Curaçao, known as the Island of Healing by early Portuguese sailors – purportedly as ill sailors would be cured from scurvy after a stay on the island owing to the vitamin c fruit diet (and Blue Curaçao cocktails maybe?) that they would consume whilst here.

These days all the healing that Curaçao provides is in the form of vitamin D from the plentiful sunshine and gorgeous beaches upon which to soak it all up…so much so that the title of this blog is imprinted on the immigration landing card that you will out when arriving!

Orientation

It was a 35min flight with Insel Air to get here from Aruba, just enough time to snap some pictures of takeoff, have a power nap and then pictures of Curacao from on high.

The island runs on a diagonal line from south east to northwest, the longest of the ABC islands (at 64km) but still quite doable to visit over a few days with a car + plan in a day boat trip to the spectacular Klein Curacao which sits off to the southeast of the main island.

Although make sure you check the tyres on the car or you may end up with a bit of roadside work with the world’s smallest spare wheels.

Unlike Aruba, you will not find a built up stretch of mega hotels along the coast, rather more spread out along the southern coast starting from Willemstad and punctuating the coast line as beach houses and pretty resorts set in their own properties.

Willemstad

The capital, Willemstad is a pretty little town, is made up of the Punda on one side were you will find the colourful picture perfect houses and shops along the waterfront

and the aptly named Otrobanda (the other side) connected by the floating Queen Emma Bridge.

The bridge is a spectacle in itself when it floats itself apart to let boats through. Once you go behind the main facade of the pretty buildings then there is not much else to see, so a tour of the town can be done in one or two hours.

To stay and to eat

We stayed at the Renaissance on the Otrobanda side of Willemstad…perfectly located by the sea, a mix of business and honeymoon with a wonderful faux beach in the air and an infinity saltwater lagoon type pool that had views over the crashing waves of the Caribbean sea.

Staying in Willemstad also means that you will have a much wider choice of food that you can just wander to, rather than hiking out in a taxi from the more resort type locations.

A romantic dinner at La Perla del Mar in the fort plein area, set on a rocky spit overlooking the crashing waves…half price cocktails and huge plates of seafood for 30 dollars was just perfect.

For a jolly faulty towers like experience (with good food) head to the Wine Cellar, it may have been an off day for the staff when we arrived but everything that could go wrong seemed to happen – lost reservation, mixed up dishes etc, at least we did not end up wearing all the delicious food that we did get!

To see and do

Along the north coast of the island and the Shete Boka National Park to visit the aptly named sites of Boka Pistol where seawater shot up through a blowhole in the rocks,

Boka Tabla a table like step in the rocks that the sea rushed over and then cascaded back like a mini Niagara falls,

and Boka Wandomi, a natural bridge that you need to walk out to to see at the right angle.

Curacao has a number of beaches along its northern shores that are well worth a visit. Unfortunately we had arrived after the infamous Hurricaine Matthew, and the beaches of curacao had been heavily hit with broken corals a huge rocks washed up onto the shores, so bulldozers were quite a common sight.

Playa Kalki, down some steep steps and to a perfectly placed beach with a nice little lunch at its beachfront restaurant, clear water, a nice collection of fish .

The Knip beaches (small and large), purportedly the best on the island, but closed do to the storm cleanup. Lagun beach, a tiny patch of sand, set in a deep cove that was well protected for some great snorkeling and even a little cave swim-through where you can find a turtle or two.

Playa Santa Cruz a beautiful tropical private beach for a mere 7 usd entry fee.

Porto Marie, also a private beach that was perfectly placed for sunset.

Klein Curacao

A pure piece of paradise…just 3 hours off the coast of paradise!

You get here with a tour with Mermaid Tours, a more Dutch crew you could not find if they had just sailed across from the port of Scheveningen in the Netherlands, gruff Dutch humour, a matter of fact approach to the day and Krentebolle for breakfast…not what you normally find in a tropical paradise but a little bit of home transplanted to the Caribbean.

Crystal clear waters, powder white sands, excellent snorkeling filled with fish, turtles and rays.

There are some remnants of industry on the island that can be explored and make some good pictures to contrast the pure blues and whites.

You’ll get a great bbq lunch included in the trip, but don’t get too complacent with this island vibe if you are with a big group of Dutch holidaymakers as their natural efficiency will fast prioritise the best beach spots, the queue for the bbq and when leaving an orderly queue to catch the dingy off the beach (even Matt as a Brit was impressed by witnessing an orderly commuting queue on a tropical beach, all under the gaze of bemused turtles!

So that’s Curaçao, enjoy the blue, blue, blue!