Discover Curaçao
From the grounds you drive to Willemstad in a quarter of an hour, to the quiet bays on the west side in a quarter of an hour, and to the airport in twenty-four minutes. Below is what we think is worth your time.
Willemstad
Willemstad is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Punda and Otrobanda lie opposite each other on St. Anna Bay, connected by the Queen Emma Bridge — a pontoon bridge that swings aside whenever a ship needs to pass. Walk there in the late afternoon, when the light falls on the facades.
The beaches
The west side has the quietest bays: Playa Kenepa, Playa Lagun, Cas Abao, Playa Porto Mari. Small stretches of sand between the rocks, usually with a tent for drinks. Bring a snorkel — the reef often starts just a few meters from the shore.
The interior
In the northwest lies Christoffel Park, with hiking trails and Mount Christoffel. On the rugged north coast lies Shete Boka, where the waves crash into the limestone. Both are most pleasant early in the morning, before it gets too hot.
In the evening
Pietermaai is the part of Willemstad you go to in the evening. Eighteenth- and nineteenth-century houses in ochre, pink and blue, most of them now a restaurant or a bar. You walk from one to the next; everything is within ten minutes.
If you would rather sit by the water, go to Mambo Beach. And on Sunday afternoons there is live music somewhere on the island — ask the caretaker, who knows where.
Mambo Beach
Mambo Beach Boulevard is the beach strip on the south side, fifteen minutes by car from the property. Two levels of restaurants, bars and shops, and behind them the beach with sunbeds. You can eat, swim, drink and shop without moving the car.
Go at the end of the afternoon. The sun drops into the sea right in front of you, and you can sit there for hours afterwards.
Next to the boulevard is the Sea Aquarium, with dolphins and a sea lion pool. With children that is half a day.
Worth a day out
Klein Curaçao: an uninhabited island, two hours by boat to the southeast. White sand, a lighthouse and a shipwreck on the shore. Boats leave early and are back in the afternoon.
Grote Knip and Kleine Knip: the two best-known bays on the west side. Turquoise water between the rocks, with a cliff people jump from.
Playa Grandi: a fishing harbour near Westpunt where sea turtles swim under the boats. Bring a snorkel, you do not have to go far.
Blue Room: a cave you swim into under water, where the light turns blue from below. Only in calm seas, and with a guide.
Landhuis Chobolobo: four kilometres from here, where Blue Curaçao is distilled. A tour and a tasting in a yellow 19th-century plantation house.
The Hato Caves: limestone caves with stalactites and Arawak rock drawings, close to the airport.
You need a rental car for all of the above, except Klein Curaçao — the boat comes with it.
Questions about the island?
The caretaker lives here and knows where it is quiet, where to eat well, and which road you'd better avoid. Feel free to ask your question before you come.