The karkó is a conch shell that has been used as a horn by the original inhabitants of Curaçao – the Caquetío – since before the arrival of the Europeans. Not much is known about the culture of the Caquetio but archeological studies reveal that the karkó was used for spiritual and religious rituals.

“Every karkó is custom-made. You take a young conch, clean the inside and chop off the top creating a hole of about 2 centimeters wide. Then you file the hole so it matches your lips perfectly.

Playing the karkó is quite difficult, playing someone else’s karkó is nearly impossible! We use the karkó during seú celebrations (harvest fest).” Nowadays the karkó is an endangered species as it is also a very popular seafood. In Curaçao it is forbidden to catch young karkó but you can eat karkó at practically every local restaurant.