in the Cathedral of Thorns
3. Cathedral of Thorns
On the outskirts of Willemstad, next to Country House Bloemhof, you will find this impressive work of art: the work of Herman Van Bergen, who arranged the thorny branches of kapok trees to form a tall building open at the top. Inside this work of art (“Cathedral of Thorns“), numerous paintings by local artists (e.g. Giovani Zanolino) and various sculptures are integrated into the walls. Very exciting!
Afterwards, you can stroll through the small botanical garden located in the grounds of this former plantation house. It is also worth taking a look inside the house itself, which now houses a kind of cultural center.
4. Fireworks
Every Thursday at 20:00 there are fireworks in Willemstad. You should see it. There is an excellent view from the roof terrace of the Cascada Roof Top Bar. Their (hotel) bar is open for guests of the bar. Reservations must be made in advance.
5. Hofi Pastor
Hardly anyone knows about this little park and you won’t find it in many travel guides. We learned about it from a great steward on our flight to Curacao. He was from this island and you could feel his excitement for his homeland growing with every mile of the flight. He gave us this tip and many others.
And it was worth it! An enchanted park with the oldest tree on the island: a kapok tree. Legend says it that it was brought from Venezuela by the Arawak Indians. Awe-inspiring!
However, you will need to take a good look at the map in the entrance area to find your way around. The “Maps.me” app is also helpful.
Afterwards you can visit the village of Barber with its authentic market (not necessarily for tourists) and some former slave houses (Kunuku Houses) just around the corner.
6. “Shete Boca” National Park
The National Park “Shete Boca” is located in the northwest of the island. It shows the rough side of Curacao. Here you can experience the power of the waves hitting the rocks. Absolutely impressive!
You can’t swim on this side of the island, it would be too dangerous. However, on a few days in the year you can dive in some places, but the entry is difficult (surf!) and the sea is very choppy, so the other side of the island offers much more relaxed diving with better visibility.
7. Cristoffel National Park
Far to the west is Savonet Plantation House, where you can buy tickets for Cristoffel National Park ($15/person, as of 2024; includes museum visit). You can drive through the park in your own car. Beware, there are no paved roads! Depending on road conditions (rainfall, etc.) an off-road vehicle is recommended.
You will drive through an impressive landscape and have a great view of the island from a viewpoint. If you get up very early in the morning and are at the entrance about 6:30 a.m., you can climb to the top. A much later start is not recommended due to the high temperatures.
