If you like rugged, sometimes desert like, terrain, Curaçao is the place to be. The north side of the island (the Hato plain) is really quite spectacular. A flat, barren, vulcanic plain where enormous waves from the Caribbean Sea crash into the rocks.
On the other hand, Curaçao also offers some surprising green spots.

One of the best ways to explore Curaçaos nature is on foot. As it is always very hot, bring a lot of water and sunblock and don't take a walk during the middle of the day. The best routes are described in the guide "Curaçao Hiking Map", available in all local bookstores.

The north coast is rugged, with a lot of small inlets. Big waves come rushing in, crashing against the high cliffs.
There are many places with easy access to the coast. The dirt road from Hato airport to San Pedro is the best place to start. This road is easilly accessible by car.

This road will also take you past several small caves. Caving is not a big deal on Curaçao. It's not particularly spectacular if you've seen other caves before. However, if you like a bit of crawling on the ground, than there are a few narrow passages that you will like. A very special cave is the underground river. A strange sight on such an arid island!
The caves are poorly indicated, so you need a guide. Several tour agencies on the island offer guided tours.

If you don't want to rough it, you can also visit the big Hato cave near the airport. This is the "tourist cave" on the island. It is beautifuly lit and the cave has big stalagtites and stalagmites. You pay an entrance fee and get a guide who will tell you all about the history of the cave.

Another wonderful place to visit is the Christoffel park, on the way to Westpunt. In this nature reserve you can easily roam around for a day (by car, mountain bike, horseback or on foot). You can climb the 375 m Christoffel mountain, visit caves, see indian paintings and spot a lot of animals. Although it can be hard to spot the white tail deer, we saw several right in front of us.
If you want to climb Christoffel mountain, you can leave your car at the foot of the mountain. However, it's best to leave your car at the gate, and walk all the way (1-1.5 hours to the top). Even the walk to the foot of the mountain is beautiful, something you won't see if you go to by car. On a clear day the view from the top is splendid and worth the hot climb.
Tourists pay Naf 25 entrance, locals Naf 5.

For the less adventurous, the area around Jan Thiel is ideal for walking too. The laguna is right between two major touristic areas: the hotels around Sea Aquarium beach and the hotels around Jan Thiel beach.
Around Jan Thiel bay and laguna there are a couple of well kept tracks. You can easily walk from the Sea Aquarium (starting behind the resort wall at the far end of the parking lot) along the coast to Jan Thiel and back in about an hour. On the way you have some spectacular views from the 10-20m high cliffs. Be sure to take some of the narrows paths that take you to tiny beaches.
About half way you reach a rocky beach. If you want to swim, you need some sort of booties or Teva sandals. When you reach Jan Thiel, you can relax and swim at the public beach, or walk a little further to the private beach.

Another good track here is the one that takes you to the middle of the Jan Thiel laguna. It's a bit more difficult to find this one if you are unfamiliar with the area. You should drive to the end of the Caracasbaaiweg (the road leading to Caracasbaai) and turn right. Turn right again at the end. Just before you reach the end of this street, there is a trail leading away from the road. Again, you have some magnificent views of the laguna. Late afternoon is the best time to come here, as the Curaçao parakeets swarm the area.