Curacao is the “C” of the “ABC Islands” of the Caribbean (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao). Of these Dutch islands, David and I found it the most intriguing, and picked it for our week-long December getaway. It is less touristy than many other Caribbean islands, but still has a lot of history, wildlife, beautiful beaches, and colorful architecture.
My trip was delayed by a few days (due to issues with my home airport and American Airlines), but with only 5 or so days, I was still able to easily fit in all I wanted to see. David took the days I was delayed to enjoy our resort and explore some natural parks/ do some hiking that I would have been too chicken to do.
We stayed at Curacao Marriott Beach Resort. The resort sat right on the beach, offered beautiful pools, a gym, nice restaurants/ bars, spacious rooms, and was only a 10 minute drive into downtown Willemstad. I highly recommend it. I’m not picky when it comes to accommodations, but I did not see any other hotels/ resorts that I would have liked near as much as this one. It was perfect.
The weather was another huge plus. It stayed steadily in the upper 70’s/ low 80’s, and was mostly sunny during our stay. Escaping the cold to a nice, warm beach always makes for a good vacation.
The best way to see the island without missing out is by renting a car. Ours was about $400 USD for the whole trip. Taxis can be very expensive here, and renting your own car makes exploring this small island and all its beaches so much easier.
David and I had fun exploring, and made a list of all the things you should not miss out on if you visit Curacao. Hope you enjoy!
1.) Experience wildlife up close and personal.
Swim with sea turtles. Probably the coolest thing I would say we did the whole trip was to swim up with sea turtles. When I say this, I mean so close we could have touched them if we wanted to. Playa Piskado at the northwest corner of the island is where you’ll want to visit to see these magical creatures. There’s a small pier where fishermen throw leftover meal into the water, attracting the turtles. This occurs daily from morning to lunch time. I believe we arrived here around 11, which seemed to be a great time to visit. We rented snorkels for $9 per person and went into the water. You can also rent a beach chair here, but I would not recommend it, as it is not a “nice” beach, is pretty small, and most of the time you will want to spend in the water. The snorkels can sometimes make it hard to see, but thankfully the water is a beautiful color and pretty clear. Even if you don’t want to get in the water with the turtles, you can go on the pier and see them directly through the water. David captured some neat videos while we were underneath the water with the turtles on his iphone. I just never imagined I would have an experience like that, and it turned out way cooler than I’d hoped.
Visit the wild pigs. Our next stop after the turtles was Playa Porto Marie. It was a little early for our visit. Usually the best time to see the two wild pigs that inhabit the island is 4:30 pm or after. At first we didn’t see the pigs, but but we did see a gorgeous beach. It was much bigger than Playa Piskado, and even had a large restaurant/ bar area. The waves here are mild, and waters clear, which makes it nice to swim in. There was a swim platform a bit out into the ocean, which was fun to swim to and jump off of. We spotted a large, colorful iguana on the beach. As we were leaving we finally saw one of the wild pigs! This beach was a few dollars to get into, so make sure you bring some cash. It was one of my favorite beaches we visited.
Observe flamingos in their natural habitat. I’ve always thought it would be neat to see flamingos in the wild. In Curacao, you won’t see flamingos on beaches, but rather in salt pans. There were a few spots on our drives between beaches that made for easy areas to pull over and capture a few snaps of the flamingos. The first was the salt pan of Jan Kok, and the other of St. Michiel. We captured all these shots during the afternoon.
2.) Tour the Blue Curacao Distillery & Attend a Cocktail Workshop.
If you aren’t already familiar with the liquor, Blue Curacao, this is the place to learn all about it. The distillery is located in a historic 19th-century mansion called Landhuis Chobolobo. The tour is relatively short, but informative. They give you a cocktail made with the famous orange flavored liquor before you begin the tour. My favorite part was the cocktail workshop. I would definitely recommend getting this added on if you visit the distillery! We were both able to make two of our own cocktails, which you’re able to pick from a menu of drinks arranged by color of liquor and the different flavors. The group takes turns going by two mixing them, and the bartender prepares your ingredients, while you measure and mix. The tour took about two hours and cost $45 USD each. It was definitely a highlight of our trip.
3.) Sail on a Catamaran to Klein Curacao
Klein Curacao, or “Little Curacao”, is an island 6 miles off the coast of Curacao. The island offers unreal turquoise, bright blue waters for snorkeling, a super cool old lighthouse, shipwrecks, and an uncrowded beach. Half the fun was in taking the catamaran to the island. The company we used was called Blue Fin. Our boat was relatively large, but not overwhelmingly crowded. It had four nets, which were so much fun to sit/ lie on during the trip there. The lunch they provide was tasty. We had chicken, steak, BBQ, pasta, quinoa.. the list goes on. Another great perk was unlimited alcoholic beverages. The trip is an all day excursion, taking a total of around 8 hours. It takes a couple of hours alone to get there. The most difficult part is getting from the catamaran to the island after arriving. The waves are a little rough. I would recommend packing light and waterproofing your phone. My favorite attraction on the island was the lighthouse. It’s beautiful in an old, dilapidated sort of way. You can walk around in the rooms and even go to the top of it. The shipwrecks were interesting to see as well. I would not recommend Turtle Beach. It is full of litter with no turtles to be found. Save your time and go back to the water near your boat. The water was pretty clear, but the waves were a little rough to comfortably snorkel in. Even without going under, you’ll be able to see a variety of fish. On the way back the crew played party music. Most of the boat was up and dancing or singing. It was an all-around fun time.
4.) Explore Willemstad
Willemstad, the capital city, has a population of roughly 150,000 people. The major landmark of Willemstad is the floating Queen Emma Bridge. Built in 1888, this pontoon bridge is beautifully lit at night, and opens to boats regularly. If you want to see the bridge in action, grab a drink at the Iguana Cafe.
This little cafe had such good drinks for affordable prices with a lovely view on the bay.
If you park near Brion Square across the bridge, there is a beautiful view of the Handelskade, a bright colored row of buildings with Dutch architecture.
My favorite building is the Penha building, the bright yellow one to your left as soon as you walk across the bridge. Ft. Amsterdam is the yellow building to your right as you get off of the bridge. It was built in 1694 as the headquarters of the Dutch West India Company, but is now the seat of government.
A cute work of art to see at the bridge is the Punda Love Hearts, where you can “lock your love.”
There are a few Instagramable spots around Willemstad. One cliche tourist photo op is at the Curacao sign, located in close walking distance from the bridge.
If you walk around this section of Willemstad, you’ll find vibrant murals and street art.
We crossed another bridge to the neighborhood of Scharloo to see the 3 O’Clock Romance Mural, which was sadly being worked on. We went on up to Bergestraat, a very colorful street, but also a little sketchy to walk through.
The best place to see the vibrant homes and businesses of Curacao is the Pietermaai District. We took a walk from the bridge to the Scuba Lodge, and passed so many pretty places in this historic district with buildings from the 18th century.
Markets are another attraction of Willemstad. There is the new market, old market, and floating markets. If you’re visiting at the right time, add them to your list.
5.) Hit the Beaches
The beaches in Curacao are pretty incredible. You’ll be able to see why Blue Curacao is the color it is.. it matches the waters here- a bright, beautiful blue. Some of the beaches are a little rocky/ have some coral. Swim shoes would have probably been a good idea. Snorkeling is Curacao is going to be good regardless of which beach you visit. David and I aren’t the biggest fans of wearing snorkeling gear, and were happy to just see fish through the translucent water. Most beaches have chairs you can rent for cheap. Some are private beaches and require a fee. Usually the fees are not that much per person, but varies per beach.
There are 35 beaches that dot the island. I previously discussed Klein Curacao, Playa Piskado, and Playa Porto Marie.
One of my other favorite beaches was Kokomo Beach. Cue the Beach Boys. The swing is a favorite Instagram spot. It was a lively beach with nice water to swim in. It was a free beach which is an added bonus.
Mambo Beach is highly rated. We tried to visit, but the World Cup was going on, and cars were parked everywhere. We didn’t even attempt after seeing the parking situation. Many people speak great things about it though, so possibly plan on visiting when it would not be as crowded. Blue Bay Beach is always highly-spoken of as well, though we did not visit.
Jan Thiel beach is a white sand beach on the eastern side of the island. There are plenty of restaurants and bars here. The straw huts are fun. Overall, the beach seemed too commercialized and packed for us.
We finally decided to go back to the beach at our resort, Curacao Marriott Beach Resort, which offered much more privacy with a gorgeous sunset.
6. Get a Panoramic View
David took a trip to Shete Boka National Park while he was waiting on me to arrive after my flight issues. The park has many water features where huge waves crash into a caves.
He then took a hike up to Mt. Christoffel, the highest point in Curacao. Per David:
“It was a moderate hike and doable for anyone in decent shape, but there were some parts that involve a bit of climbing over rocks that not everyone would be comfortable with (Brittany).
Those who brave the journey to the top are rewarded with panoramic views of Curaçao, and a sweeping vista of Shete Boka National Park. “
If you want a pretty view without a hike (and only a few minutes off the main road), visit St. Martha Bay View Lookout Point. It is a simple pull-off spot from a paved road. The coordinates are 12.270113, -69.124578 to get directions via Google Maps.
7.) Eat your Heart Out
We had so many good meals while in Curacao.
Fort Nassau is an unforgettable former-fort-turned-restaurant with superb food and stellar views. David and I think it is all around the best dining experience to have while in Curacao. You arrive at this stone fort with tall lit candles leading up the stairs. You go through old passageways around to where the restaurant is at the top of the fort. The views are lovely, atmosphere is romantic, and food was tasty.
Kome is a fusion restaurant with plenty of variety. The outside of the restaurant is pretty and modern. The inside is a little artsy, but has a bit of a more chain-restaurant feel. But the food.. SO GOOD. We ordered the mushroom bread. I had the hanger steak. David had the crunchy thai chicken. We ordered a bread basket to go with our meal that came with olive oil. I would definitely recommend a visit here.
The Wine Cellar is a homey, local owned French restaurant with wonderful food. The service here was pretty superb. Because we had to wait only a few minutes on our reservation they gave us a complimentary glass of wine. We ordered escargot and stuffed mushrooms for our appetizers. Both were delicious. We both ordered the Argentine tenderloin filet. It was very flavorful. I liked the wine bottles lining walls, and the intimate and personalized atmosphere the owners make sure to give you.
Tomatoes is a pizza restaurant on the beach. We ate here the night after visiting Klein Curacao for a bit of a more laid-back experience. The restaurant is still nice, and the food was very good. The bruschetta was amazing. We also had the marinated olives and artichokes. We split the pizza bianca. To be off the radar, this was a very lovely restaurant with good food.
Other restaurants we did not make it to, but looked good were: Serafina, BijBlauw, Zanzibar, and Baose Beach Restaurant.
Curacao was a nice Caribbean get away in the cold of December. It has a bit of a European feel which both David and I appreciated. I’m thankful for all of the trips we were able to take this year together. Living on different sides of the country can be hard, but it’s also been fun to experience all these new places together and make so many memories. Cheers to a great year, and more travels in 2023!
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