En Español
Bike Curaçao
By George Oxford Miller and Carol M. Bareuther, RD
Amstel Curaçao Race takes place in November each year with an after party at Mambo Beach. If you arrive several days early, you can also take part in the race-related festivities including parties and sports activities. This race is open to pros and amateurs.
For the visitor who wants a little exercise with their sightseeing, Curacao's World Cup mountain-bike routes treat peddlers to fabulous vistas.
From salt flats to rocky tracks, bikers get thrills and test skills on world-class routes. In 2006, Curaçao hosted an International Cycling Union World Cup race. Peddle the trails that challenged the best. Bikers on the Jan Thiel trails share the track with flamingos and pelicans. Routes through Christoffel Park pass caves, Arawak petroglyphs, a natural bridge, and the rugged Boca Tabla coastline. Take a spin on the St. Joris Baai loop, and stop at E Bista, an open-air cookshack at Playa Kanola, for a delicious fresh fish and veggie lunch.
Explore Curacao by bike and enjoy pedaling by forts and forests, caves and craggy coastlines, plantations and salt ponds. The island offers nearly a dozen mountain bike areas with varying degrees of difficulty. For example, take an easy guided bike tour of the Caracas Bay Peninsula, where you can stop to hike historic Fort Beekenburg as well as cycle an off-the-road trail alongside the beautiful Spanish Waters. Then, for a little something tougher, tour the fisherman's village of St. Michiel and then ride out on the salt flats, which are part of the course of the annual Extreme Duo Mountain Bike Race, to the nature reserve at Malpais where you can look for the sometimes elusive white-tailed deer. You'll be in good company if you want to take off on your own. There are over a dozen official cycling clubs on the island with events almost every weekend. There are even special races for kids too. If you're not use to tropical cycling, the Curacao Cycling Association recommends riding in the early morning or late afternoon, pack plenty of water to drink, use sunscreen, wear a helmet and take a spare tube or puncture repair kit if you plan to ride on off-road trails as the island has many thorny plants. Rent mountain bikes for US $20 or $110 per week, with helmet, pump and water bottle included; there are no road bikes for rent.
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