BANDA ABOU

Banda Abou or also popularly called “Bandabou”, is the more untouched underdeveloped part of Curacao. Curacao is a long island that has two parts. In the middle there is a narrower part. The part east of this is the more developed part. the settles once started building forts here. The larger populated neighborhoods are therefore located here. you will also find the shopping areas, the harbour, the industry and larger hotels here. the part to the west has long stretches along landscape and farms.

Its residents are also seen as a different kind of island dweller. They are considered by locals of being more naturally oriented, have chickens in the back of the yard and are more laid back than people who live in the city. Many people who live there have lived off the land for generations or earned an income as fishermen. It is pacufying to get lost in the many long roads through the landscape. The roads run through valleys and over large hills. Banda Abou also has a number of forest areas, but also a number of vast bare sand plains.

In Banda Abou there are aren’t many restaurants and pubs. Dokterstuin in Barbar, Bali in Grote Berg, Playa Forti at Westpoint, Cactus Cafeweg naar Knip, Toko Williwood at Sint Willibrordus, Bistro Lanternu at Fontein, De Buurvrouw at Grote Berg, Sol Food at Westpoint village, Shelter Rock at Barber village, and Karakter at Coral Estates are well-known names. Each have a distinctive personality and the levels differ a lot. During your stay, we advise scheduling a road trip to Banda Abou once or more. Make it a relaxed day full of variety by visiting small eateries, the most remote beaches, and places of interest.

BEACHES

This part of Curacao has the most beautiful beaches. There are more than 40 beaches ranging from small to big. Many consider Groot Knip beach as the most beautiful beach of Curacao because of its hill side views and white sands. Others indicate that Cas Abou has the most bounty content. But every beach has something special because of its type of beach front, location or accessibility. Playa Jerami has, for example, small round stones as shoreline and is super clear in terms of underwater visability. West Punt Beach is located in a bay area where there is a town and a lot of activity. In our opinion, Santa Cruz is the most pistoresk because of its unspoiled nature and fishing boats. According to locals, the most beautiful beaches for snorkeling are Playa Port Marie and Cas Abou Beach.

Our advice is to drive along different points of interest and beaches during a road trip. Somewhere to eat and relax, somewhere to snorkel and then somewhere to watch the sunset. There are also beaches that are more developed and also offer beach chairs such as at Karakter in Coral Estates and Playa Piskado. At most you will also find a snack bar for ice creams, refreshments or quick snack.

CHRISTOFFEL PARK

Christoffel National Park is the largest and most biodiverse park national reserve located around the maintain Christoffel Berg. It is situated in the north western side of the island along the Weg naar Westpunt (translated the road to westpoint). The entrance is at the historic Savonet mansion where there’s a small museum dedicated to Wildlife in Curacao. The park is managed by Carmabi, Curacao’s Nature institute.

Locals en tourists climb the maintain frequently as an outdoor past time. Everyday when the weather permits it, groups of people set out on a journey to reach the top of the mountain that is about 370 meters high. It’s an undertaking that asks for some persistence as the walk and climb require some effort. Still the exercise is well worth the energy because of the beautiful scenic views along the paths uphill. You’re free to wander through its sand roads by car or on foot. Most visitors drive around to certain points where they then take short walks. On entry you will be handed a map of all sights, viewpoints, walking rails and roads. Trucks, SUVs and Jeeps are a preferred choice for driving around as some roads in the park are pretty steep or bumpy. But you can still manage with smaller lower cars. We would suggest also exploring the more northern coastal roads and trails to. In caves in this area you can observe old Indian paintings. The views along the rocky coastline where the waves smash into shore is an unforgettable experience.

TERA KORA

Tera Kora needs to be mentioned in the list of interesting places in Banda Abou. The long sandy planes in this area are unique in nature. You’ll have to search for the point of entrance at the cow farm from the main road. You’ll find the road that leads there is about 100 meter passing the crossing of Kaminda Matheuw and main road Weg naar Westpunt. The landowners at the entrance lever charge $3 to enter the planes. You can also enter from the airport side (no charge). There’s an entrance behind the Free Zone building next to the American base FOL. You can drive freely over the planes and reach the sea at different points. In front of the second windmill large piles of driftwood and plastic rubble reaches wash ashore, an interesting sight.

If you pay attention you can spot artwork of popular local artist Yubi Kirindongo in the rock formations along the road. The vegetation in this part of the island is unique in its soort as it is adapted to harsh salty winds. What is also a tourist attraction is the “bol” cactus you’ll find along the roads. These cactus are perfectly round shaped. You can also spot the Divi Divi tree on the hills. This is a tree that’s typical on the island as it bends with the wind direction.

WESTPOINT

There is a village called westpunt most west on the long road “weg naar westpunt”. A popular viewpoint is the parking area overseeing the 3 beaches in the bay at westpoint. The past years there has been a lot of development in this aria. Different apartment complexes, motels, mini resorts and restaurants have opened. Because a group of turtles visit the Playa Piskadero, one of the local beaches, many tourist like to snorkel there.

If you like more privacy then Playa Westpunt or Playa Kalki are a better choice to spend time. You can climb on the coral stone walls and dive from some heights into the crystal blue sea. Behind the restaurant called Playa Forti you cliff dive from a height of 12 meter. It’s a great place to chill out among the local residents. The visibility underwater is exceptional. So be shure to bring your snorkel gear.

ABOUT US

We like to take you off the beaten track!

We’re a team of proud island nature lovers. To make your stay a mesmerizing experience we take you to all the special places on Curacao. We only list tours for small groups that are safe, personal, exiting and unique. You’ll experience with us how we spend our free time and where we like to go. Join us on our next adventure!

TAILORMADE TOURS

On demand we can outline a tour thats is tailored to your special wishes. If you like to snorkeling and also want to combine that with a more daring adventure, we can provide advice and options. This is especially interesting for groups that want to go on an adventurous tour that is “all inclusive”.

INQUIERY

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