Curaçao travel guide
Curaçao is a dry, sunny island off the coast of Venezuela and a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Its capital, Willemstad, has a waterfront of pastel Dutch-style buildings, and the rest of the island offers small coves, reefs close to shore and cactus-covered hills. It suits snorkellers and divers, food lovers and travellers who enjoy a multilingual, multicultural island.
Places worth the trip
Willemstad's Handelskade
The row of colourful, gabled buildings along the harbour in the Punda district is the island's most famous view. The historic centre and harbour are a UNESCO World Heritage site, and markets, cafés and museums fill the streets behind.
Queen Emma Bridge
A floating pontoon bridge for pedestrians that links Punda with Otrobanda across St Anna Bay. It swings open to let ships pass, sometimes leaving people waiting or riding a free ferry instead, and is lit up at night.
Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue
Dating from 1732, it is the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the Americas. Its floor is covered in sand, and an adjoining museum tells the story of the island's Sephardic Jewish community.
Beaches of Westpunt
The north-west has small coves set between cliffs, such as Grote Knip (Playa Kenepa), Playa Lagun and Playa Piskado, where fishermen clean their catch and turtles often swim close to snorkellers.
Christoffel National Park and Shete Boka
Christoffel Park has hiking trails, including a climb up the island's highest hill, along with deer, orchids and cacti. Nearby Shete Boka National Park protects a rugged north coast where waves crash into limestone inlets.
Klein Curaçao
A small, flat, uninhabited island reached by boat trip, with an old lighthouse, a shipwreck on the shore, a long white beach and clear water where turtles are often seen.
Diving and snorkelling from shore
Reefs start just metres from many beaches, so you can walk in from the sand. The Tugboat wreck near Caracas Bay and the reefs of the Curaçao Marine Park on the south-east coast are popular sites.
Interesting facts about Curaçao
- Blue Curaçao liqueur is made from the dried peel of the laraha, a bitter orange that grows on the island.
- Papiamentu, a creole language drawing on Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and African languages, is spoken by most of the population and is an official language.
- Curaçao lies south of the main Atlantic hurricane belt, so direct hits from hurricanes are rare.
- In 2025 the Caribbean guilder replaced the Netherlands Antillean guilder as the currency of Curaçao and Sint Maarten.
- Curaçao became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 2010, when the Netherlands Antilles were dissolved.
Best time to visit Curaçao
Curaçao is warm, dry and sunny year-round, with constant trade winds that keep the heat bearable. The short rainy season, roughly from October to January, brings brief showers rather than days of rain. December to April is the busiest and most expensive period, with many visitors escaping winter in Europe and North America. Carnival, usually in February or early March, fills the streets of Willemstad with parades.
Getting around
Renting a car is by far the easiest way to explore, since many beaches are scattered along the west coast and public buses are infrequent. Roads are generally in good condition and traffic drives on the right. Taxis are available in Willemstad and at hotels and the airport, but fares are fixed rather than metered, so agree the price first. Willemstad's centre is best explored on foot.
Practical details
- Capital
- Willemstad
- Currency
- Caribbean guilder (XCG); US dollars are widely accepted
- Languages
- Papiamentu, Dutch, English
- Plug types
- A, B
- Voltage
- 127 V, 50 Hz
- Emergency
- 911 for all emergencies
- Driving side
- right
- Tipping
- Many restaurants add a service charge to the bill; extra tipping for good service, and for guides and dive crews, is appreciated.
Staying online in Curaçao
Mobile coverage is good across most of the island, including Willemstad and the main beaches, though signal can weaken in parts of the national parks and in some coves below cliffs. Hotels, apartments, beach bars and cafés usually offer Wi-Fi. Roaming on a home plan can be expensive in the Caribbean, even for EU plans, as Curaçao is outside the EU's roaming area. Install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land.
Curaçao eSIM plans
Ilimitado
Unlimited eSIM Data for 1 Day for Curaçao, V2
3 GB
3GB eSIM Data for 3 Days for Curaçao, V2
3 GB
3GB eSIM Data for 7 Days for Curaçao, V2
3 GB
3GB eSIM Data for 30 Days for Curaçao, V2
Useful apps
- Google Maps: Driving directions between beaches; download the island for offline use.
- WhatsApp: Widely used by dive shops, tour operators, apartments and taxi drivers.
- XE Currency: Convert between Caribbean guilders, US dollars and your home currency.
Curaçao travel FAQs
Curaçao is a self-governing constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is not part of the EU or the Schengen area, and has its own currency.
Yes, US dollars are widely accepted, and cards are accepted in most hotels, restaurants and shops. Change may be given in local currency, so carry some guilders for small purchases.
Yes. Coverage is good across most of the island. Because Curaçao is outside the EU, EU roaming allowances usually don't apply, so many visitors use a travel eSIM for local data while keeping their home number active.
Very. Many beaches have reefs just offshore, and turtles are frequently seen at beaches such as Playa Piskado. Bring reef-safe sunscreen and water shoes for rocky entries.