Is Curacao Worth Visiting?

While we were living in Panama, Dan and I needed to get a new tourist visa. Our favorite way to do that was to fly to another country for a few days, so when we saw an ad for a super-cheap flight to Curacao, we decided to head there next.

Where is Curacao located?

I knew you would ask that. Curacao is located in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Venezuela. It takes 3 hours to fly there from Miami.

How to get to Curacao

There are direct flights to Curaçao from North America, Europe, and South America. You can also arrive by sea on a cruise or yacht, or take a ferry from neighboring islands such as Aruba or Bonaire.

Curacao Travel Planning Essentials

Getting around Curacao

Curacao has no ride-sharing services, such as Uber and Lyft. Once you're on the island, you can get around by bus or taxi.

Alternatively, you can rent a car and explore Curacao island freely. The roads are in good condition.

ⓘ TIP: To save hassle getting to your hotel, book an airport shuttle ahead of time. Your driver will be waiting for you when you arrive. You'll even get help with your bags! Find your ride here.

Where to stay in Curacao

Since you're reading this article to answer the question, “Is Curacao worth visiting?” I'll assume this is your first time on the island. First-timers should stay in Willemstad, the island's capital city. You'll fall in love with its colorful colonial architecture and historic landmarks, and there are plenty of shops and restaurants to be had. Plus, it's conveniently located in the center of the island, so you can explore everywhere without going very far.

All-inclusive — Zoetry Curacao. Located 15 minutes from the center of Willemstad, this ultra-luxurious boutique resort is all inclusive, offering a restaurant, free private parking, a fitness center and a bar. Guests can also play tennis onsite.

Splurge — Curacao Avila Beach Hotel is located on the beach, just 5 minutes' drive from central Willemstad. This hotel offers a full-service spa, an outdoor pool, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and an array of dining and beverage options.

Mid-range — City Suites & Beach Hotel is an ocean-front hotel in the heart of Willemstad and is connected to a shopping center.

Budget — Bed & Bike Jan Thiel hostel has a restaurant, free private parking, free bikes, and an outdoor swimming pool. Guests can enjoy a terrace, an on-site bar and a shared lounge and kitchen, along with free WiFi throughout the property.

Are there any things to do in Curacao?

There are many different things to do in Curacao, depending on what interests you. You can explore the capital city of Willemstad, Kura Hulanda Museum, Fort Amsterdam, Queen Emma Bridge, Mambo Beach, the Jewish Cultural Historical Museum, the Curacao Sea Aquarium, and Christoffel National Park.

Popular activities in Curacao include exploring the island's many beaches, scuba diving, snorkeling, visiting the capital city of Willemstad, and taking a tour of one of the island's distilleries. The famous Blue Curacao liqueur is made on the island.

First impressions of Curacao's people

Maybe it was a fluke, but our positive impressions of Curacao were helped by the fact that we didn't encounter a single surly person while we were there. Everyone was kind and friendly. Every. Single. One. Their accent is easy to understand and their love for Curacao showed in their eagerness to help us enjoy our stay.

Further, they are obviously a very well educated people. (Even our taxi drivers spoke 4 languages!) The country has 3 national languages, Dutch, English, and Papiamentu, although Spanish is also common, as Curacao is not far from Venezuela.

We were totally amazed by the ease with which everyone switched from one language to another. Foreign visitors should check any We're #1 arrogance at the airport.

Curacao's climate is a surprise

If you travel to Curacao expecting to enjoy a tropical rainforest, you'll be sorely disappointed. This has been called “a tropical island without weather forecasts” for a reason.

When I learned that Curacao gets only about 570 mm (22 inches) of rain a year, this little fact totally devastated my long-held assumption that all Caribbean islands are lush, tropical gardens. Most of the flora you'll see will be cacti and other plants suitable for xeriscaping.

The upside of this is that you'll have sunny, clear skies every day. In other words, you will have plenty of opportunities to work on your tan and enjoy Curacao's many beautiful white sand beaches!

Another thing is this Caribbean island lies outside of the “hurricane belt,” so no worries there, either!

Curacao is a pretty country, both above and below water level

If you're a photographer, Willemstad won't disappoint with so many distinctive bridges, many-hued historical buildings and cobbled pedestrian streets. Its people are just as colorful as its buildings. While there's never a shortage of interesting sights in the capital, it can be fun to sit at a waterfront bar with a cocktail while watching the sunset, or riding Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge as she opens and closes for the ships that pass her way.

Judging from our short snorkeling experience around our hotel, the diving in that clear azure water must be as spectacular as the brochures promise.

Impressions of the food in Curacao

We found a wide variety of goods in both local markets and supermarkets, though many items are imported and pricey.

That said, Curacao is an island nation. So seafood lovers might wonder if they had landed in heaven. Non-fish lovers will be happy to know that we found plenty of cuisines to choose from, both spicy and not. And there is no shortage of tropical fruits!

Unfortunately, my excessively salty dinner proved that not all chefs are created equal, even on an island with such a a small population. (There are just over 150,000 people in Curacao.)

What we loved

• The sunny climate.
• The colorful buildings.
• The Dutch architecture.
• The excellent infrastructure.
• Pedestrian shopping areas.
• The cobbled streets.
• The pontoon bridge.
• The street market stalls.
• The people are incredibly friendly.
• There are a lot of free things to do in Curacao.
• Hearing them switch easily from one language to another.
• Snorkeling in the clear water and seeing all the tropical fish.
• Sleeping on the beach.
• No hurricanes.

What we didn't like

• The prices, because so much is imported.
• The poor soil.
• The country has to rely on desalinization for its water supply.
• My salty dinner.
• Being sick for half of my time there. (Not their fault!)

Is Curacao worth a return visit?

Yes. Most definitely.

Actually, it is one of the most romantic places we have been to so far, even though we didn't have time for much more than Willemstad and our resort. Based on what we learned from guidebooks, the country deserves at least a week or two of attention.

Would we live in Curacao?

Call us crazy, but whenever we visit a new place we always find ourselves asking, Could we live here? It's fun, we think, to try to imagine life as a local, not a tourist, even if we might never actually do that.

So, after a weekend in the country and a day in Willemstad, we might consider living in Curacao for a short while. However, we'd live in or near Willemstad because of the variety of things to do there. It's a small island, with a small population that relies on tourism.

But long-term? Not for us. On our livability scale of 0 to 5, we'd give it a 3.

I'd love to hear your opinion.

Other Curacao travel resources

• The official Curaçao tourism website can be found here.
• Find lots of helpful information about living in Curacao on liveincuracao.com.
• For more sightseeing, see our Willemstad photo gallery.
• Google Maps offers an aerial view of Curacao. Zoom, scroll around and explore!

ⓘ TIP: We also enjoyed the island of Sint Maarten/St. Martin. Here's why you should visit.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about visiting Curaçao