5 tips for nice places in Curaçao
More than a beach with sand and water in the sea, that’s what I was hoping for. Curacao is best known as a tropical destination where you can laze away the days of your vacation with a cocktail in your hand under a swaying palm tree. But Curacao seems to be much more than just beach hanging. It was up to this delightful island to prove otherwise. And so it did. My camera and I went looking for the true heart of Curaçao, below you will find the result in photos and 5 tips for the hippest and most beautiful places on Curaçao.
1. Streetfood
In Willemstad I walked into the purest smells and flavors Valhalla of Curaçao: the Old Market or Plasa Bieu. A marketplace at the bottom, all around, and when you go up the stairs you end up in the food hall. In the past you only had the market vendors-women who grilled their own lunch and gradually started selling food because it smelled so good and everyone wanted to enjoy it. Now you will find various food courts where you can eat your fill with local food for a small price.
2. Warm, happy people
Throw together the southern sultry of the Caribbean, the cheerfulness of the Dutch, Creole sounds and African rhythm and you get the unimaginable charm of the Curaçaoans. Cheerful and friendly, you immediately feel at home!
3. De jeugd van tegenwoordig – Yoga & brunchen and Number Ten
Outside the walls of the resorts you can see the island crawling out of the slump it had been in since the 1980s. Between all the idyllic cocktail hours and charming coloring book houses, the island’s oil refinery sometimes appears in the distance, once set up and abandoned by Shell thirty years ago. The Dutch youth, once born on the island, is returning. More frivolous than ever and with frolic joy, they kick the island back with a conscience. They open pop-up bars, co-work places and trendy hotspots. For example, you have the wonderful Number Ten, where you can have a fantastic brunch, take a yoga class or have artful talks when you wander through the works of art in the garden.
Also very nice is the farm-to-table concept at Hofi Cas Cora. With a view of the yard and the fields, you can eat the most delicious dishes, completely in Pinterest style with garlands of lamps, field bouquets on the table and that rusty pick-up truck in the background. Everything fresh, local and ecological!
4. Straight from the sea to your plate – lunch at De Visserij
Liefde gaat door de maag zeggen ze, en je kan niet anders dan verliefd worden op culinair Curaçao. Naast haar heerlijke stoverijen en verrukkelijke gebakjes, staat het eiland natuurlijk bekend om haar krakende verse vis. Nieuw is het eetplekje De Visserij, waar de vis letterlijk recht uit de zee op je bord belandt. De bootjes meren aan naast je tafel en de vis duikt zo recht de keuken in. Betalen doe je per kilo, slaatje erbij en het zicht op de azuurblauwe baai is gratis inbegrepen.
5. Streets of Scharloo – on Instagram tour through Willemstad
If there is a city in the southern hemisphere that breathes street art, it is certainly Willemstad, the capital of Curaçao. Nothing is better than getting lost in the small streets of the colorful neighborhoods of Punda, Otrabanda or Scharloo. Gaby from Sand and Stilettos took me on an ‘insta tour’ through the city, along the most beautiful murals, rainbow facades and quietest places in Scharloo. From noisy square to deserted alley, the city in all its glory! You will also find many nice hotels in and near Willemstad! For example, book an overnight stay at Pietermaai Boutique Hotel or Avila Beach Hotel (here you will also find the only sandy beach in Willemstad).
