fringed windward lagoon of Lac is part of the Bonaire National Marine Park and a Ramsar wetland - spectacular from the shore, but not a place to bring a cruising yacht.
Practical
Lac is nowhere deeper than about 5 ft (1.5 m) inside (bonaire.com) and sheltered by a fringing reef across its mouth with only a small fishermen's harbour (Wikipedia); there is current at the opening to the sea (bonaire.com). Anchoring is prohibited throughout the Marine Park except for small traditional fishing boats under 4 m (STINAPA boating rules), and no visitor moorings are listed for Lac - visit by car (about 20 minutes from Kralendijk) or on a guided tour. Kitesurfing is prohibited in Lac; windsurfing is allowed and schools operate at Sorobon (bonaire.com, STINAPA). Kayaking inside the Lac mangrove zones is for residents only - visitors go with a licensed guide (bonaire.com; STINAPA kayaking rules); STINAPA says a new zonation for Lac is under discussion. Queen conch (karkó) has been protected since 1985. Swimming, snorkelling and diving require the STINAPA nature fee (US$40 per calendar year, bonaire.com). Coordinate: Wikipedia bay position. There is no yacht anchorage in Lac at any draft: the island-wide anchoring ban leaves only traditional fishing boats under 4 m able to anchor (with coral stones), most of the lagoon is 0.5-1.5 m deep (bonaire.com), and neither STINAPA nor the tourism sources describe any boat channel through the fringing reef. Shoal-draft multihulls stay on the Kralendijk moorings and visit Lac by road; see the Lac Bay seagrass & mangrove snorkel entry.
Best for
Knowing why Lac is a car trip, not a sail