Are you going to Curaçao soon and do you need inspiration, or help choosing the best activities, most beautiful beaches, and finding nature, culture and the most photogenic places? Our island has it all and with this varied program you will experience Curaçao to the ultimate in just 5 days!
Day 1
A tour through Willemstad is an absolute must. Our capital is on the Unesco World Heritage List for a reason! The city consists of 4 different districts full of colorful colonial buildings. The unique history, architecture and combination with atmospheric shops, art galleries and impressive murals make the city extra photogenic.
In Otrabanda there is a lot of street art and art scattered over the narrow streets and the colorful Kurá Hulanda Village, where you will find the historical museum, charming boutiques and cozy restaurants of local entrepreneurs. In the evening, Kurá Hulanda comes alive with atmospheric lights around the square of this small village.
In Punda, Plasa Bieu is an authentic must-visit and the place to enjoy real Curaçao dishes during a relaxed lunch, together with the locals. There are also plenty of local shops, art galleries, cozy restaurants and terraces in this historic district. Enough to fill your afternoon!
Be sure to walk past the market stalls of the Handelskade, visit the Venezuelan floating market and admire the beautiful murals and the colorful cityscape from the Pontjesbrug.
And if you walk via Punda to Scharloo and Pietermaai, there are many more colorful buildings and creative murals to see.
You will also find several beach restaurants in Willemstad that also function as beach clubs. Willemstad's newest additions are The Lemon Beach, The Lemon Tree and Mondi Beach Club, where you can enjoy stylish seaside with tropical cocktails and delicious food with your feet in the sand.
Day 2
For an even better impression of the real Curaçao, where most locals live and nature is central, you have to go to Bandabou, the west of the island! You can book a tour here, or rent a car yourself and drive around with ease.
Along the way you will pass authentic villages, where often only Curaçaoans live, surrounded by a rugged and hilly landscape. Especially in the rainy season, nature here is particularly green and lush. Along the west coast you will find popular beaches, but also quiet authentic bays. You can also visit extensive plantations with historic mansions and explore the impressive coral coast of Shete Boka in the northeast.
This rugged coastline shows a completely different side of Curaçao and can be explored on foot via several hiking trails that lead along the 7 inlets. Shete Boka is a protected nature reserve with caves, natural bridges and rugged cliffs with small beaches, which are an important nesting place for sea turtles.
One of the other highlights in Bandabou is the Christoffel Park, with 23 km2 the largest nature reserve on the island and also a protected nature reserve. Together with the Sint-Christoffel Mountain, this is the highest point of Curaçao and ideal for a morning hike with magical views at sunrise.
But you can also explore the National Park by car via 2 well-developed roads that run through the area. Nowhere else on Curaçao is there so much special flora and fauna to be found. The variety of native plants will surprise you and bird watchers are definitely in the right place here!
Day 3
Fancy more adventure? Then there are several exciting tours to book. Think, for example, of abseiling from the 55-meter-high Juliana Bridge in Willemstad. An adrenaline rush guaranteed! For even more thrills, you can also go rock climbing in lesser-known places of the island. And to explore even more of the beaches and nature of the authentic northwest, a half-day tour on a buggy or Can-am bike with a local guide, is a true adventure. With speeds of up to 120 km/h, you can see a lot of the north and west side of the island in about 3-4 hours on this easy-to-drive ATV, including some fun and refreshing stops. You can book this tour privately or in a group.
Day 4
Also not to be missed is a boat trip to Klein Curaçao. An uninhabited island about 13 kilometers off the coast, which can be reached in 1-2 hours by boat. Several local providers, such as Miss Ann Boat Trips, offer tours with lunch and drinks on board.
The island has the longest and whitest beach in Curaçao and is perfect for a day of snorkeling, diving or relaxing. Some tours also include access to the island's beach club, which even has its own diving school.
Via various hiking trails you can explore the small island, visit the abandoned lighthouse and continue to the shipwreck on the rugged north coast.
End the day in Willemstad where several atmospheric restaurants and bars can be found side by side in the Nieuwestraat of Pietermaai.
Day 5
For peace and nature, visit the Curaçao Rif Mangrove Park, where you can easily explore this special ecosystem via boardwalks. Or admire the mangroves even closer during a SUP or kayak tour.
Den Paradera, a botanical garden with native plants and herbs with medicinal powers, also offers a soothing setting. In this special place you can feel the passion of Curaçao's herb woman: Dinah Veeris, who set up this garden 34 years ago as a life's work and has always maintained it with love.
In addition, they sell self-produced natural products here.
To end your last evening festively, Mambo and Jan Thiel Beach are the right place for you! Both beaches have a wide range of seaside restaurants and several beach clubs where there are regular parties with live music and DJs.
For example, at Zanzibar and Zest Beach & Restaurant at Jan Thiel and Wet & Wild, Cabana, and Mambo Beach you can enjoy delicious food with your feet in the sand, enjoy inexpensive tropical cocktails during Happy Hour and dance with a view of the sea.
