Beautiful sandy beaches, wonderful clear, turquoise sea, delicious food, colorful buildings and incredibly friendly people are the first things that come to mind when thinking about the island of Curaçao (from now on written “Curacao” for simplicity). Which is one of the three beautiful ABC-Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) located 65 km north of Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea.

Curacao was formerly part of Curacao and Dependencies colony from 1815 to 1954 and later the Netherlands Antilles from 1954 to 2010 as “Island Territory Curacao” and is now formally called the Country of Curacao. Its capital is colorful Willemstad and the whole island is a wonderful combination of Caribbean and European vibe. This is probably why many tourists from Europe and especially from the Netherlands like to visit this island, some even decide to stay here for a longer period of time.

In Curacao you can easily communicate in several languages: Dutch, Spanish, English and local Papiamento (which is a mixture of Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch). The Netherlands Antillean Guilder (Dutch: Guilder) is the currency of Curacao. 1 Guilder is about $0.50.

Curacao is the largest of the ABC islands, but it is here that we felt most at home because of the incredible friendliness of the people and the moments that will stay in our hearts forever. Discover 13 things why this island is so special and why it should be on your list of places to visit very soon!

#1 Willemstad

Visit the colorful capital of Curacao – Willemstad, which despite its small size has a lot to offer. The town is divided into two parts and connected by the Queen Emma Bridge. Punda is the older part, where most of the sights, restaurants and bars are located. Otrobanda is newer, with also some places worth seeing and often better room rates for your stay.

#2 Queen Emma bridge in Willemstad

A bridge on pontoons (15 pontoons to be exact) that connects Punda and Otrobanda, two districts separated by the Saint Anna Bay. It is the oldest and longest floating bridge in the world (built in 1888). It opens several times a day, but not upwards like a normal bridge, but swings parallel to the shore. Thats why it is also called “Swinging Old Lady”.

When the bridge opens is announced by a bell, and whether it stays open for a few minutes or more depends on the color of the flag on the bridge. This is related to the fact if a small ship or a huge cruiser is passing. While the bridge is open, residents and tourists can take advantage of the free ferries that run every few minutes from one side to the other.

Walking across the bridge is a fun experience, because it is drifting on the pontoons and you can feel like on a boat, in strong winds it’s quite bouncy!

#3 Willemstad‘s colourful buildings

The best way to admire them is from Otroband side, so you can see them in all their glory, this view is also often used on postcards. If you want to admire them from a shorter distance, take the ferry when the bridge is open, or simply stand on the bridge.

#4 Get lost in Punda Willemstad

After crossing the Queen Emma Bridge, take a walk among the colorful buildings on the Punda side. Besides many stores and restaurants you will find the most beautiful and realistic looking murals, graphics and paintings. Willemstad is home to many artists, hence the beautiful paintings, which are hard to pass by without taking at least one picture. The city center, with its unique architecture and harbour entry has also been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

#5 Pietermaai district in Willemstad

This is the district in the capital where all the expensive hotels and restaurants are located. It is probably the most colorful street in the city. Every building is painted in a different color, it is certainly a very interesting and characteristic place in Willemstad. Pietermaai is a long street where, on one side you can see colorful hotels and restaurants, on the other side often destroyed buildings with some paintings by local artists. In the evenings the street is magically illuminated by lights in many restaurants, which adds to its charm.

#6 Sunset watching in the city

In the Petermaai district you will find many restaurants, bars and cafes. If you’re looking for a romantic dinner or a drink while watching the sunset, head to the beach club and restaurants like Saint Tropez for something more posh and elegant, or Los Caballeros for a more local vibe.

#7 Mundo Bizzaro restaurant in Willemstad

If you get thirsty after a long day around the city, the most atmospheric place you can go is Mundo Bizarro restaurant in the Pietermaai district. It’s special because besides the really friendly service, it has a definite Cuban vibe and is decorated in Cuban style. If you haven’t been to Cuba yet, this restaurant will make you feel like you’ve been there. And if you have already been there, after visiting this place, the wonderful memories will surely return.

#8 Curacao and Dushi signs in Willemstad

In the center of the city, there are two signs that can be found in many tourist places. One is „Curacao“ and the other is „Dushi“. Why „Curacao“ it is known to everyone. But what does the word „Dushi“ actually mean? It can mean many things, when you call someone dushi you call that person sweetheart. But you can also use the word dushi for tasty food, or describe the good things in life. This must be our favorite word since we know the meaning!

#9 Rif Fort in Willemstad

On the Otrabanda side, near the Queens Emma Bridge, is an old fort, where now you’ll find a small open air mall. In this place in addition to many restaurants (Starbucks lovers, this is a place for you!), you’ll also find numerous souvenir stores. In front of the fort there are local vendors selling their creations, so if you are looking for something more authentic you should definitely go there.

#10 Sambill mall in Willemstad

Willemstad, besides being a wonderful and colorful city, also has a shopping mall. So if you miss a good movie during your vacation you can go to the cinema located in the mall. The movies are played in English with Spanish subtitles. As big movie lovers we could not deny ourselves this pleasure.

Besides the cinema, the mall also has some boutiques and a huge Carrefour which offers both local and European delicacies, so we were able to really stock our fridge with our favorite products.

#11 Kura Hulanda African History Museum

This is definitely a must if you want to learn more about African culture. The museum is divided into several sections, starting with evolution, slave trade, west african empires and ending with kingdoms of Benin. The museum is definitely interesting and beautiful , but also very sad at times. The most memorable place for us was the one where the inside of the ship used to transport slaves was recreated. It was definitely a frightening sight, and we can`t imagine how the people felt there back then…

In the middle of the museum is a beautiful statue called Mama Africa, it made a huge impression on us, and also reminded us where we all came from.

#12 Watamula Blow Hole

Watamula Hole is a natural attraction where you can watch water splashing from the hole to the top, creating a small spectacle of natural forces. Watamula Hole is quite large and while splashing water you can supposedly see small rainbows. Unfortunately we were not that lucky, but nevertheless we loved the beautiful turquoise water in the hole which from time to time shot up. Around the hole there are numerous coral rocks which are quite sharp, so we advise you to take appropriate shoes!

On the right side it is rather flat, so you can watch the numerous waves splashing against the rocky shore. At Watamula hole there is no possibility to swim, but it is possible to create another mountain of rocks, as the previous tourists did. On the left side you can admire the beautiful cliffs, but be very careful and do not go too close to the edge. Wild life lovers will also find something for themselves here, because the local lizards are particularly fond of this place.

At Watamula hole there is a large, free parking lot and two wooden tables ideal for picnic. But there is no shade there, so remember to wear a hat and sun cream.

#13 Flamingo Habitat

At Flamingo Habitat you can observe these wonderful creatures in their natural living space. We were lucky that the birds were located quite close to the main road, so it was definitely easier to observe them. We have to admit that it looked amazing and very… pink!

#14 Beaches of Curacao

Curacao has a large number of beaches, from the smaller and more local to the larger ones. In order not to exceed the scope of this article, we created a separate article with the best beaches on Curacao.

During our stay in Curacao we cooked a lot, mostly because of the cost, but also because we had access to the best European products which we bought in Carrefou. We still managed to go to a few restaurants.

• La Boheme | Tasty local food
• Pleincafe | Delicious breakfast
• Gelato Dagaz | Real italian ice cream
• Dutch Treat | Best dutch fries

After your arrival at the Curacao airport, you will probably wonder how to best get to Wilemstad. Besides the well-known variants of an official taxi, you can also order a Click taxi (similar to Uber). The definitely most budget-friendly option is to take the official bus (about $2). Depending on where your hotel is located, you can take the appropriate bus line, sit back and arrive at your destination after 45-60 minutes.

Curacao is small, so getting around town is easy on foot or by bus. The best place to find out when and where the buses go is the ABC Curacao app. Download it to your phone, if you plan to travel with a bus in Curacao.

If you want a quick ride somewhere, Curacao offers something like Uber. The app is called Click and it is completely safe and reliable.

Outside the city the best means of transportation is a car. The price of renting a car varies depending on the rental company. We used a small local company, because there we’ve got the best deal compared to the big companies at the airport. You can contact them via WhatsApp . There is another car rental company in Curacao , also recommended by our local host. Both companies have comparable prices.

Download QR-Code

‎ABC Curaçao

Developer: Autobusbedrijf Curaçao N.V.

Price: Free

Download QR-Code

ABC Curaçao

Developer: Autobusbedrijf Curaçao

Price: Free

Download QR-Code

‎Click Curaçao: Willemstad taxi

Developer: Click Curaçao Mobility Solutions

Price: Free

Download QR-Code

Click Curaçao: Willemstad taxi

Developer: Click Curaçao

Price: Free

The best time to visit Curacao is between December and April. All the other months are also great to visit this amazing island. You will definitely have a great weather and a lot of sun.

While most tourists stay on Pietermaai Street, we recommend you to stay on the Otrabanda side. Renting there is cheaper and the it will give you a local vibe. We ended up at Arthuro’s Apartment  and felt like home. Our host was a wonderful, friendly person who made our stay in Curacao unforgettable.

A standard visa is valid for all 6 islands and allows multiple entry for a maximum period of 90 days within 180 days. The maximum uninterrupted stay in one of the individual countries is 30 days.

To stay as mobile as possible on the road, it is important to have a SIM card with which you can have internet almost everywhere. We used the Digicel offer and were very satisfied with it. You can buy an appropriate SIM card at the airport directly after passport control and get online right away. You can check the latest offers online at Digicel .

The prices are per person, except for the accommodation, Taxi and car, which we rent for 2 people.

Accommodation: $55 / night

Restaurant: $8 – $15 / meal

Snack: $4 – $6 / meal

Pleasure: $3 – $15 / event

Bus: $2 – $2.50 / ride

Taxi: $6 – $12 / ride

Car: $34 / day

Activity: $9.50 / event