Michael Powell's Blog, page 51
February 24, 2016
A Hike Around Patrick
Between the town of Barber and the eastern coast of Curaçao lies a swath of land known as Patrick, after a plantation house which used to sit roughly in its center. Rugged, isolated and mostly flat, this is a popular area for ATV tours, but you can also hike, and easily reach the coast to see a couple of impressive inlets.
The hike begins on a path through the woods. Two minutes in, we encountered a young man holding a machete, walking towards us. “Keep cool,” I told myself. “There’s got to b...
Playa Cas Abou
A large, full-service beach between Playa Porto Mari and the beaches of San Juan, Playa Cas Abou is not the place to go when you feel like getting away from it all. But if you want an easy day on the sand, with food and drinks readily available, you could certainly do worse.
Cas Abou is yet another of Curaçao’s unfairly beautiful beaches. A long stretch of sand, with palm trees and crystal clear waters, Cas Abou draws both locals and groups of tourists. You can walk right into the sea, witho...
February 23, 2016
Christoffelpark’s Zevenbergen and Seru Bientu
Without a doubt, Curaçao’s most popular hike is to the top of the Christoffelsberg. Practically speaking, it’s the only popular hike. But as we’ve learned, there are plenty of other trails on the island which merit attention. One of the best is also within the National Christoffelpark: a rarely-used path which leads through a region called the Zevenbergen (Seven Peaks) and to the summit of Seru Bientu, where a unique type of palm tree grows.
At the park office, we signaled our intention to h...
The Beaches of San Juan
Four beaches can be accessed from a single entry point near the northern town of Soto. At the former Landhuis of San Juan, you’ll be asked to pay a small entry fee before continuing along a set of dirt paths that lead to the sea. Which path you take, is up to you.
Each of San Juan’s four beaches are beautiful, and you might find yourself tempted to spend time at all of them. Working from north to south, the first you come across is Playa Chiki. The track which leads down to the beach is extr...
The Sunday Market at Barber
Every Sunday morning in the northern town of Barber, the market hall is converted into a food court, where you can find just about every type of Curaçaoan specialty imaginable, from fish soup to stewed papaya, along with a wide variety of baked sweets and homemade drinks. Show up hungry, because you’ll likely want to sample a little of everything.
This weekly market is a popular local event, with a number of stands dishing out home-cooked meals to hungry patrons. The Marshe di Barber is righ...
February 17, 2016
The Hato Caves
Carved out over the course of millennia into the region’s limestone landscape, the Hato Caves are found next to Curaçao’s international airport. In the past, these caves served as a shelter for the Arwak Indians and a hiding spot for runaway slaves, and are now a popular tourist attraction.
The entrance to the caves is found on a cliff terrace high above the park, so the tour begins with a sharp climb up a set of stairs. After this initial exertion, though, the rest of the excursion is easy;...
February 14, 2016
Two Great Seafood Joints in Willemstad
As you might expect for an island nation, fish is a popular meal on Curaçao. And as you might expect for a Caribbean island nation, fried fish is where it’s at. I’m sure there are others, but we’ve found two local seafood joints which we can highly recommend.
The Seaside Terrace is on the south side of Willemstad, down near Mambo Beach. We’d heard a lot about the restaurant from a lot of different people, and none of them were exaggerating. This place doesn’t disappoint.
As soon as we stepp...
A Birthday Celebration at Playa Forti
This year, we celebrated Jürgen’s birthday at Playa Forti. I wouldn’t be so crass as to reveal how old he was turning, but please let me reiterate that this birthday celebration was at Playa Forti. It was a wonderful spot to spend the morning, enjoy peaceful solitude, swim, snorkel… and to mourn the loss of fleeting youth.
Almost immediately, Playa Forti worked its way into the top echelon of our favorite beaches on Curaçao. It has everything — beautiful rocky surroundings, glorious solitude...
Fine Dining at Fort Nassau
Of all Curaçao’s former Dutch fortresses, our favorite was destined to be Fort Nassau. Fort Amsterdam might have the most fascinating history and Fort Beekenburg might have the coolest atmosphere… but Fort Nassau has the food nailed down. And food will beat history or atmosphere every time.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, when the Dutch were busy extending their tendrils across the globe, a number of forts named Nassau were established to protect their new properties. There were Fort Nas...
February 13, 2016
Koraal Tabak
The region north of Saint Joris Bay goes by the name of Koraal Tabak. Intriguing… “Tobacco Coral”? What could that mean? It was a mystery, and so when we learned about a hike in the area, we had to check it out. Spoiler: there was no tobacco. And I still have no idea what Koraal Tabak really means.
The hike starts at the water-side headquarters of the Fundashon Sint Joris Baai. On weekends, local kids can come here to learn how to windsurf for free, but we were visiting on a Tuesday and foun...
