Before I moved to Chicago, I had only experienced winter temperatures in the teens. So after five months (and counting) of winter in the Windy City, it was definitely time for a tropical getaway.
Last month I met up with a few of my best girlfriends from DC for a few days of fun in the sun. We thought about doing the traditional all-inclusive vacation, but after some research, decided to go somewhere off the beaten path. It was my friend’s idea to check out Curacao, a constituent country of the Netherlands, and the more we looked into it the more it seemed like a viable option.
After arrival, we spent most of the first and second days lounging beach and poolside at the spacious Marriott Emerald Resort and Casino, a hotel I would highly recommend. As we weren’t looking for a crazy dance-on-tables spring break experience, the Marriott was perfect for us – low key, relaxing, and not very crowded.
On the evening of our first full day, we decided to check out downtown Willemstad.
Time seemed to stand still as we sat outside by the water watching boats both large and small pass swiftly through Queen Emma’s Pontoon Bridge, a floating bridge in downtown Willemstad. The bridge, separating the Punda and Otrobanda quarters of Curacao’s capital city, seemed to capture the unique and eclectic nature of the island.
Luckily, the fact that time seemed to stand still was a good thing, considering the bridge would stay open for up to 45 minutes or so at a time. Unless you took the ferry across, you were stuck in Punda until the bridge closed back up again. This didn’t seemed to be a problem for the locals and tourists alike, as no one seemed to be in a hurry. This mentality would not go over well in the States, where people always seem to be antsy and impatient to move on to the next destination.
Willemstad, formerly known as the capital of the Netherlands Antilles until it’s dissolution, is now designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site and serves as the island’s cultural epicenter. Handelskade, located on the Punda side, is a picturesque row of brightly colored buildings and beautiful Dutch 17th century architecture on the harbor.
As we sat at Iguana Café that evening, we tried the island’s own liqueur, Blue Curacao. And let me just say that after two drinks (and only $12) later, I was definitely feeling the effects of the “Blue Lagoon” concoction that was served by our young 20something waiter (who just so happened to look exactly like Chris Brown.)
On our second day, we took a taxi to Jan Thiel Beach, a commercial shopping/man-made beach area catering to tourists. Our private beach at the Marriott was much nicer, but it was definitely nice to venture out a bit.
As we were en route to Jan Thiel, our cab driver, Ida, let us stop at a scenic overlook to take pictures.
Many of the people we met had moved from the Netherlands and were fluent in Dutch, or were studying in the Netherlands and completing school internships in Curacao. The natives speak “Papiamentu”, a creole language derived from Spanish, English and Dutch. I took several years of Spanish in high school, yet the only thing I could come up with was “Donde estas”…pathetic I know.
Klein Curacao
Although Curacao definitely has more to offer than sandy, pristine beaches, lying on one for hours sure doesn’t hurt.
On our last full day, we took a Bounty Adventures catamaran out to Klein Curacao (or “Little” Curacao in English.) It was by far my favorite day of the trip. We boarded the boat around 7:00 am, so it was definitely an early start for us that morning. The boat ride over was a little bumpy but the view of the Caribbean Sea was beautiful.
After arriving on Klein, it was time for snorkeling and beachcombing. The coastline was gorgeous and the beach so serene– there’s just something special about an uninhabited, desolate island. The only structures on the island are an old lighthouse, several huts and an old tanker, which looked a lot like an abandoned shipwreck.
Our crew was amazing. They were super laidback, very helpful and thoroughly enjoyed talking to the tourists on the boat, most of which were Dutch and English. What a life – these guys take the boat out, cook BBQ, and maintain steady suntans almost everyday of the week.
After a full day of snorkeling and swimming with sea turtles (I was pinching myself for not bringing an underwater camera) we sailed back to Curacao at dusk.
We ended our evening, and last night of our trip, watching the sunset on Piscadera Bay at an outdoor restaurant near our resort.
All in all it was definitely a tropical vaca for the books. I would recommend taking at least ten days to island-hop all over the Dutch Caribbean, hitting each of the ABC islands – Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao (that’s my plan for next time!) But if you only have time to visit one spot, Curacao is undoubtedly the place to go. The beaches along with the culture and nightlife make it an unforgettable vacation destination.
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[…] the East Coast quite a bit. I also received my shiny new passport back in March and took a trip to Curacao with some of my best girlfriends. In June, my mom and I had some great bonding time over a week […]