The Harbour Village Lighthouse

Perched at the mouth of a marina on the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire, the Harbour Village Lighthouse sits presiding over the harbor with a quiet dignity. Its octagonal crown catches the sun while windows mirror passing clouds. Though not active, the structure overlooks an area brimming with life.

The site itself carries deep history: Fort Oranje, built in 1639, remains one of Bonaire’s oldest structures. Its weathered stone tells of Dutch colonial ambitions, while the bright lighthouse beside it adds a more modern splash of color.

Bonaire, too, has long balanced preservation and progress. In 1979, it established one of the world’s first National Marine Parks, protecting coral reefs that now draw divers from around the globe. Inland, the Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary provides one of the few breeding grounds for Caribbean flamingos, a natural spectacle of pretty in pink!

The island has also played an unlikely host to global broadcasts: in the 1960s, Trans World Radio raised a shortwave antenna here, sending voices across oceans.

Though the Harbour Village Lighthouse doesn’t guide ships, its story travels. The structure has appeared on Bonaire’s coins and stamps, and its yellow silhouette carries the island’s character far beyond the Caribbean.