Business View Caribbean | Volume 9, Issue 3

33 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 9, ISSUE 3 opened in 1990 under the Sonesta brand for approximately one year, when the family took over the management of the resort.” Idyllic Bonaire offers a gorgeous climate year- round, with very few major weather events. The island itself remains much the same as it did when Gonzalez first visited in 1992. She recounts, “Amazingly, Bonaire really hasn’t changed that much. There are still no stoplights on the island. It’s one of those unspoiled little Caribbean islands, no McDonald’s, no major chains. You don’t feel that development like you do on other islands. It’s a pretty special place. It is the kind of place that people will return to time and again – we have guests that have visited over 30 times.” Harbour Village spans four acres of lavish gardens and sparkling ocean views, offering a variety of accommodation options for a perfect family vacation or a private getaway, as well THE HARBOUR V I LLAGE BEACH CLUB as privately owned residences. Bonaire is known as a safe island, and the gated resort offers additional security, not because there’s a crime problem, but because Harbour Village is a private beach club with controlled access. “We are the only private beach on the island,” Gonzalez proudly notes, “that’s the heart of the property.” At one end of the gorgeous white sand beach guests can enjoy La Balandra Bar and Restaurant, and at the other, Great Adventures Bonaire, the dive shop and water sports center, provides the perfect view of the magnificent world below the water. As a protected area, the underwater marine park has been monitored by the Bonaire Marine Park since the 1970s. “That means that the reef has been so well preserved all these years,” says Gonzalez. “It’s one of the best places to dive in the world right now, because it’s been so protected. It’s so easy,