Hato Caves

Hato Caves had a utilitarian purpose during the early days of the slave trade in Curacao, escaped slaves used them as hiding places, and lived in them for months at a time. Even before the arrival of Europeans and slaves, the Amerindian Arawaks used them for shelter, and left behind cave drawings, or petroglyphs, estimated at 1,500 years old.

The caves consist of marine coral limestone, which accumulated over millions of years and after sea levels had dropped were exposed to atmospheric corrosion and karsticprocesses. They are approximately 240 m (790 ft) long and cover an area of 4,900 m2 (53,000 sq ft)Read more