Traveling from Aruba to Curaçao and Bonaire

Island Hopping from Aruba: Getting to Curaçao and Bonaire (Updated for 2026)

The ABC Islands share a name and a general latitude. Beyond that, each one does its own thing. Aruba has the beaches and the wind. Curaçao has the color and the history. Bonaire has the silence and the reef. Together they form one of the most accessible and rewarding island-hopping routes in the Caribbean. If you have the time, visiting all three is worth doing.

Most visitors to Aruba don't realize how close the other two islands are. Curaçao is about 70 miles to the east. Bonaire sits roughly 80 miles southeast. On a map they look like stepping stones. In practice, getting between them is straightforward — once you understand how it works.

Here's everything you need to know.

The Ferry Question

Let's get this out of the way first because it's one of the most searched questions about traveling between the ABC Islands. There is no ferry between Aruba and Curaçao. There is no ferry between Aruba and Bonaire. It comes up constantly, and the answer is always the same. You fly.

The distances aren't outrageous, but the open-water crossings between the islands are rough and the logistics have never made a regular ferry service viable. Occasional charter boats and sailboats make the crossing, but for practical travel purposes, flying is your only real option. The good news is that the flights are short, the airports are small, and the whole experience is far less painful than any major hub connection.

Getting to Curaçao from Aruba

The flight from Queen Beatrix International Airport in Aruba to Hato International Airport in Curaçao takes about 30 to 40 minutes. Divi Divi Air, EZ Air, and Winair all operate this route regularly. Flights run daily and the schedules are generally reliable.

Book ahead, particularly if you're traveling between December and April during high season. Prices move with demand and last-minute seats on small regional carriers can get expensive fast. If you're flexible on dates, mid-week departures tend to be cheaper. The planes are small — often twin-prop regional aircraft — so don't expect much overhead space. A carry-on and a personal item is the practical limit for a short trip.

Arrival into Willemstad is worth the flight alone. The capital of Curaçao is one of the most visually distinct cities in the Caribbean. The Dutch colonial architecture along the waterfront is legitimately striking — rows of pastel facades in yellow, orange, coral, and mint that line the Sint Annabaai channel. The Queen Emma Bridge, a floating pontoon bridge that swings open to let ships pass, connects the two historic neighborhoods of Punda and Otrobanda. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it earns the designation.

Spend a morning in Punda. The streets are narrow and walkable. The Floating Market along the waterfront sells fresh produce and fish from Venezuelan trading boats that have been making the crossing for generations. The Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, built in 1732, is one of the oldest active synagogues in the Western Hemisphere. The floor is covered in sand, a tradition tracing back to the exodus from Egypt. Small details like this are everywhere in Willemstad if you slow down enough to look.

Outside the capital, Curaçao opens up considerably. The island is larger than most visitors expect — about 38 miles long — and the western coastline in particular has some excellent beaches. Playa Knip is wide, protected, and relatively uncrowded on weekdays. Cas Abao requires a small entrance fee but the snorkeling just offshore is exceptional. Playa Lagun sits inside a narrow cove surrounded by cliffs and is one of the better spots on the island for spotting sea turtles.

For divers, Curaçao is serious. The Mushroom Forest is a site of enormous barrel sponges and coral formations that rise from the seafloor like something architectural. The Tugboat wreck near Caracasbaai sits in shallow water and is accessible to snorkelers as well as divers. The island's leeward coast offers calm conditions and good visibility year-round.

If you go, plan at least two nights. A day trip from Aruba is possible but you'll spend most of it in Willemstad and miss everything outside the capital.

Getting to Bonaire from Aruba

The flight from Queen Beatrix to Flamingo International Airport in Bonaire takes about 40 to 50 minutes. Divi Divi Air and EZ Air handle most of the route. Same advice applies — book early, pack light, expect a small plane.

Bonaire is a different experience from both Aruba and Curaçao. The island is quieter, less developed, and more focused. There's one main town, Kralendijk, and it's small. The restaurants are good. The nightlife is minimal by design. Most people who come to Bonaire come for one reason: the water.

Bonaire National Marine Park surrounds the entire island and has been protected since 1979. The result is some of the healthiest coral reef in the Caribbean. What makes Bonaire unusual for divers is the accessibility. Many of the best dive sites are shore entries — you park your truck, walk into the water with your gear, and drop down. No boat required. Yellow stones painted along the road mark the entry points. Experienced divers often rent a truck, load their tanks in the back, and spend the day moving between sites independently. It's a freedom that most dive destinations don't offer.

The reef is in genuinely good shape. Elkhorn and staghorn coral that have disappeared from much of the Caribbean survive here. Parrotfish, angelfish, and spotted eagle rays are common sightings. Night diving on Bonaire is considered among the best in the world. If diving is the reason you're island hopping, Bonaire should be your priority stop.

For non-divers, the island still has plenty. Washington Slagbaai National Park covers the northern third of Bonaire and protects rugged volcanic landscape, salt pans, and flamingo habitat. Bonaire has one of the largest flamingo populations in the world — the salt flats in the south of the island regularly host hundreds of them. The pink against the white salt and the flat blue sky is a striking combination and one of those sights that doesn't photograph as well as it looks in person.

Lac Bay on the eastern coast is the windsurfing destination. The bay is shallow, the wind is consistent, and the conditions are considered some of the most reliable in the world for the sport. Kitesurfers use it as well. Even if you don't participate, watching from shore is worth a stop.

Plan at least two nights in Bonaire. Divers will want three or four. The island rewards patience and an early wake-up. The best diving is in the morning before the wind picks up.

Connecting Curaçao and Bonaire

If you're doing all three islands, daily flights connect Curaçao and Bonaire directly. The crossing takes about 20 to 30 minutes. Divi Divi Air and EZ Air both operate the route. This makes a logical triangle possible: fly Aruba to Curaçao, spend two nights, fly Curaçao to Bonaire, spend two or three nights, fly Bonaire back to Aruba. The total flights are short and the experience of each island is distinct enough that the trip doesn't feel repetitive.

Practical Notes for 2026

A few things worth knowing before you go.

Currency in Curaçao and Bonaire is the Netherlands Antillean guilder, though US dollars are accepted almost everywhere on both islands. Credit cards work at most hotels, restaurants, and dive shops. Keep some cash for smaller purchases, entrance fees at parks, and local markets.

Language is not a barrier. Dutch is official across the ABC Islands, but English, Spanish, and Papiamento are all widely spoken. Most locals move between all four languages without thinking about it. You will have no trouble communicating anywhere.

Travel insurance is worth considering if you're booking multiple inter-island legs. Small regional carriers occasionally cancel or reschedule due to weather or operational issues. Having coverage gives you flexibility if a connection falls through.

Entry requirements for US and EU citizens remain straightforward for all three islands as of 2026. Curaçao and Bonaire are both constituent countries or special municipalities of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, so EU passport holders move between them easily. US citizens do not need a visa for stays under 30 days on either island.

The best time to visit is the same as Aruba — roughly October through July, with the sweet spot between January and March. The southern Caribbean sits below the main hurricane belt, so even the nominal wet season from August through October is generally mild compared to the rest of the Caribbean. Rain comes in short bursts and rarely disrupts travel plans significantly.

A Note on Pacing

The temptation when island hopping is to move fast. Three islands in three days sounds efficient on paper. In practice, you spend most of your time in transit and airports rather than actually being somewhere. Each of these islands has more depth than a single day allows. Willemstad alone could fill two days without forcing it. Bonaire's diving could fill a week.

If you have seven to ten days, the ABC circuit works beautifully at a comfortable pace. Two nights in Curaçao, three in Bonaire, and the remainder in Aruba covers the ground without rushing it. If you have less time, pick one neighbor rather than trying to do both quickly.

Aruba is a natural base. The flights are easy, the infrastructure is good, and returning from Bonaire or Curaçao is straightforward. Yellow Cunucu sits in the cunucu — the Aruban countryside — away from the resort strip, which makes it a quieter starting and ending point for a trip like this. You leave from somewhere calm and come back to the same.

The ABC Islands are small. But small doesn't mean limited. It means concentrated. Everything worth seeing is close. The Caribbean is at your doorstep. The only question is where you point yourself first.