Curacao: Shete Boka — Seven Inlets

Today’s destination is Shete Boka which means ‘Seven Inlets”. The area actually has more than 10 Boka’s (inlets) where three species of turtles nest. Years ago, an environmental group arranged excursions in this area along seven bays. This is where the name came from, however, there are more than seven coves in this national park.

When we arrived at the entrance, the attendants were very discouraging. They said the road was full of potholes from the rain and dangerous to drive. So we said we would walk not realizing how far apart everything was.

After seeing a couple cars off in the distance, we ended up driving. The attendants were right; deep potholes, puddles and mud slicks made maneuvering the “road” a challenge. But it was worth it.

*It’s about a mile drive to reach the Wandomi parking lot. Mount Christoffel can be seen in the background.*

We began our hike to Boka Wandomi. The small dirt parking lot is monitored by a caretaker in a wooden tower-like structure. The final destination features a large natural bridge with lots of wave action.

*No shade here and lots of cacti. It’s a dusty walk to the edge of the coast.*

To reach the final destination, you need to hike down into a ravine and then hike back up the other side. The ravine has rocks that form letters, words, hearts, etc. Someone with a lot of energy and tolerance for heat created this open-air work of art.

*The trail leads down a limestone bluff, through a ravine and up the other side.*

*A pathway with steps leads down into the ravine.*

*Intentional arrangement of stone … can’t quite make out what it’s spelling.*

*The trail goes back up the bluff on the other side of the ravine.*

*Rough terrain leads to an observation platform.*

*The observation platform provides a lower look at the natural bridge.*

*David walking over the natural bridge, Boka Wandomi.*

*Lots of splashing wave action at the foot of the natural bridge.*

*Amazing to watch the colors of the sea.*

We hiked back to the car. The air-conditioning revived us. It was a very slow 2-3 mile drive to Boka Pistol parking lot at the other end. The heat along with the bad roads and time limitations forced us to be selective about which boka’s we hiked. The park closes at 4:00 pm.

We didn’t see any cruise ship excursion buses here and not many other tourists. The combination of heat, full sun and long hiking distances made it challenging.

*Didn’t see many other tourists but we did cross paths with a herd of goats on our way to the next Boka.*

Next stop is Boka Pistol, so named because the waves crash into the cliffs so hard that they reverberate with a sound similar to the sound of a shotgun.