Shete Boka: the rough side of Curaçao

The south coast of Curaçao is where you swim. The north coast is where you look. Shete Boka National Park covers seven inlets where the Atlantic hits the limestone with no reef in front of it, and the contrast with the side you sleep on is hard to overstate.

The three worth seeing

Boka Tabla is the best known. You walk into a cave below the level of the coast and the waves come in underneath you. The sound inside that cave is the reason people talk about it.

Boka Pistol is further along and gets its name from the crack the waves make coming back off the rock. In heavy seas it is spectacular. In flat seas it goes quiet.

Boka Wandomi has a natural arch you can look through. It is the calmest of the three and usually you have it to yourself.

How to do it

You can drive between the bays or walk. Walking is better and takes about an hour for the whole stretch, on unpaved paths with no shade. Wear shoes, not flip flops: the limestone is sharp and uneven.

Do not go close to the edge. The rock is hollowed out by the water and breaks away, and there is nothing between you and the ocean. This is the only place on the whole island where we say that.

Practical

There is an entry fee for the park. Bring water, because nothing is for sale past the gate. The track to the blowhole is partly unpaved: an ordinary rental car will reach Boka Tabla, and a higher vehicle helps for the far end. The drive from Mambo Beach is about an hour.