Curaçao has a long history of cultivating aloe vera, since it's one of the few plants able to thrive in the island's dry and windy climate. We visited the Curaloe Plantation and Factory, near the Ostrich Farm and St. Joris Bay, to see how the plants are grown, harvested and processed. Or at least, that's what we were hoping to see.
We carefully made our way along an overgrown path, which, according to my calculations, had last been used by the Arwak Indians sometime in the late 1400s. Our mission was to find the legendary Playa Hunku, a place rumored about in whispered conversations across the island, but which no living man or woman had yet laid eyes upon. Our expedition was fraught with danger (cacti! mosquitoes!) but after a wearying trek of twenty entire minutes, we saw it: the fabled beach of Playa Hunku. And it was ours... all ours!!
After having hiked to the top of Christoffelberg, we had enough time to continue exploring the park. A driving route recommended by the visitor's center brought us to a few interesting sights, including a remote beach, a dark cave, and ancient rock paintings made by the Arwak Indians.
Curaçao's most popular hike, and perhaps its only popular hike, is the trek to the summit of Christoffelberg. At a modest 372 meters above sea level, this is the tallest peak on the island, and reaching the top requires an effort of about 90 minutes.
Just past the Landhuis Santa Martha, near the town of Soto, is a hilly, forested patch of Curaçao which hasn't yet been developed. More accurately, I should say that it's no longer developed. We followed the road until reaching its end at Sunset Waters, a former resort which has been abandoned for years.
We had heard about a hike around the small Caracasbaai Peninsula, leading from Tugboat Beach up to the top of the Kabrietenberg, and then back around the southern side of the peninsula. It would lead past mangrove forests and coral wastelands to Directorsbaai, before passing an abandoned mansion and returning to the starting point. Sounded perfect, and we couldn't resist checking it out.
Every once in awhile, Jürgen and I will cross our fingers and embark upon an excursion which we know nothing about. Our trip to Hanchi Spelonk was one such adventure. There's almost nothing on the internet nor in guidebooks about this little park, but we supposed it was worth a shot... if for no other reason than the excuse to say "Hanchi Spelonk" repeatedly throughout the day. Hanchi Spelonk!
Crystal blue waters, soft white sand, a laid-back atmosphere in a gorgeous natural environment... you know, it feels like I've been using this description a lot, doesn't it? It's getting boring. Come on, Curaçao! Why don't you surprise us with an ugly beach?! Actually, on second thought, scratch that. Just keep the beauty coming and we'll try not to complain. Next up: Playa Jeremi.
One of Curaçao's best traits is its delirious language situation. Curaçaoans speak seemingly anything and everything, often all at once. We've had people switch from Dutch to Spanish to English on the turn of a dime, as they try and guess our nationality. But the language we most love to hear from Curaçaoans is Papiamento -- a creole mix of West African, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English, and even some Arwak.
