In the rolling, undeveloped hills to the west of St. Martha's Bay, we completed a long hike through the woods to a few isolated coves, including Boka Pos Spanjo and Boka Hulu. This same trail passes by both the Blue Room and Santu Pretu, but unless you're prepared for a very long day, you'll have to pick and choose which beaches you stop at.
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!
Leaving from Boka Sami, there's a circular hike leading around the lagoon and salt flats of St. Michiel, and up to the top of Michielsberg. It's an easy walk, about five kilometers long, and shows off some of Curaçao's diverse nature.
After parking our car at Landhuis Ascencion, we embarked on a hike which would bring us through some wildly diverse nature, including forests, cactus fields, and towering granite outcrops. But the highlight came at Boka Ascencion, where we stood atop a small cliff and watched turtles swimming in the sea below us.
The inland region between Vaersenbaai and Grote Berg is known as Malpais, which can be translated as "The Badlands." Despite the rather uninviting name, we embarked on a hike through this undeveloped, uninhabited terrain, following the Biná and Jamanika trails, and ending with a swim at the secluded Boka Unico.
The plantations of colonial-era Curaçao had it rough, because the island's arid ground makes it difficult to grow produce or raise livestock. How exactly were the unlucky Dutch landowners going to earn the fabulous fortunes for which they'd come to the New World? Many turned their eyes to something which Curaçao has in abundance: seawater. Or rather, the salt inside of the seawater.
