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.
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.
A small nature preserve near the town of Barber, Hofi Pastor is best known as the home of Curaçao's oldest tree. We spent an afternoon here, checking out the ancient kapok and exploring a couple short trails that snake through the park.
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.
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.
Armed with only a vague notion of the hike we were supposed to be embarking upon, we set off into the cactus fields and brambles near Playa Port Mari. Online, it had been described as a "History Trail," and the printout we grabbed at the dive shop called it a "Bird Trail." But we shortly discovered there wasn't much of a "trail" of any sort. Let's just say, a machete would have come in handy.
