Top 10 things to do in Curaçao
May 2023
Here is a list of the top 10 non-touristy things to do in Curaçao.
1. Hòfi Pastor
Hòfi Pastor is a nature park where you can do 2 different hikes. Both hikes are about 30 minutes and suitable for all levels of fitness. You will find the oldest tree of the island here. A huge kapot tree more than 400 years old.
Hòfi Pastor is open from 9.00 to 16.00. Closed on thursdays. Entrance fee is NAFL 5. Click here for the Google Maps location.
2. Shete Boka National Park
Shete Boka National Park is located on the rough north side of the island. Here you will find some amazing rock formations with 7 natural coves. It’s a beautiful hike to visit all the coves, but it’s also possible to do it by car. It will take about 2 hours to hike through the whole park.
Boka Pistol is the most touristic one because of the explosive way the waves bursts through the cove. The other bokas are much calmer with people, but if you’re visiting the park it’s worth stopping by the Boka Pistol as well.
Shete Boka National Park is open everyday from 9.00 to 17.00 (you can’t enter after 15.00). Entrance fee is NAFL 25,75.
Click here for the Google Maps location.
As you can see it was a cloudy day when I visited the park. I don’t get burned easily, but even with the clouds I got a little bit burned, so the sun is very strong here! Keep in mind there is no shadow.
3. Beaches
The west coast is filled with a lot of beautiful beaches. Some require an entrance fee and some are packed with tourists. I will only share about the quiet beaches here. Almost all of the beaches are easy accessible by car, and there will be signs on the road.
Playa Guepi – Kleine Knip – Playa Lagun – Playa Santa Cruz
Playa Guepi
Playa Guepi is a beautiful secluded hidden beach. For swimming it’s not ideal because of all the rocks, but if you want to hang out at the most secluded little beach, this is the spot. The chance you will come across other people is very small, because it takes a little effort to walk to this beach. It’s not a long walk but the terrain is a little rough.
How To Get To Playa Guepi
Park the car at the Watamula Blowhole. It’s 1,7km of dirt road to get to the Watamula Blowhole. My rental car was a Toyota Aygo and I had no trouble driving here. Just watch out for rocks and big holes and drive slowly.
Once you arrived at the Watamula Blowhole you will see a big rock with the Curaçao flag on it, walk past it towards the ocean. Then walk to the left side along the cliff. You will have to walk on a rocky terrain on the cliff so watch your step.
It’s a 10 minute walk and then you will see Playa Guepi from above. To get down to the beach you will need to climb down the rocks. It’s not a hard climb. (see the right picture^)
Click here for the Google Maps location.
Walking along the cliffs…
Kleine Knip
Kleine Knip is the quieter, but still as beautiful alternative to Grote Knip. Most tourists go to Grote Knip, the bigger brother of Kleine Knip. In the weekends you will find the local people here to enjoy the beach. Besides that it’s a calm beach, with a relaxed local vibe.
Click here for the Google Maps location.
Playa Lagun
For me this was the most beautiful beach of all the beaches in Curaçao. It’s a bay with a beautiful view surrounded by cliffs.
On the right side of the beach is a restaurant called Bahia Restaurant, from here you will have an amazing view. I only bought some drinks here so I can’t say anything about the food. But the view is well worth it to visit the place.
There will also be a lot of iguanas. The tree down in the left picture was filled with them! Some of them will also walk between the chairs of the restaurant, but they do no harm.
Click here for the Google Maps location.
I love these animals so I made a lot of pictures…
Playa Santa Cruz
Not as beautiful as Playa Lagun but still a nice, quiet and wide beach with a beautiful view. In the weekends it’s a popular beach among the locals. Click here for the Google Maps location.
4. Santa Martha Bay
This place has one of the best viewpoints of the island. From the viewpoint you will have an amazing view on the whole Santa Martha Bay. And there is a big chance you will have it all to yourself because very few tourists visit this spot.
When you’re visiting this place it’s nice to also stop at the Landhuis Klein Santa Martha Hotel. Here you can have a delicious quiet dinner with a beautiful view.
Click here to see the Google Maps location of the Santa Martha Bay viewpoint. The road is an easy to drive quiet road and you can park your car on the side of the road near the viewpoint.
5. Tree Of Life
This is a short hike that will take you to the Tree Of Life in about 15 minutes. On this hike you will pass a ruin of an old land house. The trail is easy to walk, just be careful of thorns.
Click here to see the Google Maps location.
You can park the car at the end of the street, on the side of the road. There will be a path with a sign that says: You are entering the Christoffel National Park. There is no entrance fee. Just follow the trail untill you reach the Tree Of Life.
6. Boka Sint Michiel
This place is located in a little village and also has some beautiful views. It’s a nice place to just relax and hang out and take some amazing pictures. In this village you will experience authentic local Curaçao vibes. There are 2 good restaurants located here: The Niffo Huts and DiVerse Sauzen. During dinner time it can be busy with the local people.
Click here for the Google Maps location of the Boka Sint Michiel viewpoint.
7. Rif Mangrove Park
The Rif Mangrove Park is a nature park where you can walk or kayak through the mangroves. In the park you will find information about the flora and fauna that lives there. It takes about 1 hour to hike through the park. If you want to explore the park by kayak you need to go with a guide, if you want to explore by foot you don’t need a guide. I did the hike through the park and it was a peaceful hike with different scenery than the rest of the country.
Click here for the Google Maps location of the Rif Mangrove Park. The easiest way to get there is to park your car for free here. And then walk to the entrance. The park is open everyday from 8:00 till 17:00. Entrance fee is NAFL 2.00.
8. Salt Lake Willibrordus
This is a place where you can spot flamingos. The scenery is beautiful and it’s easy to reach by car. You can park on the side of the road and walk around.
Click here for the Google Maps location.
9. Flamingos Blue Bay
You can’t find this location on Google Maps as a flamingo spot, but this is actually the best place to see them up close. The place is located near the Blue Bay Beach parking lot. Blue Bay is a gated community with several hotels, airbnb’s and regular houses. To enter the area you have to go through a gate where a security guard will ask your name and note down your license plate. It’s free to enter the community and the parking lot near the beach is free too. But for visiting the Blue Bay Beach there is an entrance fee. It’s a beautiful beach but it’s very touristy so I’m not gonna talk about that here.
Click here to see the Google Maps location of the flamingo spot.
10. Table Mountain
This is an adventurous hike to the top of table mountain which will give you a panoramic view of Curaçao. Table mountain is not as famous as Christoffelberg, which makes it a lot less touristy. But the hike is definitely as spectacular as Christoffelberg. There are several ways to reach the top. I did the unguided hike, but you can also go with a guide. Rock Climbing Curacao is the company who offers several hiking and climbing (with harness) tours to table mountain. To see more information about all the tours check out their website.
They are friendly and experienced people who will make sure you will enjoy the tours and feel safe.
The unguided hike costs NAFL 36.00 and is possible from Wednesday till Sunday between 7:00 and 12:00. No reservation needed.
Click here for the Google Maps location.
