Bon Bini from the Dutch-Caribbean island of Curaçao. We’ve been planning this trip with our family since before 2020, and finally had the opportunity to go. I had a feeling it would be love at first sight. Hearing that the island was clear blue Caribbean waters mixed with European charm, how could you not!! And boy was I right, the mix of elegance, culture, and local adventure made us never want to leave.

To get to Curaçao from the states you typically fly from Miami. It’s a 2 and a half hour flight from there and easy peasy. Since it’s a little lesser known destination spot the airport was not busy, and customs was a breeze. The Island itself is not that big. While it is larger than it’s neighbor island of Aruba, it is all more spread out with fewer resort options. There are plenty of boutique hotels, and even some aribnbs, but we decided to keep it simple and go with our comfort, a Marriott property. We chose the Marriott Beach Resort in Curaçao because it seemed to have the most laid back resort feel. We like to go, go, go all day exploring, and then come back to a nice resort to relax and have pool/bar service. This mama does NOT want to cook while on vacation ha! I believe there were a couple of all inclusive options, if that is your jam, and the new Sandals Royal Curaçao coming soon looks absolutely fabulous, but again we LOVE to explore and try local foods so we thought the Marriott would be our best choice. Speaking of food, let’s get to our favorite places to eat….

The first night we were in town was a Wedneseday night. The island seemed dead. I guess there were no cruise ships at the port that day either. We had lunch on the beach at our hotel and then swam at the pool. When it came dinner time we were eager to explore. We headed out to the town of Willemstad. Going over the floating bridge and into the main shopping area. The kids were like, where have you taken us?! It was 7 pm and no one was out. We found out later that the shop hours are based on the cruise ships. We grabbed a very mediocre dinner and then began to wonder if that was what the food was going to be like all week. I had researched and scoured the internet before traveling, and hadn’t really found much info on where to eat. The next evening we chose to eat at our resort, and again, even the fresh sushi was just ok. This can not be! This island is way too cool to not have a foodie scene. So we looked and looked, and bam! The Pietermaai district was like a glowing light from the gods. We made reservations for Mosa-Cana the third night, and never looked back!! Here is a list of must eat places…..

Mosa-Cana (the most delicious artisan Latin inspired food you will ever have) This restaurant was bomb. We actually could of came here over and over, because I wanted to try everything. Best guac of my life. You don’t order for yourself, everything just comes out when it is ready. Shared dining at it’s finest, and amazing cocktails.

Kome- We did not have a chance to eat here but heard amazing things, and it’s the first place I’ll go next time I’m back on the island. Just look at their instagram. Mouth watering food.

Gouverneur De Rouville- a beautiful grand building with the best view of the famous UNESCO world heritage site called Handelskade. Book early to get a seat on the balcony. We loved the fresh seafood here, and truly enjoyed the ambiance. The staff was great, and overall it just felt like vacation.

Serafina- real good Italian food. Must I even say more?! This spot is right next to Mosa-Cana on the quaintest little street. It truly felt like being in Europe. We had a bottle of wine and amazing pasta. The kids were also huge fans!

Fish and Joy (Fishalicious)- Wish we would of found this spot earlier, because again we did not get to go here. This was the only restaurant I had heard prior to coming, but we couldn’t find it for the longest time. They were voted best of Curaçao, and I’m dying to give it a try.

Number 10- This café and lunch spot is the spot!!! Coffee is divine, and the food just the same. Sit in an outdoor courtyard, or cute little curated rooms. This is another spot where I just want to try everything!

Fort Nassau- I had to check this place out. Great views of the island, and just such a cool old spot with lots of history. The property itself will suck you right in. The menu is not extensive, but what we had we loved. The mustard soup!!! Oh, I’m still thinking about it.

Then just a few more to add to your list Van Gogh Coffees, Bklyn Curaçao, and Loua juice bar.

Ok, I could probably go on about food forever, but let’s get to the beaches and activities that we enjoyed!! Renting a car is a must while on this island. Taxi’s are just so dang expensive, and there isn’t really a good public transport. It was free to park at our hotel so for us, it was a no brainer. Plus we felt right at home with the curaçao round-a-bouts!! We tried to rent a cute jeep from Mr. Paradise, but miss communication and then no availability didn’t make it possible. Hopefully next time. Look at these cute cars…. We ended up renting from the Hertz right on Marriotts property. It worked out great, and ended up being a blessing after the kids got too much sun. A convertible might of done them in.

Most of the must see beaches are along the west coast of the island. They look close on a map, but take a little longer to get from place to place. Each beach is so different in it’s own unique way, even if its just down the road from the last one. Here is my list…

Cas Abao- Most instagramable beach. Idk what that even really means, except it was the most well kept. Really cute grass top cabanas, wide white beach and lots of shallow water. However, it’s not really a sandy bottom here, more rocks. This is also where the large triangle looking rock is located. Makes for great pictures. There is a restaurant and beach bar here.

Playa Porto Mari- is right next to Cas Abao, or at least not far down the road. This is where wild pigs like to hang out. I guess there are 5 of them, and they have names. We didn’t see any while we were there though. You pay for chairs on the way in, and there is a nice big beach bar and restaurant here.

Kokomo beach- This beach is fun, with live music on the weekends. It’s not the prettiest of beach, but it has some great snorkeling. This is also the spot that has the famous swing in the water, and all the swings at the bar. I’d definitely plan to go here on a Sunday night (for some reason Sundays are their party days).

Playa Piskado- Turtle beach! You are almost guaranteed to swim with turtles here. Local fisherman clean their daily catches here and throw the scraps back into the water. Turtles swarm around the shore. The beach itself is not that pretty, and the restaurants around seem a little sketch, but it’s a definite must stop. And I would try and go early in the morning. It tends to get crowded. I will say this beach had one of the nicest playgrounds we have seen. The kids loved it!

Grosse Knip and Kleine Knip- Out of the two we like Kleine Knip the best. Very clear water and a sandy bottom. The snorkeling was out of this world. We even saw an octopus here. It felt like being in a fish tank. There aren’t any beach bars here, so bring your own cooler. There are locals walking around collecting money for chairs, but it didn’t seem like there was a set price, or that they went to every seat, so….

Playa Lagun- This beach felt like we transported into another country. It was very local and I really loved the vibe. You can climb up the side of the mountain and enjoy the view, or have a cocktail at one of the restaurants. Also known as a place where turtles can be spotted.

Playa Forti- Cliff jump beach! Would you make the 40 foot plunge?! When you walk out to the platform it looks very high, but I think you just have to go for it. Chose to take the jump, or eat at one of the restaurants and watch others. Either way it’s a fun stop.

Blue cave room- Although this is not a beach per se, it is a spot I highly reccomend. Drive to Playa Santa Cruz. Then if the beach is opened I believe you can get a boat to take you. Or you park over by the left of the beach and right by the building is a path to hike. It’s not real clear, but it’s going up a hill. There is no sign to start, but are some signs along the way. It clearly turns into a path as you are walking. Keep going (15 min walk I’d say) till you get to a big opening and a beach. There will be signs toward your left. Follow the old dried out creek until it becomes a path again. Just when you think you are lost, there will be signs again. Then you get to the cliff. This is when you pay attention to the blue dots on the side of the cliff. You can make your way down (water shoes reccomended) or jump in. Once in the water you will see the cave. It looks intimidating at first, but even my 7 year old did it. You swim through the opening, you shouldn’t even have to put your head under if you don’t want to, and then you are in a beautiful blue lit up cave!! Really really cool experience, that still feels very non commercialized. I’ll try and link a youtube explaining it better.

In the blue room cave. The water was glowing.

Whew, that’s a lot of activity, but it’s just the way we like it. We aren’t really tour people, usually we feel we can see more on our own, but maybe sometimes we do miss out. There are a lot of dive schools here, and we considered getting the boys certified, but Kemp just didn’t seem ready. Honestly the snorkeling was so good we didn’t even feel like we HAD to dive. If Brooks and I go back sometime, we definitely will.

Covid protocols were pretty simple. No vax or even a test was required to travel to Curaçao. You just had to fill out a travel locator prior to departure. We did have to test for our way back to the U.S., but the hotel made that very easy. It was right on property with lots of time slots and only $30 per person.

We felt very safe on this island and truly loved immersing in the culture on Curaçao. By the end of the trip, I honestly kind of wished we would of stayed at a boutique hotel in the Pietermaai district because then we would of gotten to walk to dinners and felt even more like a local. Curaçao is a very colorful island with so much charm, and so much to do. We hit a lot of the beaches, but there are plenty more activities like caves to explore, visit and ostrich farm, learn about Aloe at the plantation, and a hike at Christoffel Mountain for an amazing view of the island. ( We skipped this because the kids were already so sunburnt and you’d have to go before sunrise, but next time!)

Curaçao was a dream. Located pretty far south only 40 miles off the coast of Venezuela and protected from any type of hurricane season, it is a must visit spot. After going to Aruba a few years back, we knew we HAD to go check out Curaçao, and I think it’s safe to say we liked it even better. Aruba sees nearly 1.5 million tourists each year, and Curaçao only gets about a third of that. On our plane ride over there were only 58 people traveling there. The less crowded, and more intact natural beauty makes it even more desirable. Dang, I just want to plan a trip back now!! Feel free to ask any questions you might have, I can’t say enough great things about this island. And if you are interested in a trip yourself, I can book you at the new Sandals Royal Curaçao through my travel agency starting in June 2022. Follow me on instagram for more highlights of our trip!!