Kralendijk is the capital of Bonaire, an island in the Dutch Caribbean.
The town sits on Bonaire’s west coast, facing the Caribbean Sea. Its name is generally understood as a Dutchified form of the Spanish phrase meaning “coral reef,” reflecting the island’s marine environment and the importance of reefs to its identity.
Kralendijk is Bonaire’s principal administrative, commercial, and transport center. Historic buildings, waterfront restaurants, government offices, and Fort Oranje are concentrated in and around the town. The fort was constructed in 1639 and helped protect the harbor.
Bonaire is a special municipality of the Netherlands, rather than a constituent country like Aruba and Curaçao. The island is especially known for Bonaire National Marine Park, established in 1979 and protecting coastal waters, reefs, mangroves, and seagrass habitats. The nearby uninhabited island of Klein Bonaire is also within the protected marine area.