Curaçao is the largest island of the former Netherlands Antilles. The island boasts a vibrant historic centre in Willemstad. Everywhere you’ll find beautiful, sheltered bays with white sandy beaches and crystal-clear turquoise waters. Curaçao also buzzes with lively nightlife and trendy beach bars. You’ll enjoy stylish boutique hotels that make your holiday extra special. The nature parks will surprise you with their rugged, untamed beauty and impressive landscapes. And what many people don’t know: Curaçao has the second-largest cultural heritage in the entire Caribbean region! Only Cuba offers more historical treasures than this versatile island.
Curaçao is a tropical island full of surprises that offers something for everyone. In our blog, we describe a selection of the many highlights. The island has so much to offer that we simply cannot give everything adequate attention. Each bay, restaurant and walking trail deserves its own story. Dive into our descriptions and be inspired by the numerous possibilities. Discover why this colourful piece of the Caribbean should be your next travel destination.
When you think of Curaçao, you probably immediately picture that clear, turquoise water. Most visitors remember that incredibly blue Caribbean Sea best of all. That’s why we begin our discovery tour of the island’s highlights at the waterfront. The water invites you to snorkel, dive or simply float blissfully.
Curaçao has nearly 40 beaches, each more beautiful than the last. The south and west offer the most stunning beaches with the calmest sea waters. We begin our beach tour at Jan Thiel Bay in the southwest, a popular beach with excellent facilities. You’ll find a well-equipped diving school and various restaurants with vibrant nightlife.
A bit further west along the coast, we reach the extensive Seaquarium Beach complex. This area encompasses multiple beaches, including the busy Mambo Beach with its pleasant boulevard. Various beach clubs such as Cabana Beach and Madero Ocean Club offer refreshment and entertainment here.
Just northwest of Willemstad, at Piscadera Bay, lies the beach of Pirate Bay Beach Bar and Restaurant. This spot is one of our favourites due to its easy accessibility from the city and relaxed atmosphere.
Another beach we personally enjoy is Kokomo Beach, located at Vaersenbaai. It has a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere, white sand, crystal-clear water, and there’s no entrance fee. You’ll find comfortable beach chairs, a friendly beach bar and a good restaurant. On Sundays, there’s often live music and a happy hour. For those wanting to avoid the crowds at the more famous beaches, Kokomo is an excellent choice.
Travelling further west, you’ll come to the beautiful beaches of Cas Abou and Porto Mari. These beaches charge an entrance fee, but the facilities are excellent. In the far northwest, even more surprises await you. For instance, Playa Lagun (another of our favourites) offers an intimate bay with fantastic snorkelling waters.
Kleine and Grote Knip, next in line, are among the most photogenic beaches on the island. All the way in the northwest, the idyllic-looking Playa Kalki concludes our beach tour with its peaceful atmosphere.
For most of the northwestern beaches, remember: you’ll need some time to reach them with your hire car. However, their beauty more than makes up for the journey.
Curaçao is a true paradise for divers and snorkellers with crystal-clear water and beautiful coral reefs. The island offers more than 60 dive locations with excellent visibility up to 30 metres. Most diving spots are accessible directly from the coast.
The southwest coast of the island forms an extensive coral reef where you’ll find beautiful coral formations. With 65 coral species and more than 350 fish species, the underwater world is highly diverse. While diving, you might encounter sea turtles, barracudas, rays and sometimes nurse sharks.
For snorkellers, Curaçao is also a fantastic destination. Almost every bay on the west coast offers good snorkelling opportunities directly from the beach. A fine example is the famous snorkelling spot ‘Tugboat’, located in Caracas Bay. The best time to snorkel, by the way, is early in the morning when the water is calm.
Playa Kalki in the northwest houses the diving spot Alice in Wonderland. Here, coral formations begin at just 5 metres deep and gradually slope downward. The diversity of marine life here is impressive, with many colourful fish and healthy coral.
Watamula, also in the northwest, offers one of the most beautiful diving spots on the island. Strong currents ensure healthy coral and plenty of fish activity. This spot is particularly suitable for more experienced divers.
Superior Producer is a cargo ship at 30 metres depth near the cruise pier of Willemstad. This wreck is covered with coral and attracts large schools of fish. This dive requires experience due to the depth and possible currents. You may only dive there when no cruise ships are docked.
Mushroom Forest, finally, owes its name to the characteristic mushroom-shaped coral formations. You’ll find a beautiful underwater landscape here with quite a bit of macro life.
The Christoffel National Park, at 2,300 hectares, is the largest national park in Curaçao and a must for everyone. You’ll find rich flora and fauna including wild orchids and many tree and cactus species, as well as white-tailed deer, tree lizards, green iguanas and red-rumped frogs. You’ll also see many bird species such as the Caribbean mockingbird, yellow and orange troupials, hummingbirds, West Indian parakeets and even barn owls.
There are eight hiking trails, ranging from easy to challenging. A hike we’ve personally done several times is the two to three-hour climb of the 372-metre-high Christoffel Mountain. It’s a fantastic walk with a magnificent view from the top, but you do need to be reasonably fit. It’s also advisable to make this hike as early as possible, preferably as soon as the park opens at 6:00 am.
Another hike that’s definitely worth the effort is the route through the former plantation Savonet to the large bay of Boka Grandi. The walk takes about 1.5 hours. Instead of passing by the Savonet manor house, you can also take the equally 1.5-hour route that leads via the white-tailed deer to Boka Grandi. Not much of a hiker but still want to see the deer? There’s also a walk of just 20 minutes to the animals.
Curaçao possesses a rich cultural heritage that reflects the fascinating history of the island. It combines Dutch colonial influences with African, Caribbean and Latin American traditions into a unique cultural mix. From the colourful buildings in Willemstad to the historic manor houses scattered across the island. The cultural heritage also includes local music such as tumba, traditional crafts, and a rich culinary tradition. Nowhere in the Caribbean has such a diverse cultural heritage been so well preserved.
During our many visits to Curaçao, we’ve taken countless city walks through Willemstad. Each walk revealed new secrets and stories behind the colourful facades of the city. Recently, we took two special city tours that let us experience Willemstad in a different way.
Our first walk led through Punda and Scharloo with their iconic trading quay and colourful buildings. We admired the floating Queen Emma Bridge and explored narrow streets full of art galleries and murals. The Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue from 1732 showed the rich Jewish history of the island. At the floating market, we bought fresh tropical fruits directly from Venezuelan traders. In Scharloo, we discovered beautiful murals and impressive villas.
Our second walk took us to Otrobanda and Pietermaai, two contrasting districts with their own character. Otrobanda surprised us with authentic atmosphere, community gardens and impressive street art from the Kaya Kaya Movement. We visited the Kura Hulanda Village with its historical significance and cobbled streets. Pietermaai showed us how a once dilapidated district has been transformed into a vibrant area. Trendy restaurants and cocktail bars now fill the restored historic buildings with fresh energy.
The plantation houses form an essential part of Curaçao’s cultural heritage with their rich stories. These monumental buildings were once centres of plantations between the 17th and 19th centuries. The architecture blends Dutch, Spanish and Caribbean styles with thick walls and strategic locations. Of the original 160 plantation houses, about 80 remain now in various states.
During a recent tour, we visited four impressive plantation houses through the western Banda Abou. We began at Landhuis Blauw. Then we visited Landhuis Dokterstuin, formerly known as Klein Ascencion. We subsequently called at Landhuis Knip, which made the most impression on us. This was mainly due to the moving story of the slave uprising of 1795 that is told in the Tula museum of the plantation house. Here, slave Tula began his fight for freedom. Finally, we visited Landhuis Klein Santa Martha, where we also enjoyed authentic Curaçaoan dishes.
Besides the manor houses and Willemstad, Curaçao has much more cultural heritage. Traditional music and dance such as tambu and tumba tell stories of resistance and joy. During local festivals, you can experience the vibrant expressions of Curaçaoan identity and history. Another example of cultural heritage that you shouldn’t miss during a holiday in Curaçao is the Kura Hulanda Museum. Here you’ll find an impressive collection about the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and African art.
Furthermore, you have the archaeological sites of Savonet that show traces of the original Arawak and Caiquetio inhabitants. Additionally, you’ll find many colourful kunuku houses in the countryside that bear witness to traditional Curaçaoan rural life. There are also historic forts such as Fort Beekenburg and Fort Nassau, which still guard strategic points along the coast.
We taste the culinary heritage in dishes such as kabritu stoba, funchi and ayaka’s. The Blue Curaçao liqueur, produced at Landhuis Chobolobo since 1896, is a well-known symbol worldwide. Incidentally, rum has also been distilled here in Curaçao since the 18th century. Furthermore, we see religious diversity reflected in old churches and synagogues, but also in Afro-Caribbean traditions.
Curaçao has three golf courses, each with its own character and challenge. Old Quarry is a spectacular 18-hole championship course designed by Pete Dye. The challenging course winds along the coastline and captivates you with breathtaking views. Blue Bay Golf also offers 18 holes and combines technical challenges with Caribbean flair. The hills make this course quite challenging for beginners. The Curaçao Golf & Squash Club is the oldest on the island with 9 holes. This charming course exudes historical allure and offers a fun round of golf in a classic setting. The courses together offer an advantageous golf pass that allows you to play at all three. The perfect way to experience the complete golf offering of Curaçao!
During our recent visit to Curaçao, we played on all three courses. In the blog about our golf adventure, we share our honest experiences.
Curaçao is a perfect holiday destination year-round thanks to its tropical climate with temperatures consistently around or just above 30°C. The island doesn’t have a true rainy season and isn’t affected by hurricanes.
If you primarily want to sunbathe and swim, you can visit any time of year. For active holidays, the period between October and February is ideal due to slightly lower temperatures. Water sports enthusiasts like kitesurfers benefit most from January to July, when there’s more wind.
Want to avoid crowds? July and August are the busiest months due to European and American holidays. It’s also busier than usual around Christmas, New Year and Carnival (February).
Although a hire car isn’t strictly necessary, it’s highly recommended for most visitors. Approximately 90% of tourists rent a car during their stay in Curaçao.
Reasons why a hire car is useful:
If you’re only staying near your accommodation (for example in Jan Thiel or around Mambo Beach) and don’t plan to explore the island, you can manage without a car. In that case, you can occasionally take a taxi or book an organised excursion.
Traffic in Curaçao is similar to that in most European countries, and you can drive with your European driving licence. To rent a car, you usually need a credit card for the deposit.
Curaçao is known for its beautiful beaches with azure blue water and white sand. The most beautiful beaches are:
Northwest side (Bandabou):
Southeast side:
Extra special:
The beaches on the northwest side (Bandabou) are generally considered more beautiful due to their natural character, clear water, and whiter sand. The beaches on the southeast side have more facilities but are also more touristy and crowded.
Curaçao is generally a safe destination for tourists, but as with any tourist destination, some caution is advised:
Safe:
Precautions:
The local population is generally friendly and helpful towards tourists. The island is economically dependent on tourism, which contributes to the safety in tourist areas.
If you take the normal precautions you would take in any city, you’ll likely experience no problems at all during your stay in Curaçao.
Curaçao offers fantastic snorkelling opportunities with a rich underwater world. The best snorkelling spots are:
The best time to snorkel is usually in the morning when the water is calmer and visibility is optimal. Remember to use environmentally friendly sunscreen to protect the coral reefs.
No vaccinations are required for a trip to Curaçao. The island has a relatively low risk of tropical diseases compared to many other tropical destinations.
Other health advice:
It’s always advisable to contact your GP or travel health clinic 4-6 weeks before departure for personal advice, especially if you have a medical condition or take medication.
Take out basic travel insurance with medical coverage, as medical care in Curaçao is reasonably good but can be expensive for tourists.
Curaçaoan cuisine is a tasty mix of African, European, Caribbean, and South American influences. Here are some typical dishes you should definitely try:
Try these dishes at one of the local “truki pan” (food trucks), at small restaurants like Plasa Bieu in Willemstad, or at one of the many local restaurants such as Jaanchie’s in Westpunt for an authentic experience.