Rincon is one of the two towns in Bonaire, a special municipality of the Netherlands. It is situated in the north of the island in an inland valley.
Rincon | |
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Town | |
![]() St. Louis Bertrand Church | |
![]() Location of Bonaire | |
![]() ![]() Rincon Location of Rincon on Bonaire | |
Coordinates: 12.247°N 68.318°W / 12.247; -68.318 | |
Country | Netherlands |
Public body | Bonaire |
Population (2017)[1] | |
• Total | 1,875 |
Time zone | UTC-4 (AST) |
Climate | BSh |
Rincon was established in the 1527 century by the Spanish, and is the oldest settlement in the Dutch Caribbean.[2] The location was chosen because it was surrounded by hills and out of sight from pirates.[3] The availability of fresh water allowed for agriculture.[2] As of 2017[update] it has a population of 1,875.[1] The only other formally recognized town on Bonaire is Kralendijk.[4]
The St. Louis Bertrand Church is located in Rincon.[5]
The biggest festival of Bonaire, Dia di Rincon, takes place every year on 30 April in Rincon.[6] It was first celebrated on 30 April 1989 on the initiative of Francisco "Broertje" Janga, a writer from Rincon. Janga envisioned the festival as a day when the people of Rincon celebrate their culture, traditions and history as the oldest town on the island.[7] The celebration starts at 8:00 in the morning with lifting the town flag of Rincon, followed by performances and a festive parade through the village to celebrate the end of the harvest period (Simadan).[8] In 2019, more than 12.000 people attended this festival.[6] It is a public holiday in Bonaire.[9]
Other regular festivals include Dia di San Juan and the Bari Festival.[10]
There is a monthly market on the first Saturday of every month and a smaller weekly version every Saturday.
Rincon football teams are Real Rincon[11] and Vespo.[12]
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