We spent the first day of our trip lounging around on the beach and snorkeling at the hotel, so the next day we ventured out to the north tip of the island.

One of the nice things about Curaçao is that it isn’t very large, so it’s easy to see the entire island if you rent a car. We couldn’t bear to be cooped up the hotel for five straight days so that’s exactly what we did.

Our first stop was Shete Tabla. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that we were able to drive to each of the unique overlooks. Normally I don’t shy away from a good hike (especially along a scenic coastline) but the temperature was pushing 100 and I was already nursing a mild burn on my legs from the day before.

The biggest attraction is the underwater cave at Boca Tabla. The tide level was low so we were able to climb down into the cave and see the ocean splashing in and out.

My favorite part was Boca Pistol, where the water collects in an underground cave and then shoots up and out like a gun going off. Thanks to the speedy shutter speed of our camera, Eric was able to catch the phenomenon pretty well.

The natural bridge at Boka Wandomi was a little underwhelming but the coastline itself was very scenic.

After a cold drink, we drove back to Christoffel Park. We picked up two maps, entered the park, and immediately began to pray that our rental car would make it up some of the hills! The park is on both sides of the main road, so we explored more of the coast and Christoffel Mountain. It was way too hot to climb to the top, but we stopped at various viewpoints and enjoyed the vegetation. October is the beginning of their rainy season, so there was an abundant mix of cacti, bromeliads, and other dry climate plants.

I would highly recommend both national parks to anyone visiting the island… just be sure to bring some water with you!