Curacao is a beautiful destination in the Caribbean. Just like Aruba, it is also part of the Dutch ABC islands. (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao). The great thing about these islands is that they are all outside of the hurricane belt. I am going to make a few comparisons to Aruba, so feel free to read our “Aruba Travel Guide” (Here)
My boyfriend and I actually visited Curacao before Aruba for his birthday in the summer of 2018. This is the reason why we ended up in Aruba this past summer. We loved it and wanted to see the difference in the sister island. Curacao is the largest island of all 3. For adventure seekers, it is much more diverse. It has a mountain side, beaches, great snorkeling, and a lot of history backed by beautiful architecture. You will also see and interact more with locals in Curacao than Aruba. It is less Americanized and they have many local brands not found in the USA.
Getting There and Around:
We booked our flight and hotel through JetBlue Vacations. Bae is Mosaic member, so we were able to enjoy some benefits. (See info here) We took a direct flight from JFK to Curaraco. The flight was roughly about 5 hours. We took a cab from the airport to the hotel, and it cost us about $30 for a 20-minute ride. FYI: Cabs are expensive there. We suggest renting a car, which we didn’t on this trip. But we also went far from the hotel only twice. The rest of the time we spent it waterside at the hotel or exploring near it.
Where to Stay:
As mentioned earlier, Curacao is bigger than Aruba and more spread-out. This gives travelers more options on the type of vacation that they choose. From secluded and private villas, to busy beach front hotels in tourist areas, to boutique hotels and Airbnb’s in the local neighborhoods. I am a big tourist myself, and I prefer staying in tourist areas when traveling. The main reason is for safety, although that we felt pretty safe in Curacao, even when walking through the local neighborhoods. The second reason is because when I am visiting a place for the first time, I like to stay in centralized areas.
We had a lovely stay at the Renaissance Curacao Resort & Casino. It is located in downtown Willemstad, the capital. The hotel is very colorful and it matches the theme of the Curacao skyline with the pretty painted houses. It is close to many attractions, and it has the bragging rights of having the ONLY Starbucks in the island, if that’s a selling point to you. It is connected to a mall which leads to a beautiful fort, which I will go into more details about later. It is also within a walking distance to Curacao’s historic district and Queen Emma Bridge, a floating bridge that connects 2 neighborhoods.
We were greeted warmly by the staff, and the impeccable service was consistent throughout our entire stay. I whispered to the person checking us in that we were there for my boyfriend’s birthday, and our rooms were upgraded to an ocean view. The next evening after his birthday dinner, we came back to our room and found a champagne and the sweetest note from the hotel staff.
The hotel is nice and clean. My favorite thing about it is the infinity pool. It is actually a man-made beach, with natural water flowing in and out of the sea. I am not a swimmer, so any beach with no waves and clear blue water is perfect for me. This also makes it very family friendly. But if you are looking for a real beach, you should look at other hotels. The hotel has 2 on-site restaurants and bars, but there many other dining options right outside in the fort. It also has a casino, which is it’s typically where we ended our nights.
FYI: The hotel is located right next to the cruise terminal, which is a beautiful view and photo opp when the ship is docked. However, it is not a beautiful sound when the ship pulls in at 7 or 8am, and your room is right there. The good news is that ships don’t come in everyday, and sometimes they come in the afternoon. Speaking of noise, this hotel has a big interior conference room, which is the same area as some rooms. So if there’s an event going on, you may hear some noise. It didn’t bother us because we were always out till late and events were over by the time we got back. But just make sure to ask for a room away from it, if you’re an early bird.
Overall, this a very active and lively area. If you are looking for peace and quiet, you should research a different part of the island. But we did love the hotel and would certainly stay there again.
What to Do:
There is so much to do in Curacao. It is a popular destination for diving and snorkeling. It is home to amazing coral reefs and ship wrecks. It is also features numerous beautiful beaches, colorful European/Caribbean architecture, and endless activity options. Since we didn’t rent a car, we did most of our exploring close to the hotel. But we would love to back and see more.
Punda
Punda is the face of Curacao. It is a beautiful and historic neighborhood in Willemstad (The Capital). It has pedestrian-only streets and alleys where you can wonder around for hours discovering shops, restaurants and bars. The architecture is beautiful, and all of the buildings are painted with fun and vibrant colors. There is a Curacao sign there, and it is within walking distance of the cruise terminal, so you can visit if you’re stopping by on a cruise.
Queen Emma Bridge
A pontoon (floating) bridge that connects the Otrobanda neighborhood, where we stayed to Punda in Willemstad across the harbor. This permanent bridge is hinged and opens regularly to enable the passage of oceangoing vessels. When the bridge is open, you can get across by taking a ferry.
Rift Fort Village
A mall built inside an original historic fort. It has shops, restaurants, bars and a big courtyard. The open area transforms into a party scene on weekends. The Friday before we left, they had a live band playing Spanish music. It is connected to the Renaissance hotel, and it is the way out if you’re heading towards Punda. Passengers from cruise ships also need to pass through this area in order to get into o town. So it gets busy when a ship is in.
This serenity retreat is located 30 minutes away from our hotel in Willemstad. It is in the Coral Estate, a luxury villas community. They are full-service spa with hair and nails services, face and skin treatments, massages and the most amazing amenities. We truly enjoyed the tranquility of the place. Some of the amenities include, a spa pool, 2 Jacuzzi’s, a sauna and cold room. My overall favorite part about this place, are the breath taking views of the sea from the top of the cliff where it stands. There is a restaurant right outside, where you can order food and drinks from if you get hungry while you’re there. The staff will grab the order for you. We chose the couples massage with the sunset view.
Where to Eat & Drink:
El Gaucho – Argentinian Steakhouse
This was hands down our favorite place to eat in the island, and the best steak that I have ever had! I am not much of steak person, but this place is amazing. My boyfriend in other hand is a steak lover and critic, and he was really impressed. We went to Guacho’s for his birthday dinner we are really glad we chose this place. The food, service and ambiance is amazing. Make sure not to go too late in the evening so that you can enjoy the sunset. The restaurant is up on a hill and has an outdoor terrace overlooking the city.
Rift Fort Restaurants– The following places are all in the Rift Fort next to our hotel. They were all super yummy and close to everything.
- Steak & Ribs – Yummy rib stacks.
- Anchor Waterfront Bar & Grill – Great seafood.
- Burger Bar – You can build your own burger or chicken sandwich.
Local Joint
I really don’t know the name of the place where we got the local food. We just walked down a long street where the locals hang out near the hotel, until we found a spot that was crowded. So we figured it would be good. We went in and got some yummy food and drinks. The bill was less than $20 USD.
Iguana Café
This place is right over Queen Emma Bridge in Punda. They have great drinks and live entertainment in the evening. They also serve food, but we didn’t try it.
Punda
Didn’t really take note of the places where we had drinks in Punda, but there are a few good ones. One of them is in the middle of a court yard with bird art on the walls. Just don’t try the place that says “World’s Best Mojito”, because it’s not.
Dagaz Gelato
Went here a few times for gelato because it’s so yummy. It’s at the end of an alleyway in Punda.
I hope that this travel guide is helpful to the ones planning on visiting Curacao, and serves as a motivation to the ones looking for a new place to experience. Feel free to leave any recommendations or questions below.
Mari
Comments
