Westpunt is the name of the westernmost point of the island of

Curaçao Curaçao ( ; ; pap, Kòrsou, ), officially the Country of Curaçao ( nl, Land Curaçao; pap, Pais Kòrsou), is a Lesser Antilles island country in the southern Caribbean Sea and the Dutch Caribbean region, about north of the Venezuela coast ...

, a country within the

Kingdom of the Netherlands , national_anthem = ) , image_map = Kingdom of the Netherlands (orthographic projection).svg , map_width = 250px , image_map2 = File:KonDerNed-10-10-10.png , map_caption2 = Map of the four constituent countries shown to scale , capital = ...

in the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

. A flag marks the most westerly point of the island off

Cliff Villa Peninsula The Cliff Villa Peninsula (Klif Villa Schiereiland) is a promontory where two currents meet on the north-westerly point of the island of Curaçao (a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean) Cliff Villa Peninsula is kn ...

one kilometre north of the town of Sabana Westpunt.

History

Westpunt first appeared on maps of the

Dutch West Indies Company The Dutch West India Company ( nl, Geoctrooieerde Westindische Compagnie, ''WIC'' or ''GWC''; ; en, Chartered West India Company) was a chartered company of Dutch merchants as well as foreign investors. Among its founders was Willem Usselincx ...

around 1700. In 1849, land was donated to the Catholic Church by plantation Savonet to build a church and school. The church was finished in 1853. A village appeared around the church in the 1860s inhabited by newly freed slaves following the abolition of slavery in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Near the town is Estate Kenepa, named after the fruits of the Kenepatree. It was once one of the most prosperous plantations on the island. It produced divi-divi seed-pots and sheepwool. The colonial home is an important monument in the history of Curaçao. It was here that on 17 August 1795 a number of slaves, led by Tula, lead the

Curaçao Slave Revolt of 1795 The Curaçao Slave Revolt of 1795 was a Slave rebellion, slave revolt in the Dutch Empire, Dutch colony of Curaçao, led by the enslaved man Tula (Curaçao), Tula. It resulted in a month-long conflict on the island between escapees and the coloni ...

. Westpunt remained isolated for most of its history due to the distance to

Willemstad Willemstad ( , ; ; en, William I of the Netherlands, William Town, italic=yes) is the capital city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea that forms a Countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, constituent country of the Kingdo ...

. The population density is low, and the number of inhabitants has been steadily decreasing. The per-capita income of Westpunt is significantly below average. The village is dependent on neighbouring

Barber A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave men's and boys' hair or beards. A barber's place of work is known as a "barbershop" or a "barber's". Barbershops are also places of social interaction and publi ...

for supplies. In 2002, the elementary school closed. Tourist resorts and holiday homes have appeared near the coast.

Overview

Westpunt is home to some of the island's most beautiful coral sand beaches including

Playa Kalki Playa Kalki is a beach on the Caribbean island of Curaçao, also known as Alice in Wonderland due to mushroom-shaped coral formations. The name ''Kalki'' is unrelated to the Avatar Kalki, but comes from the local Papiamentu word for the white cora ...

Playa Forti Playa Forti is a beach on the Caribbean island of Curaçao, located near the village of Westpunt in the north-west of the Island. It is a sandy beach with small pebbles. There are a snack bar and a restaurant. Close to the restaurant, there is a sp ...

Playa Gipy Playa Gipy is a beach on the Caribbean island of Curaçao, located on the northern tip of the island, close to the village of Westpunt. The beach is small and rocky, and the waterfront is difficult to reach. There are no facilities. The beach is ...

Grote Knip Grote Knip (also called Playa Abou in Papiamento, translation: "Beach in a valley") is a beach on the Caribbean island of Curaçao, located at the western side of the island, between the villages of Westpunt Westpunt is the name of the westernm ...

and

Kleine Knip Kleine Knip ( Papiamento: Playa Kenepa Chiki) is a beach on the Caribbean island of Curaçao. It is located at the western side of the island, between the villages of Westpunt and Lagún, at 50 mins drive from Willemstad Willemstad ( , ; ; e ...

. North of Playa Forti is Playa Grandi which is the sales centre for the local fishing community. The daily catch includes Barracuda, Mahi Mahi, Blacktail Tuna, Yellowtail Tuna, Red Snapper, Queen Snapper, Wahoo, Sailfish, Amberjack, Bluejack, Black Grouper, Lobster, Octopus, and Lion Fish. The area is known for world class

scuba diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chris ...

, and is home to several shore and boat dive sites including a submerged air plane wreck and beautiful reefs. Most of tourist accommodation in Westpunt caters to scuba divers and offers excellent infrastructure. A

dive center A dive center is the base location where recreational divers usually learn scuba diving or make guided dive trips at new locations. Many dive centers operate under the guidelines of ISO 24803, in which case the facilities must meet the ISO mi ...

in Playa Kalki is available. Westpunt is famous for the two currents that meet in-front of

stirring up the nutrients in the water making it the premium diving location on the island. The dive area is called

Watamula Watamula is located at the westernmost point, Westpunt of the Caribbean island of Curaçao in the Netherlands Antilles The name Watamula comes from the Dutch word ''Watermolen'' which means “water mill.” The name refers to the two currents w ...

which is a corruption of the Dutch word for “water mill”. In the northernmost point of Westpunt two kilometres in the north-eastern side of

are the famous large seawater blow holes carved by the tide into the coral rock.

References

Bibliography

* {{commons category, position=left Bandabou Beaches of Curaçao Populated places in Curaçao