February 2026

Curaçao is a beautiful Dutch Caribbean island, and part of the ABC Islands (along with Aruba and Bonaire).
Language: If you're only an English speaker, you will be fine in Curaçao. Most Curaçaoans speak multiple languages, including English. Papiamentu (a Portuguese-based creole language spoken in the Dutch Caribbean), Dutch, and Spanish are also commonly spoken.
Currency: The local currency is the Caribbean guilder, but if you want to pay in cash they also widely accept US dollar. So, there’s no need to exchange currency.
Travel tips:
- You MUST fill out this immigration form within 7 days prior to arrival in Curaçao. You will be denied entry if you do not complete it prior to arrival.

Highly recommend getting the Curaçao Express Pass for the airport via the Airside App. When going through immigration upon arrival at Curaçao airpot, the express pass allows you to get into the express line and save time.

Transportation: You can rent a car for about $40/day. There are no ride share apps, but taxis are also available, with most rides being about $20-25 (which can add up quick).
This was a solo trip for my birthday. And I knew I wanted it to be a lazy trip, meaning I wanted to mostly chill, and wasn’t fussed on doing all the excursions or visiting all the “must-see” locations. So I didn’t bother to rent a car. Staying at The Kontiki Beach Resort was really key — it is so ideally located. I was fine without a car for the lazy trip I intended to have. More on the hotel below.

Attractions

Explore Willemstad
- Willemstad is the capital city, with beautiful pastel-colored buildings.
- Willemstad is highly-walkable but I also recommend doing a tour, to get a guided experience through Willemstad while learning the island’s rich history. Here are some options:
  - Scooter Tour
  - Walking tour
  - Tuk Tuk tour — I did this one and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s a private tour, so can hit the spots you want to.
- Popular sites in Willemstad
  - Queen Emma Floating Bridge — connects the Punda and Otrobanda neighborhoods. You are able to walk across the bridge and small boats can pass underneath the bridge.
  - Rif Fort — former fort in Otrabanda which now has restaurants and shops
  - Floating Market — market on the water-edge, with merchants from Venezuela selling items that they have brought on boats to Curaçao. Great place to get fresh produce.
  - Queen Wilhelmina Square — surrounded by shops and restaurants, and also where the popular “Curaçao" and "Dushi" signs are.

Beaches
- Mambo Beach
  - Popular beach, lined with beach clubs (Mambo Beach Club, Mood Beach Club, Cabana Beach Club, Madero Ocean Beach Cub, and Wet & Wild Beach Club). This is the beach on which the Kontiki Beach Resort is.
- Casa Abao
- Kokomo Beach
- Grote Knip
- Playa Grandi

Klein Curaçao
- An uninhabited island about 90 minutes from Curaçao by boat. I would put this on the must do list. Klein has some of the most beautiful turquoise water — it’s unreal. Also great for snorkeling.
- I will warn it is an extremely choppy ride to the island, but oddly very smooth returning to Curaçao. But if you are easily sea-sick, please pre-medicate. Multiple people threw up on our ride to Klein. But it is worth it!
- Here’s a couple of the more popular tour options, that include an open bar and lunch:
  - Blue Finn Tours
  - Irie Tours — this is the one I did, and had a great time.

Restaurants

Like I said, this was a lazy trip for me, so a lot of these places I didn’t end up visiting. I stuck mostly to places on Mambo Beach Blvd, as they were in walking distance from The Kontiki Resort.
Breakfast/Brunch
- Bliss The Berry — very popular spot on Mambo Beach, I ate breakfast here multiple times.
- La Reina
- Ten Curacao
- Kome and St. Tropez Ocean Club also serve breakfast, but they are more popular for dinner.
Dinner
- Kome
- Dal Toro
- Bocas — highly recommend getting the whole snapper
- Serafina
- Mood at Kontiki
- Hemingway
- St. Tropez Ocean Club — great for sunset
Plasa Beiu (Old Market) — a must visit for lunch
- Local food hall in Willemstad. Dine with locals, get authentic Curaçaoan food. Bring cash and some of the stall don’t take cash.

Accommodation

I stayed at The Kontiki Beach Resort and had a great stay. Not only are the hotel ground beautiful, it is also in prime location — right on Mambo Beach. So you have direct access to some of the most popular beach clubs. And the hotel is also just a short walk to Mambo Beach Blvd, home to so many restaurants and shops.

The hotel has multiple room options. I stayed in two different rooms. I spent the first night in the Standard Room, which was spacious and a nice more affordable option. And I splurged and stayed in the Beachfront Suite for 3 nights. This room was pricey, but worth every penny. The suites come with a small pool with outdoor seating and a beach bed.

I made a TikTok on my thoughts on the hotel and providing a room tour of the rooms I stayed in.