Curaçao has plenty of calm, clear water and beautiful, sandy beaches flanked by sheer cliff walls and sea caves.
But that's the southern side of the island. Travel to the north side and craggy, rocky shores, rough waters, and natural blowholes make up the scenery.
With all the snorkeling I did, I really appreciated mixing things up to see natural attractions at Watamula Hole and Shete Boka National park.
Watamula Hole
Watamula Hole is located in Sabana Westpunt on the Northernmost tip of the island. I traveled there from Playa Kalki along a dirt road that meandered through thick, thorny bushes.
When I visited, it was free to park and explore for as long as I wanted. The constant sun-exposure and no place to swim means this will likely be a short visit for most people. I probably spent no more than an hour here.
There is a local guide posted at the site. The guide's role was mostly to help people find the hole. I imagine he is also there to help anyone who gets hurt. Aside from the danger of falling into the hole, the entire area is covered in uneven, sharp coral rock. This rock cuts right through thin flips flops and is bound to scratch you up even when you're careful.
I planned ahead and brought my sneakers. Even in sneakers, walking around this area was challenging! Posing for photos meant setting lots of time on my timer to get into position safely.
The hole was the big attraction here and was indeed very impressive. I made sure to pose next to it to get a better perspective on how big it is.
The waves crash into the cavern below the hole occasionally spray up and create little rainbows. I stood there for a while watching, mesmerized by the waves and turquoise-colored water.
A bit further away from the hole, there is a flatter area where the waves come crashing onto shore. Sometimes they pull up through smaller holes in the ground and spray up. I spent some time here admiring their geyser-like behavior.
Setting up my camera solo without being able to time it right with the sprays was a challenge. The sun kept going away or the timer wouldn’t go off in time. I set the timer and then carefully and quickly picked my way across jagged rock to get into position each time. While I managed to get a few decent shots, I also manage to cut up my legs on the coral a bit!
Near the parking area before leaving there is a large rock here painted with the Curaçao flag. It's a great photo opportunity, with views of the open sea beyond!
I imagine this spot would be beautiful to see at sunset with its expansive ocean views and waves crashing onto shore. And since it's free and open to the public, you can visit any time without restriction.
Shete Boka National Park
Unlike Watamula Hole, Shete Boka National Park charges a fee (~$6) to enter. It's open from 9AM-5PM and has lots of local guides posted around at each site.
In papiamentu, Shete Boka means Seven Inlets. Shete Boka National Park has many coastal inlets where waves crash into shore, sometimes spraying upwards in dramatic plumes.
There are some short trails and many different inlets to see but the 4 main inlets to visit here are Boka Pistol, Boka Kalki, Boka Tabla, and Boka Wandomi.
I followed input from other travelers and drove over to Boka Pistol first then made my way back toward the entrance, visiting each additional boka along the way.
The drive through the park to Boka Pistol was part of the adventure. I followed a narrow, dirt path that had sharp turns, around which were sometimes tourists driving from the opposite direction. This took some careful maneuvering to let people pass.
Boka Pistol is arguably the most popular of the bokas in this park because of its enormous, gun-fire like explosions of sea water. This was a really fun spot to take photos and capture video of all the action.
Watch the video below:
At Boka Kalki, there is a short hike through a tree-covered path. This was a relief since there is almost constant sun exposure at this park.
The short trail emerged at a beach-like inlet. This is probably the only boka where it's somewhat safe to dip into the water. You can observe the water coming in from the floor of the inlet or get views from on top of the cliffs that flank its sides.
Boka Tabla offers a nice platform that gives you views of another inlet. Here, the major attraction is down underneath the rock on the left side of the inlet. Called the "Theatre," Boka Tabla provides a space to sit down at the back of a sea cave and watch as the waves roll in, sometimes crashing right up onto the platform where tourists watch the natural show.
It's exhilarating because it feels dangerous and probably is if the weather gets very bad or the waves get particularly rough!
Watch the video below:
Boka Wandomi requires a bit of a walk from the main parking lot. The paths go out to look out points and also work their way across one inlet where people place white rocks to create messages. On the other side of this inlet is another inlet where you can walk to a viewing platform to see a natural bridge.
This spot offers very pretty views and the waves here continue to crash around dramatically like at other inlets. It's definitely worth the walk over to see this last boka!
In Conclusion
I really enjoyed visiting both Watamula Hole and Shete Boka National Park. If you have the time while in Curaçao, it's worth the trip to see both.
But don't expect it to take long. Constant sun exposure and no real safe spaces to swim mean you'll probably be in and out of each in an hour! After that, you can head over to the many beaches of the Westpunt area for some needed swim and snorkel time.
