The oldest inhabited place on Curaçao. Walk with a guide past 1,500 year old rock drawings, limestone pillars and colonies of bats flying above your head.
The Hato Caves (in Papiamento: Grot di Hato) sit on the north coast of Curaçao, about a 5 minute drive from the airport. This limestone cave system has been in use for more than 1,500 years, first by the Arawak natives, later by escaped enslaved people, and today as a major tourist attraction.
You can only enter the caves with a guide. A new 45 minute guided tour leaves every hour, taking you past rock drawings, limestone formations, an underground pond and colonies of bats. The guide explains the story of the Arawak, slavery and the geology of the island. From our villa at the Spanish Water the drive to Hato takes about 30 minutes.
Rock drawings made by the Arawak natives, long before Europeans arrived.
Hundreds of bats fly through the caves. Visible at a safe distance.
The first cave chamber, Kamber di Awa, holds a small pool of fresh water.
Four things your guide will show you during the 45 minute tour.
The rock drawings on the walls are more than 1,500 years old, made by the Arawak natives who lived here before Europeans arrived. The guide explains what the circles, spirals and figures meant in their culture.
Over thousands of years, slow drips of calcium rich water have built up dramatic limestone formations. Some have been named, like "the Freedom Fountain" and "the Madonna".
A separate cave chamber houses bat colonies. With proper lighting you can see them hanging from the ceiling or flying past. Completely safe at a distance.
On the ceiling of one of the deeper chambers you can see black marks. These are soot residues from torches used by escaped enslaved people, who hid here for months at a time.
Everything you need to know before visiting. Prices are indicative, check the official site for current rates.
Three storylines that intersect inside these caves.
The Arawak natives, also known as Caquetio, lived here for centuries before any European set foot on the island. They did not live in the caves but used them for ceremonies. The walls still hold their petroglyphs, abstract symbols of sun, water and spirits that were sacred to them.
During slavery, escaped enslaved people used the same caves as hiding places. Sometimes for weeks, sometimes for months they hid deep in the system. The black soot marks you see on the ceiling today come from their torches.
The caves formed in limestone that was once part of a coral reef. Tectonic shifts lifted the reef above sea level. Today the caves sit at about 60 meters altitude, with views over the so called limestone terraces below.
It is warm inside and even warmer outside in the afternoon. A 10:00 or 11:00 tour is usually the most comfortable.
Tickets are best paid in cash, USD or ANG. The card reader does not always work.
Flash is not allowed in some chambers due to the bats, the guide will say so in advance.
Easy from 5 years and up. Kids often love the bats and the stories about people hiding in the caves the most.
Combine with a visit to the north coast on the same day, for example Boca Tabla or Shete Boka.
Unlike other caves, these sit 60 m above sea level and are warm inside.
Our villa 3 Palabrua sits right on the Spanish Water in Jan Sofat. From here you reach the Hato Caves in about 30 minutes by car. Combine your visit with the north coast, for example with Grote Knip or Playa Lagun on the same day.
The questions most travelers ask before visiting.
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