I recently went on a trip to Curacao, a Dutch island country in the Eastern Caribbean. Hardly anyone has heard of this place! I did a bunch of research before I went and managed to find several pictures that I loved of places I wanted to visit. I did my best to visit them all, and engage in as many activities as I could while there.
I went with my friends, so there was some negotiating as to what we all did, or didn’t do, together. For the most part we explored the colourful country together. Here is my review!
There is no set pricing for transport. Taxis seem to charge whatever they feel like they can get away with, so it’s best to ask what the price is before taking a trip anywhere. If you have time, shop around or wait for another offer. Busses are an extremely useful and very inexpensive option.
The beaches are something else! The public beaches tend to be a bit rocky/corally on the edge of the water, but clear up a few feet beyond the waters edge. The resort beaches are divine. The sand is clean and relatively soft, though not the softest I’ve ever experienced, but the vibe is amazing. You can rent a beach chair for a very reasonable price (USD 3.50) where you can stay all day and be served food and drinks. Our first stop was Mambo Beach, which we quickly fell in love with!
The people in Curacao are very fond of the word “Dushi”. You will see it everywhere. Seriously everywhere. It apparently has many meanings! Dushi generally means sweet, or sweetie. It is a term of endearment, but you will also see signs that say “Dushi Real Estate” or coffee shops called Doo Shee. There is a Dushi store, and a Superdushi store.
At this same beach, Mambo beach, there is a club called Madera Beach Club. That was our favourite place. Excellent food and a chill environment for hanging out, day and evening. They have sexy resort shops and a variety of coffee shops, spas, bars and restaurants. You can even get a tattoo if the spirit moves you.
The main city is Willemstad. It is a sort of colourful, tropical Dutch replica. There is a giant harbour and huge bridge crossing the entrance to it, which affords fantastic views of the city. The main bridge you’ll see pictures of, however, is called the Queen Emma footbridge and it connects the east and west sides of Willemstad, respectively called Punda and Otrabanda. It’s a drawbridge and it opens and closes to let ships in, this was another favourite of ours.
We ended up eating at a lovely place called Gouverneur on the Otrabanda side. I highly recommend this place. The service was uncharacteristically quick (Curacao is close to the worst in the world in terms of fast service at restaurants) and the food delightful. They have a large, decadent, historic courtyard with fountains and cafe seating, in addition to their waterfront patio. Curacao restaurants are fond of using a BBQ called the Green Egg. I ended up having their tuna sandwich but this Green Egg showed up on almost every menu we read.
If you find yourself looking for food on the Punda side of Willemstad, the alleys in the CBD provide a host of options from local food to less local. Live music and DJs abound.
There were five of us so we ended up renting a van to do some island exploration. I’m a big fan of viewpoints so I wanted to climb the highest point on the island, Sint Christoffel. What I neglected to notice on their website, however, is that they don’t people into the park past 10am. We arrived at 10:15am. Hard no. So we were denied that viewpoint, but managed to find a few others, such as the Santa Martha Bay Lookout. No hiking required, but a very rewarding view!
Another fun thing to do is go see the flamingoes. They’re a bit far away generally, so bring your zoom lens! This photo is cropped. A lot.
Near the airport are the Hato Caves. A bat colony actively lives here so they are sensitive to people and light, and you must go with a guided tour. The entrance to the caves contains a Manzanillo tree, which as it turns out is the most dangerous tree in the world. Didn’t know trees could be dangerous? Google this one. I thought they were kidding and mocked eating one of the apples (but luckily didn’t).
On our way back towards town, we stopped for lunch and snorkeling at Koraal Rooftop Terrace. Another place with amazing food. Here is a look at my favourite carpaccio in the world. Arugula and parmesan wrapped in Carpaccio topped with a garlic aioli. Yummmm.
I have to mention Playa PortoMari, which we visited on the second to last day. After Googling “best beaches in Curacao”, we had to go. It was busy, but not terrible, and populated with wild pigs! It is a fantastic place to watch the sunset, as is most of the west coast of the island. It is also the title image of this post. Do a refresher dive, lounge in a beach chair, get a shoulder massage, shop or visit with pigs. This beach is off the beaten path but well worth a trip.
We stayed at an Airbnb outside of the city centre, and took taxis, before graduating to the transit system, to get around. While walking to and from the beach, and bus stops, we noticed a lot of garbage on the side of the road, and a corresponding lack of garbage cans. This would be my number one tip for the country if they are interested in suggestions for improvement. In closing, Curacao is a beautiful country and I recommend visiting it. But come prepared to spend a lot on taxis or rent a car, and be prepared to be visually assaulted by the roadside garbage.
