Curacao: This small Dutch island is known for its beaches and coves, pastel architecture, and floating Queen Emma Bridge in the capital of Willemstad. This beautiful getaway was as stop on our Southern Royal Caribbean cruise and was one of my favorite ports of call we visited!
There is so much to see and do when visiting Curacao. Royal Caribbean docks their ships in Willemstad, the capital of Curacao. The ship is within walking distance into the Old Town, and from there, you can walk through the shops, bars, and old fort to get within the city limits and along the water.
When you walk out of the port area, you will turn right and head toward town. Rif Fort is not hard to miss! It has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and now offers dining and shopping, live entertainment, and nightlife. You can do a walking tour of the fort, or walk around on your own. It doesn’t take very long, so if you have only one day to visit Curacao, I suggest starting early and walking through this area quickly so that way you have the rest of the day to explore.
After walking through Rif Fort, you will come up to Otrobanda. This is right next to Emma Bay, where you see all of the picturesque buildings along the Bay all over the internet. Now, I can add these pictures to my collection as well. 😉 In order to get to Otrobanda from the Rif Fort, you can walk across the Queen Emma Bridge. This bridge is so cool!! This bridge actually moves and floats in the water! Queen Emma Bridge was built in 1888 and allows ships to pass through as well as pedestrians so that way they can get to and from shops and restaurants. If the bridge isn’t open due to a ship passing through, the free ferry also operates and takes you to and from both sides. I prefer walking over the bridge because it’s so fun and different from most bridges, so I suggest taking a walk across for the full experience!
Curacao was our last stop on our Caribbean cruise. We had spent many days sitting in the sun, so we were looking for something else to do besides sit in the sun on the beach. It was also starting to rain, so we decided to find a cute café (Iguana Cafe) and sit on the water right near the Queen Emma Bridge, so that way we could watch ships pass, enjoy the sites, and sit for a while enjoying a cocktail (or four). This was such a fun thing to do and it felt very European sitting outdoors across from the actual café getting to enjoy outside. This location is a great place to grab a coffee, lunch, or cocktail. We spent the first part of our day relaxing, which we really enjoyed. The “waterfront patio” offers many different restaurants so that many people can enjoy this area.
After spending time at Iguana Cafe, we walked over to Wilhelmina Park. This park is next to shops, cafes, and restaurants, so there is plenty to see and do! Right near the park are the floating markets. It’s so cool to see boats sitting in the water where you can go right up and purchase right off the boat.
After we walked around Wilhelmina Park, we had tickets to visit the Curacao Liqueur Distillery. If you have plans to visit, make sure to book your tickets in advance because tickets can sell out in advance. Also, arrive EARLY. If you are late, you will miss your tour time and won’t be able to join your group. Royal Caribbean does offer a shore excursion here, but I felt that it was cheaper to purchase tickets on my own and get transportation to and from the distillery. Keep in mind, that you do this at your own risk, and Royal is not responsible for what happens when you book tours on your own and do things on your own. The distillery was actually further from the main area of town. We had to take a taxi to and from the distillery, so make sure to add in time for that. After our tour, we actually had to have the distillery call a taxi for us because there were none readily available for us when we left at the end of the day.
The Curacao Liqueur Distillery at Landhuis Chobolobo is a great way to learn the history of Curacao and the distillation process of the Blue Curacao Liqueur. (This is the famous one!) The tour itself lasts about 30 minutes. You can also enjoy a tasting at the end, which is what we did! You can spend the rest of your time enjoying your drink in the back bar and shopping in the souvenir shop. This tour was short and simple, but it was something fun and different to do on our day in Curacao! If you are looking for a way to spend a day besides playing at the beach, this is a wonderful way to spend the day in Curacao!
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If you plan to spend your day at the beach, Cabana Beach is an awesome beach with beautiful water, clean sand, and beach chairs that you can rent. Caracasbaai Beach is a bit quieter and offers great spots to snorkel. Mambo Beach is about 15 minutes from the main area of Otrobanda. The water is clear and calm, there are beach chairs, cabanas, bars, and stores. You can also arrange with your taxi driver to pick you up from the beach if you give them a time to return.
If you want to swim with dolphins or spend time indoors, check out the Curacao Sea Aquarium for something fun to do that isn’t the beach!
Other Things to Know:
You can get around Willemstad without a taxi. There is plenty to see and do on foot, but make sure to bring cash with you if you plan to take a taxi to the beach or the outside of town. Some taxi drivers don’t take cards.
Hydrate! Have you seen where Curacao is on a map?! You are so close to South America and the Equator, meaning it is HOT! I’m a Florida girl and experience my fair share of humidity, but this is none like any other! Make sure to wear sunscreen because those UVs are STRONG. If you step off your cruise ship and are disappointed because it is raining, know that most rain showers pass very quickly and it can be sunny for the rest of the day. This is what happened when we visited, so keep that in mind and know your day isn’t ruined if you see rain!
If you are planning a Southern Caribbean cruise in the future, Curacao is a beautiful destination and you won’t be visited with this port of call!
Love and Travel Dust,
Molly
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