Curacao is a small island nation located in the southern Caribbean Sea, just off the coast of Venezuela. It is one of the three ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao) that make up the Dutch Caribbean. Overall, Curacao is a beautiful and vibrant island nation that offers visitors a unique blend of culture, history, and natural beauty. Whether you’re interested in relaxing on the beach, exploring the island’s rich heritage, or diving into its crystal-clear waters, Curacao has something for everyone.
Geography: Curacao is a long, narrow island that is 40 miles long and 10 miles wide. The island’s terrain is mostly flat with a few hills, and the coastline is dotted with beautiful beaches and rocky cliffs.
Climate: The island has a tropical savannah climate, with temperatures averaging between 80-85°F year-round. The rainy season runs from October to February, with the rest of the year being relatively dry.
Culture: Curacao has a rich cultural heritage, blending Dutch, African, and Latin American influences. The official languages are Dutch, Papiamentu, and English, with Spanish and Portuguese also commonly spoken. The island has a vibrant music scene, with a unique style of music called Tumba being the most popular.
Overall, Curacao is a beautiful and vibrant island nation that offers visitors a unique blend of culture, history, and natural beauty. Whether you’re interested in relaxing on the beach, exploring the island’s rich heritage, or diving into its crystal-clear waters, Curacao has something for everyone.
Curacao Attractions & Activities:
- Willemstad: The capital city of Curacao is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is known for its colorful Dutch colonial architecture. Walk around the historic center and visit landmarks like the floating market, Queen Emma Bridge, and the historic fortifications.
- Beaches: Curacao has many beautiful beaches with crystal-clear waters and soft sand. Some of the most popular beaches include Playa Porto Mari, Grote Knip, and Cas Abao Beach.
- Hato Caves: These limestone caves are over 200,000 years old and offer a unique underground experience. Take a guided tour and see ancient drawings, stalactites, and stalagmites.
- Christoffel National Park: This protected area covers a large portion of the island and is home to many native plants and animals. Take a hike to the top of Mount Christoffel for panoramic views of the island.
- Paddleboard the Mangroves: Explore Spanish Water’s mangroves in an eco-friendly way—on a stand-up paddleboard (SUP)—during this half-day tour.
- Shete Boka National Park: The park consists of a total of 7 inlets (shete boka). The rough waves of on the east side crashes against the rocks making the waves completely explode and splash upwards.
- Scuba diving and snorkeling: Curacao has many beautiful reefs and dive sites, including the famous Mushroom Forest. There are several dive shops and tour companies that can take you out to explore the underwater world.
- Birdwatching: Curacao is home to over 150 bird species, many of which are not found anywhere else in the world. The island has several bird sanctuaries and nature reserves where you can spot these unique species.
- Kayaking in the Spanish Water: The Spanish Water is a protected lagoon that is perfect for kayaking. You can paddle through mangrove forests and spot a variety of marine life, including sea turtles and dolphins.
- ATV Tours: For an adrenaline-filled adventure, you can take an ATV tour through the rugged terrain of the island’s interior. You’ll get to see the natural beauty of Curacao from a different perspective and have a lot of fun along the way.
Eco Resorts
Papagayo Beach Resort: This luxury resort is located on Jan Thiel Beach and has a variety of eco-friendly initiatives in place. They have a solar panel system that provides a significant portion of the resort’s energy needs, and they use energy-efficient appliances and LED lighting throughout the property.
Surrounded by palmy, tropical gardens, this eco-friendly resort in Jan Thiel is a five-minute walk from the beach. There’s a Caribbean vibe to the teak furnishings and broad, breezy balconies for lazing on – even in an entry-level Apartment Breeze accommodation. The largest spaces – Villas Ambiente – sleep up to eight guests. It has a family swimming pool, a natural pool and a spa for facials, body scrubs and massages.
Avila Beach Hotel: This historic hotel has been operating for over 70 years and has recently undergone a renovation with a focus on sustainability. They use solar panels to heat their water, have energy-efficient appliances, and have implemented a recycling program.
The hotel is situated halfway to everywhere; in the lively Pietermaai District, near Mambo Beach Boulevard and the Sea Aquarium and just a 15 minute walking distance to downtown Willemstad. The private beaches of Avila are protected from large waves by offshore breakwater offering guests the calm, pristine waters of the Caribbean sea. The natural coral reef of Curacao offers spectacular snorkeling conditions featuring over 100 species of fish and marine wildlife.
Baoase Luxury Resort: This boutique resort is set on a private beach and has a strong commitment to sustainability. They use solar panels to heat their water, have a water reclamation system, and source food locally whenever possible.
With its guarantee of luxury throughout, Baoase’s 23 rooms, suites and villas have been meticulously designed for comfort, with furnishings attractively adorned with Balinese-flavored details. The villas feature private plunge pools or direct access to the resort’s infinity pool. If requested, you’ll even have access to a personal butler. A nice touch is the resort’s private beach, but you can have equal me time in the spa and the airy restaurant, eating a prime burger at your leisure while overlooking the ocean.
Mondi Lodge: Mondi Lodge is a small, eco-friendly lodge located on Curacao, with 6 unique wooden cabins built on poles. To play their part in the mission of eco-tourism and accommodation, Mondi Lodge is very careful to keep their footprint green. In the construction of the lodge no trees were felled, no food is wasted, items are recycled, and waste is managed.
Mondi Lodge is an eco-friendly tropical sanctuary where you wake up every morning in a colorful palapa to the beautiful sounds of singing birds. Every morning the multi-lingual staff caters a lovely home-made breakfast special to our guests. The lodge is centrally located with 4 beaches in just a 2 kilometer radius and an easy 10 minute drive from the airport and our colorful capital Willemstad.
Morena Resort: Morena is the ECO Resort on Curaçao and therefore a unique location for anyone who wants to experience the ultimate holiday feeling with comfort and luxury, but still wants to deal sustainably with the environment. For the construction of the resort, sustainable, environmentally friendly materials from fair trade cooperatives in the region were deliberately used and all kinds of environmentally friendly techniques were applied. Every apartment & villa has a solar water heater on the roof, which provides hot water all day.
In total there are 99 apartments and villas, from 1-bedroom apartments suitable for couples to 4-bedroom villas suitable for large families up to 8 people. At the resort there are 2 areas with swimming pools, the ‘Family Pool’ consists of a large pool with a paddling pool next to it, ideal for families with young children. The ‘Nature Pool’ has 2 swimming pools. All are ECO baths which are ideal for skin, hair, eyes and ears.
Morena Resort is located in Jan Thiel, a safe tourist area, adjacent to the nature reserve “De Zoutpannen”. The resort is wonderfully quiet, but within 5 minutes walking distance from the bustling Jan Thiel beach there are good restaurants, shops and beach bars for the necessary entertainment.
