Heading for Curacao

THE CURACAO EXPERIENCE

 

Located near Venezuela, Curacao is a fairly large island although the area you will want to visit is relatively small.

 

I think of Curacao as a rustic and less polished Aruba. For me personally, this is not an important or beautiful island to visit, but I had a great time. However if you are going, I will fill you in on what's good to do and see for the best possible experience.

 

The most inhabited part of the island is on the south side. The island has its length going east to west similar to Long Island in NY. Going North and South is not a far distance. The north side is empty as it is very rocky and gets a huge amount of wind.

 

The capitol of Curacao is Willemstad. It has 2 sides connected by a floating pontoon bridge. It floats on small boats, so when a huge tanker comes into the port, the bridge moves to one side. It is a pedestrian only bridge. One side of the town is called Punder and the other side is Utterstand, which means other side. Punder has more shopping and many restaurants, etc. Don't get excited; neither side offers great shopping.

 

The island itself is very rocky so while the beaches are white and sandy, there are large rocks and pebbles as you enter the water for a swim. The rocky area can extend about 10 feet into the water and then you are in about thigh high. It would be very difficult for the elderly or young children. As ugly as they seem, bring water shoes if you don't want to kill your feet.

 

The water itself is pleasant, and very clear, and generally warm. There are some fish in the water, but I have seen far better fish in an upscale Chinese restaurant aquarium.

 

The personality of the island is not overly friendly. It has a strong Dutch influence so the people for the most part are stern and stick to the exact rules. The island's main industry is not tourism, although it is becoming more important. The main industry is refining of crude oil shipped from Venezuela. Large tankers are a common sight. Parts of the island look like the ride along the Jersey Turnpike with all the big and numerous oil tanks.

 

You may want to visit the oldest Synagogue in the Caribbean and stroll the old streets in the 2 sided downtown. Definitely do not count on it being a shopping Mecca, but the locals do have small gatherings of music festivals in the town square on some nights near the pontoon bridge.

 

There are many hotels on the island and each one suits a different need. For example:

 

The Renaissance has a downtown and very commercial feel, with an infinity pool leading to a so so small beach front. It is attached to a mall which gets a lot of cruise ship people, and it has a night life with the feel of a younger single crowd. This would not be my choice, as it did not feel like I was away in a tropical paradise.

 

The Hilton is next door to the Marriott; not a pleasant looking property and it just felt strange to me when I checked it out. It has a lot going on, but it just does not look or feel appealing. The casino was geared to a lot of locals and was not a pleasant place for a fun night out after dinner.

 

The Baoas Resort is a top notch gorgeous resort and a total tropical paradise feel. It as a very spiritual and peaceful feeling, felt like a Polynesian island.

 

The Hyatt Hotel was beautiful but far from everything, a true resort very upscale and I would say more of a golfer's vacation. The pool area was lovely, and the sea felt a bit more like a beach on a salt water inlet. This is definitely a beautiful spot if you prefer not to do much else on the island, and remember its quite far from the center of things and the action.

 

In my opinion the Marriott is the best option. It’s located on a beautiful beach but still with rocks in the water for the first 5 to 8 feet in, and then you can stand comfortably in the clear water. The hotel has a nice restaurant, a small but fun casino, the staff is fantastic and the property is very pretty. You can walk to a few other spots like The Hilton and some small restaurants, but otherwise not a lot is in the area. It’s a short ride to the downtown and not far from the airport.

 

Restaurants:

 

It’s hard to find a really awful restaurant here, so it is more about what you prefer to eat rather than the price range, since most restaurants are similar prices. Some I liked best were:

 

*Fort Nassau

*Zest

*Jaanchie's

*Fish Delicious

*Bistro le 'Clochard - very romantic

*El Gaucho - They will come and pick you up but be prepared for a lot of stops at other hotels.

*Gouverneur – Downtown, very nice, we like dining in the bar area overlooking the town.

*Baoas Resort Restaurant - a fantastic evening at a romantic and perfect spot, perhaps the best place for that special night on this island.

*Pirate Bay - is fun casual and within walking distance from the Marriott, looks seedy at first but people love this spot

 

All in all, I like Curacao and I would go again and stay at the Marriott and just relax and enjoy the weather and deal with the large pebbles in the water.  I also like that it is less costly than other Caribbean islands. A plus is that the weather is almost always perfect and the water always warm...

Contact me at # Elsushi921@aol.com