I was asked if I wanted to go on a press trip to Curaçao. I didn’t have to think twice about that! That’s why I went to this beautiful island last week and we did so many cool things and ate so many delicious things. I loved it!

What is nice to know before you go to Curaçao

What I did not know and what is so wonderful about this island, is that it is always warm. During the day on Curaçao it is between 28 and 35 degrees all year round and at night it only cools down a bit. Fortunately, there is also a lot of wind, so it feels a little less warm than it is. I love that, especially on the beach! Because it stays warm at night on this island, I can recommend that you book your stay with air conditioning. Oh and very important: please bring (or buy on arrival) sunscreen factor 50! That’s a lot but it’s really needed on the island. The sun is very bright, so keep applying! Deet is also recommended to take with you (many mosquitoes).

Transport and accommodation

We flew with TUI (with the Dreamliner, comfort class) to Curaçao and after about 9 hours of flying we could stand on the beach of Curaçao with our bare feet in the warm white sand and a cocktail in our hand. TUI certainly surprised me. Because we were in comfort class, we had a lot of legroom. I really had a wonderful flight.

On arrival we drove to our accommodation in our rental car curacao. Because Curaçao is quite large, renting a car is actually a must. This way you can really discover Curaçao. By car it is easier to visit the nice places and especially the most beautiful beaches. Our rental car was from ‘’Car-Rental-Curacao.com’’ and was perfect. The first few days of our holiday we stayed at Amalia Boutique Hotel. So nice to sleep in a boutique hotel! Top location, super cute, nice rooms and a swimming pool with very chill sunbeds. The owner was also very nice and made a nice chat with us every day. He had a lot to tell about the island and had great tips. A boutique hotel always has a nice intimate atmosphere, very different from a hotel chain.

To experience both this vacation, we stayed at the Hilton Hotel for the last few days. This hotel is located directly on the beach, on a private beach too. Of course, this hotel also has a swimming pool. I stay at the Hilton more often and find it a party every time. Great service, a warm welcome, lovely rooms and the best beds. I slept so well there!

What is there to do on this island?

A lot! Really, you can do so many cool things. This is what we did in a week:

• SUP yoga from Liberty Suares
• Food Festival: Pietermaai Proeft
• Relaxing at Papagayo Beach Club
• With the catamaran to Klein Curacao
• Race through Curacao with the quad
• City walk + a tour through Willemstad
• Chilling on the beach with pigs
• Rent a private boat and go sailing for an afternoon
• Take a cooking workshop

Curacao tips for hotspots

Besides swimming with pigs, taking a yoga lesson on a surfboard and tearing through the island on a quad, you can also eat very well on Curaçao. I thought these hotspots were great and you want to visit them during your holiday on this island.

●    Dining at Restaurant Mosa. You are sitting in a wonderfully quiet and attractive garden enjoying a shared dinner concept. You order about 2-3 dishes per person that you eat together. The dishes are special, creative and it was all so very tasty. Go here!

●    Breakfast with pumpkin pancakes at the Sunday Market in Barber, yummy! In any case, this is a fun and exciting market to see. All kinds of local dishes are made here and you can taste a lot. We even saw iguana and snake stews passing by. We skipped those for a while.

●    Dining at Restaurant Gouverneur. We also had a very nice meal here. The map varies; many international dishes, but also Curaçao dishes, such as karni stoba (stew), banana soup and kabrito curry (goat curry). I couldn’t choose and shared the tasting menu as a starter and this is definitely recommended. We had an unbelievably good time. I especially thought the banana soup was amazing, I want to make it at home one day. Besides the delicious food, you also have a beautiful view of the Handelskade across the street!

●    Have breakfast at Number Ten. This restaurant is owned by Liberty Suares (our SUP Yoga teacher) and is an Instagram proof breakfast/lunch spot. We had breakfast on the terrace where we were surrounded by local plants and trees, including a swing!

●    Lunch at Dokterstuin. This restaurant is located in the garden of the country house De Dokterstuin and in my opinion is a must visit on Curaçao. I like to taste the local cuisine and that is possible here very well. Here you have a large choice of typical local dishes. The restaurant is basic but the food is delicious and the portions are anything but modest.

●    Have lunch at Hofi Cas Cora. Unfortunately, on Curaçao they are largely dependent on imports, especially for fruit and vegetables. The island is too dry. At Hofi Cas Cora they grow their own fruit and vegetables and I think that’s totally awesome. You can enjoy all their delicacies in the small restaurant on the estate. Very fresh and especially nice to see that people here are committed to local products. love it!