Explore This Goes to Curaçao!

Curaçao

A stones throw from Venezuela and her Dutch Caribbean sister islands of Bonaire and Aruba…yet her own perfect vibe of street art, diving, a melting pot of cultures, languages and traditions, plus colorful homes and urban street eats.

Our favorite local adventures:
1. Abseiling from The Queen Juliana Bridge: The tallest bridge in the Caribbean…gives you 185 feet to take in stunning views of St. Anna bay, after you’re done peeing your pants from having to exit from a porthole within the bridge and stand on a tiny ledge with no handholds. Totally worth it, if your pants are quick dry.

2. Spear Lionfish: For 12 years Lisette Keus and team at The Dive Shop Curaçao have been hunting these decorative aquarium fish native to the indo-Pacific-turned-invasive-species in other parts of the world courtesy of someone releasing them into the wild. It’s a habitat where they have no natural predators, reproduce like rabbits and act like complete jerks on the reef devouring larva of native species. A mature female (they mature after a year) can lay 50,000 eggs every three days for the rest of her life! And the egg mass contains a repellent that ensures more baby lion fish survive. They are a true plague in the Caribbean and I’ve never seen as many as we did here!! But that’s not all! A former journalist turned diver, Lisette also has a restaurant serving these pesky but delicious fishes AND makes jewelry out of their gorgeous fins and spines. And that folks is marine conservation at its finest without wasting a single piece of fish.

3. Street art: With its melting pot of cultures Curaçao is teaming with unique, colorful and extraordinary street art. Stop for some local ice cream called lie (pronounced lee) and then walk around the streets of Willemstad taking in the colorful assortment of murals. The most colorful streets are Punda, Otrobanda, Pietermaai and Scharloo.

Our favorite place to rest our weary heads:

The Avila Beach Hotel

It’s the oldest hotel in Curacao is centrally located and boasts history, private beaches and unique over water style wing reminiscent of south pacific bungalows.

Our favorite nosh spot:

Kas Di Piskado Purunchi

A local, family run eatery set in a fisherman’s home where the oh-so-fresh fish is delivered by boat to the back of the shop that extends out over the water, is cleaned right there (scraps tossed to nurse sharks and pelicans) and served to your table all within about 20 feet.