BEACHES
AND SITES AROUND WESTPUNT
These directions are from our house on Playa Kalki
in Westpunt. If you are staying here, at the Lodge, All West or Marazul, it’s
pretty easy to figure them out. If you are staying elsewhere on the island,
check a map to get your bearings. Westpunt is at the far west end of the
island. Divers, it’s not sacrilegious to get out of the water on occasion you
know.
If you take a left from the house, a third of a
mile down the street there is a parking lot on the left with stairs that lead
down to Playa Kalki and Ocean Encounters West (OEW) Dive Shop. The staff is fun
& they teach all the PADI courses. The beach is very nice and this is
Sunshine’s favorite shore dive in Curacao,
OEW also rents kayaks and paddle boats. We have a
list of the gear, air and boat dives (our favorites are Watamula and Redhio) at
the house. There is food available at the beach and you can (sometimes) rent
beach chairs.
The Lodge Kura Hulanda is above the beach. The Lodge
has two restaurants. Both serve excellent meals, upscale with matching prices.
Request to eat on the terrace for the view but ask for both menus as they are
different. You can also schedule a massage at the Lodge. As you look out at the
ocean there is a cliff along the right side of the bay, this point is the most
western edge of the island. Kayaking past this point can be rough and the
currents unknown. The structures across from the Lodge are greenhouses. It was
a failed experiment that started with the thought that if strawberries,
tomatoes and cucumbers could be grown here, they could be grown anywhere. They
were and they were delicious. But… water is very expensive and the greenhouses
needed to be air conditioned at night for better growing conditions. I believe
that Jacob Gelt Dekker is building a solar farm next to the Lodge and will be
operating the greenhouses the “correct way” – his way.
After the parking lot and the hotel, the road will
turn into a dirt road. If you are biking or jogging (maybe by that time,
walking), you can take a right and make your way through the neighborhood and
circle back to the house. The first left after you take this right will take
you to the top of a hill near the sonar/tracking globes. If you go straight
from the hotel, maybe a mile, there is a right that will take you to the other
side of that hill and the lighthouse. It does not look like a traditional NE
lighthouse. Ask us for directions to other trails to follow; David has cleared
technical mountain bike routes as well as a couple of other trails to hike
about 1 ½ hour walk each.
By continuing straight (bearing left when the road
forks) you can follow the signs to Watamula, 2 miles from house. The north side of the island has rougher seas
and is not done as a shore dive. OEW goes to this site and their new plane
wreck nearby, by boat. At Watamula if you walk to the left, you will see some
painted trees. There is a very small private little cove hidden away, Playa
Gibi. If you look across the beach from the cliff you may see some dark brown
birds on the face of the opposite cliff, this is the nesting area of the Brown
Boobys. If you walk right from the Watamula sign, to the right of the large
boulder painted as the
Please lock your car and make a showing of taking
your purses and cameras with you. Do not get out of the car and lock anything
away in the trunk. While you personally will not be accosted, the “bad teeners”
may take advantage and break into a car if anything of value is left in plain
sight and sometimes in the trunk.
Back on the dirt road after Watamula, take a left.
This will now lead you east. You will come to an inlet. Most cars will not have
the clearance to drive much farther. By bike, you could possibly ride the
length of the island; David has ridden from the airport. By mountain bike
standards it’s an easy ride except for the thorny cactus & flat tires. Do
not remove any thorns until you get back to the house. Most probably the
farthest you would go is Boca Tabla. Before Shete Boca at one point on the ride
there is a right up a hill (you’ll see the water towers above you to your left)
that will take you past a few houses and out to the road, for a shorter ride
(circle, to the house). I can’t explain where to find it but in this area there
is a man made water area that fed a local well. Westpunt did not have running
water until the 1950s. There are a number of dams/wells in the area.
Shete Boca/Tabla by this route or by car (much
easier) on the main road is a nice place to visit. It is our friend Judy’s
favorite place on the island. The topography on the north side is totally
different. The ground is not volcanic but old coral beds from very long ago.
There is a natural bridge, small caves, walking trails and a turtle sanctuary.
During the day there is a small entrance fee, 3 guilders. On weekends the
locals sell food. Boca Pistol is named because the force of the waves creates a
spray that looks like it was shot from a pistol. There are seven (shete) bocas
(mouths or bays) in this area and there have been occasions when the waves were
high enough to deposit large rocks on the cliff. There are paths to walk in
both directions from the parking lot but you can drive as well. Write your name
with the rocks for a souvenir photo and there’s an excellent chance for a close
up photo of an iguana here.
About halfway back from the hotel to the house,
look up to the hills and you will see our Westpunt lady on her back. From the
left you can see her knees, the small rise of her belly, her breasts, barely
see her head and then her arm stretched out to the sea. Humor me, you’ll see
her.
If you take a right from the house and a right at
the ball field, you will come out to the main road. Jaanchie’s is truly local
food. There is now an ATM there. At all the ATMs on the island you can get
either guilders or dollars. In the past there has been some trouble with stolen
info. Please hold your hand over the keypad when you enter your password. If
you take a left, it is the fastest route toward
I would love to tell you there is a shooting range
in Wacawa but it’s for the Dutch Military.
Less than 10 miles from the house is the town of
Across from the church there is a main road that
will actually take you toward the beaches. One of the first couple of buildings
on the right is where they slaughter and sell goats and chickens. On Sundays
there is a market in the morning including live music & the locals sell
baked goods, plants, & food. This is a wonderful cultural experience. A
half mile or so up the hill (go up the hill) there is a large green building on
the right (not the Toko at the bottom of the hill). This is the closest store
with a large variety of supplies, they have everything you might need except
fresh produce. There is a gas station, bakery & bank in Barber and a BBQ
across from the church on Sunday nights.
Continuing on the main road you will see signs for
Asencion. It was where they housed the slaves who were sick. There are programs
that run on the first Sunday of the month from 10AM to 2PM and the Landhuis is
open to tour. Church services are said in Dutch and local artisans sell their
goods as well as food. Our neighbor Wim (very tall Dutch man) sells wind chimes
made from silverware and marbles. They have a small wandering band to serenade
you while you relax. If you are here on the first Sunday, we highly recommend a
visit. The crafts are nice including many oil and watercolors, ornaments made
from the calabash fruit and a local artist has a birthday calendar with
paintings of the island. Be sure to ask him to sign it for you for a gift to
your mom for her birthday or Christmas. Check out the flags in front of the
building; one waves in one direction and another flaps in the wind in the
opposite direction. Really! As you leave the parking lot you’ll see the grave
site of the mean landowner, they would not bury him within the property walls.
Locals claim he haunts the area and is the reason for the lack of cell phone
coverage and accidents in “the clove” where the road splits. He is buried outside
the entrance on his stomach with his head up on his hands to keep watch over
the Landhuis. At night some still enter their gates backwards closing the gate
as they enter to keep out the bad spirits. Hint! When you park, back into the
space.
Right before Ascension is Kas di Pal’I Maishi,
house of corn. It’s named for the corn stalked roofs and is a typical rural
house. It belongs to the ancestors of one of the first freed slaves to be given
owned land. It’s a small museum and tours are given. NAfl 3,00 admittance.
Right after Ascension the road splits, immediately after it becomes one again
there is parking on the north side for a hike to Boca Ascension. For 5 guilders
per person you might be able to get a tour from the wife of the
great-great-grandson of the original owner. The queen gave his mother
waterfront land on her last visit to the island. We have had guests geocaching there.
Still driving east, you will pass a road that
merges in from the right. This is the beach road that circles around from
Westpunt. The next major town is Tera Cora. There is a gas station here (yes,
gas is over $5 a gallon), an ATM, a drug store (Botika), a doctor’s office, and
a grocery store,
You’ll soon see signs for Restaurant Daniels. I
always order the pancakes with bacon and apple cooked in the batter when I go
for lunch and highly recommend all the pancakes.
Almost across from Daniels is a road that leads to
St. Willibrordus., Habitat, Daibooi, Porto Marie and the flamingos. It also
connects to the road that I refer to as the beach road. Just past the turn is a
small building on the right. Many years ago, a young couple was building a
chapel on their property. As they were painting the murals on the walls, the
wife mentioned that she thought she might be pregnant after many years of
trying to conceive and it turned out she was. Afterwards, the chapel became a
destination for those who wished to have children. A couple of miles further
you’ll find the rotary with the metal iguana near the airport.
From Jaanchie’s if you take a right you will
immediately see the small road (behind the house) that leads to the fishing
boats and Playa Piskado/Grandi. The fishermen sell fish daily. During the late
afternoons it is possible to snorkel or dive with the resident turtles. There
are also a few seahorses near the mooring lines of the boats (check out the
ropes on the dark orange/red buoy) and a metal statue of King Neptune at around
25 feet. After the church you will see Playa Forti. You can have a drink, jump
off the cliff and take some fantastic photos. Our neighbor, Oscar sells fish
soup and chicken on Sundays at the fishermen’s huts. Occasionally there is a DJ
playing local music (sometimes a bit loudly) on Sunday afternoons.
A couple of miles down this road you’ll see the
turn for Playa Knip. A knip is a red cherry like berry. It “kinda” reminds me
of a plum with much less fruit around the seed. Landhuis Knip has a slave
museum with information on
Back on the main road, you’ll go up and down a
couple of roller coaster hills. If you look carefully, there is a sign on the
right that says “spasm”. Slow down, there is a bump in the road here. Playa
Jeremi is the next beach that you will come to. Again it is small but very
nice. Lock your car and do not leave any valuables inside even for a short
while. Many like to snorkel at Jeremi. Immediately after Jeremi you can take a
right that will take you through the (very) small town of
At the town of
Further down is the turn for
Cas Abou is a development with very grand houses.
There is also access to a beach for a fee. The snorkeling is very good here but
the restaurant is not as nice as the one at
Before the main road there is a right to St.
Willibrordus. At an intersection, there is a shallow bay where you can see
flamingos. Take a left and park on the right. Take a right and the road heads
to the shore. If you follow the signs for Coral Estates you’ll come to Habitat
hotel and its house reef. The dive is nice but you must buy your air there, you
cannot bring it in with you. There isn’t a beach. It is under new ownership and
there are plans to create a beach. Nearby, both Daaibooibaai and Port Marie are
gorgeous beaches. There is dive shop at Porto Marie and an entrance fee of 3,50
guilders ($2). Port Marie has a double reef to dive and the snorkeling is good.
They rent chairs there for 5 guilders, have a shower and have a nice
restaurant. I usually order the pannekoekens. Dutch pancakes are thicker than a
crepe but much thinner than NE style pancakes. Daibooi is free but there is a
very long swim out to the reef for a shore dive.
We have yet to explore the area around St. Michael
including Blauwbaai, Vaersenbaai and Bullenbaai. Our end of the island is called Banda Abou.
It means the down side or the West side.
There
are bugs on the
There
is also something I’ll call the P factor. If you can see or smell your urine,
you are dehydrated. Sometimes it’s a bother, but try to drink as much water as
you can. If you get leg cramps or headaches, I told you so.
There
is a lot to do and see on the island and we have a few brochures. Please let me
know if you need any information. During the winter there are a lot of cruise
ships. The busiest days in town are Wednesdays and Fridays. If possible I would
try not to plan anything for those days. Also, many people from
In
Westpunt, you can eat here at Sol Food on Friday, Saturday, & Sunday. We
like to think of ourselves as friends with food. There’s not much to do in
Westpunt so it’s fun to hang out and talk to other travelers and divers. And,
we have pizza. The hotel is expensive but very nice. Try to eat on the terrace
but ask to see both menus as they are different. Jaanchie’s serves local food;
most of it is served as stew; iguana, goat, and chicken. They also have grilled
fish and (dry) pork chops. At night, wear long pants, there are a lot of
mosquitoes. Jaanchie himself
is a one man show. Don’t be in a rush, it may take a while. Think of it as
going for the experience. Rancho Sobrino’s is pretty basic but we have heard
the restaurant at Playa Forti is a little iffy. The Chinese Restaurant across
from Jaanchie’s is an experience in ordering but I think it’s more of a place
to go for a cold beer and maybe dominos. The people of
Church
at
Sol Food @ Curacao Sunshine Getaway
Playa Kalki G 1 A
Westpunt Curacao NA
011-599-9-864-0005
OK,
by request some in town suggestions;
Landhuis
Brakkeput Mei Mei (767-1500), Grandbeeuw,
Vrendenberg, Daniel (864-8400), Dokterstuin and maybe Brievengat are
restaurants. Landhuis Bloemhof (737-5775) and Habaai (462-8896) have art
galleries. Landhuis Ascension (864-1950) was used to house the sick slaves and
is open on the first Sunday of every month with crafts and local food
available. Landhuis Chobolobo (461-3526) houses the liquor distillery. Landhuis
Groot Sta Marta is a working farm and has dolls made by the handicap. Landhuis
Knip is a museum dedicated to
Like
to dance? OK Mondays at Brakkeput Mei Mei. Tuesdays
reggae at Ay Carumba. Wednesdays at Hooks Hut. Thursdays at DeHeeren.
Fridays at Asia De