In 1633, the Dutch took possession of Curacao, Bonaire and Aruba. Bonaire then became a plantation island belonging to the Dutch West Indies Company. It was during those early years that the first African slaves were forced to work, harvesting solar salt. Grim reminders of those days still remain in the form of slave huts and salt pans which were laboriously constructed by hand. In those days, every weekend the slaves were sent to premises in Rincon, a 22 mile long hike.
Today, salt is still the main export product of Bonaire. Through small canals the sea water is pumped into the salt pans. The evaporation turns the water slowly into a pinkish colour. Sometimes the complete evaporation of a salt pan can take up to a year. After that, the unprocessed salt is harvested, washed and dried. The salt deposits or mountains can be seen from a great distance.
