Christoffel and Shete Boka Parks

The rugged, arid northwest of Curaçao is home to the island's finest natural areas. The Christoffel National Park, the island's largest, sprawls across cactus-studded hills and dry forest, roamed by the rare Curaçao white-tailed deer, iguanas and orchids, and crowned by Mount Christoffel, the island's highest point, which can be climbed on a steep trail for panoramic views. Along the coast, the wilder Shete Boka park protects a dramatic stretch of rocky shoreline where the open Atlantic crashes into inlets and sea caves, sending spray exploding through blowholes, a raw, elemental contrast to the island's calm southern coves.

What you actually see

• Mount Christoffel - the island's highest peak and its views.
• The Curaçao deer and iguanas - the rare wildlife of the park.
• Shete Boka - the wild coast of crashing waves and blowholes.
• The sea caves and inlets - the dramatic rocky Atlantic shore.

When to go

Year-round in the dry, sunny climate; the Mount Christoffel climb is best done early in the morning to avoid the midday heat on the exposed trail, and the wildlife, including the deer, is most active around dawn and dusk. Shete Boka is dramatic in any conditions, especially when the Atlantic swell is up.

Honest expectations

The parks are arid, rugged and exposed, so the Christoffel climb is hot, steep and shadeless, requiring an early start, water and reasonable fitness, and the deer and other wildlife are shy; Shete Boka is a wild coast for watching the waves rather than swimming, which is dangerous there. As the wild, natural counterpoint to Curaçao's beaches and colourful capital, though, with its peak, rare wildlife and dramatic pounding coast, this northwest corner is well worth exploring.

Nearby

The northwest beaches, the Hato Caves and Willemstad are within reach.