Curacao

So there's t Welcome to Curacao, the incredible island destination in the Caribbean that you may have never heard of. Now Curacao is part of the ABC Islands, with the other two islands being Aruba and Bonaire, and it's located off the northern coast of South America. It is one of the safest islands in the Caribbean and is home to some of the most beautiful crystal clear waters that I've ever seen. Are you ready? Let's get started. The The best part is that these beaches are free to visit and offer free parking unless otherwise stated Starting with the northernmost beach on this beach is located in a small cove, and even on a cloudy day T Next up, and just five minutes down the road from Playa Kaleiki, we come to Playa Piscado where you can swim with sea turtles and know you don't need a tour. T When visiting here, I recommend staying further away from t View them from a respectful distance and don't harass them. T When you see this red painted tree, I never thought I could swim with sea turtles without a tour, but you can right here in Kirau00e7ao. Just three minutes south of the turtle beach, we will come to Playa Forti, w Other than a few people at the cliff top restaurant, were completely alone on there was a giant bait ball that hung around for T Playa Forti is also a popular cliff j Next, I'm going to show you my favorite beach in all of Kirau00e7ao and that would be Grote Canip, w This is hands down the best beach in the entire country, the water here is so clear and blue and I just stood there and looked around in amazement that the water could literally look Grote Canip is a fantastic spot for snorkeling and I saw so many fish here or if you prefer to relax, the beach is also enjoyable. If you want a cliff j Before you leave, make sure to get a smoot If you haven't had enough, there's another beach known as Klein Canip meaning Little Canip that is just two minutes away from Grote or Grand Canip on the same road. The water here was crystal clear as is typical from every beach I visited in Kirau00e7ao, but out of the two, Grote Canip is hands down my favorite. Still, w Our next stop is Playa Jeremy, five minutes to the south of the Grote Canip area. There are giant rocks to explore and the water is stunning as usual. There aren't many facilities here as compared to other beaches on t Next up, I'm going to show you another one of my favorites and that would be Playa Lagoon, just three minutes to the south of Playa Jeremy. I loved the beach is set at the end of a stunning lagoon with houses perched on either edge and not one but two reefs running on both sides underwater. Playa Lagoon is a great place for snorkeling, we saw tons of fish and great coral. T Finally, to end t If you're looking for another quiet beach that's often less busy than other choices on my list, check out Playa Santa Cruz w This is more of a beach for swimming and relaxing as opposed to snorkeling, but I wanted to put it on this list Don't worry, there are still more beaches in Curacao than I'm going to share, but let's talk about some other fun t It is known for its old town center and pastel colored Dutch colonial arc The Queen Emma Bridge connects t We got lucky and were able to witness t I love walking around the various shops and restaurants, there is truly somet If you're stopping in Curacao on your cruise, t Do Well, you can and all you have to do is pull over on the side of the road and look for them. T Wildebras is where you're going to want to go. Park your car and then walk out onto the salt flats where there are paths that are dry that you can walk on. You will have the best luck at either the beginning of the day or the end of the day when the flamingos come back for the night and even though I was there in late afternoon, I was still able to see them w Next up, I This is located on the beautiful and rough north side of the island and if you're short on time, you could couple a visit to this natural attraction with visiting the west coast beaches I shared earlier The Guatemala Hole is located down a dirt road and is completely free to explore. Now I had a small car and was perfectly fine driving t I also recommend wearing great shoes as the terrain is difficult to walk on. The coastline here is beautiful in a different way than the beaches and the Guatemala Hole is mesmerizing to see in person. If you're looking for a luxury beach experience on the island, put a day pass to Bauaza Luxury Resort on your list. I'll talk about there are multiple day pass options and you have the ability to relax in their exclusive resort and enjoy luxury amenities. You can even swim in t Okay, be honest with me, would you snorkel next to an oil rig? I know that sounds kind of odd but that's exactly what you'll be doing when you visit Tugboat Beach located 25 minutes south of Williamstead. The underwater tugboat is about a 10 minute swim from the beach and it was quite easy for us to find and you can also rent snorkel gear at the shop on site. Of course seeing a sunken s The coral here was outstanding, there were so many fish and so many different t On your way out make sure to stop at the nearby Fort Beaconburg w Tugboat Beach is one of the coolest t If snorkeling under an oil rig isn't for you and you prefer a more mellow experience my next suggestion is Casabo Beach about 40 minutes north of Williamstead. That being said it is quite an expansive beach and although it was busy it never felt crowded and we had plenty of areas to spread out. Casabo is often said to have the bluest water in Curacao and w Finally I recommend taking a day trip out to Klein Curacao w The water here is pristine and there's even a lighthouse that you can explore in the middle of the island. There are multiple options for all price points from small lodges or vacation rentals to ultra luxury properties and I'm going to share with you a quick tour of some of the places that I've stayed so you can kind of get an idea about what to expect. My first suggestion is Bauaz luxury resort w T It is located less than 10 minutes away from Williamstead but the moment you step onto the property you are w For my stay I checked into a superior beachfront pool suite w I am also obsessed with t Bauaz accaters to each guest un They have two restaurants on property and if you're coming here and you have any food allergies or dietary restrictions whatsoever I cannot stress enough that they will take care of you. Everyt Other amenities here include this gorgeous beach for hotel guests, a pool which looks T If you're looking for somewhere to stay in Curacao that's a bit more mid-tier pricing but still a beautiful stay I recommend Curacao Marriott Beach Resort w For my stay I checked into an ocean front room and I was shocked and delighted to see that my room actually came with two sliding glass doors to the outside. The resort itself is absolutely gorgeous, the beach here is beautiful and great for swimming and there are two pools, a main pool for everyone and a more secluded adults only pool. There are also multiple dining options on the property and we ate here a few times throughout our stay. On future trips to Curacao I would easily stay at either of these resorts again and I hope that you found t Before we move on I wanted to quickly mention that renting a vacation rental in Curacao is very popular but that it's not somet I did want to mention it just in case it'somet Okay, now it's time to talk travel tips and what to know before visiting Curacao. I recommend that you do not skip t First and most importantly you are going to want to rent a car for your vacation. T My rental car for taxis in Curacao are extremely expensive, I'm talking If you don't believe me, check out some Facebook groups for planning a trip to Curacao as t Renting a car also gives you the freedom to explore the island at your own pace such as going to all of the incredible beaches on your own or heading out to dinner with ease. I'm constantly seeing people posting Curacao Facebook groups saying that they regret not renting a car as they are paying much more in taxis so if you have a valid driver's license I do strongly recommend renting a car to not only be able to save money but also to be able to explore t Driving here is quite easy, they drive on the right hand side of the road and overall the roads are in good condition. T Next, the official languages in Curacao are Dutch, Papamento, the local language and English. From my experience, everyone I spoke with spoke multiple languages and English was widely spoken. I did want to note that t I would not be worried about any sort of language barrier when visiting. N I personally did not take out any money from the ATM for my visit and even when I was at one of the small west coast beaches and realized I'd forgotten my sunscreen, the local vendors selling various beach essentials took credit card. T I'm not going to tell you what to do, I'm only sharing my experience with visiting the island. Next up, I My resort told us to do t Everyone else was standing in a very long line and the line for people who filled out t Everyone needs to do t N The water in Curacao is not only safe to drink, it is of the finest quality due to the saltwater desalination plant that purifies the water right on the island. Up next, make sure to check online at the type of plugs that are used in Curacao. For my American viewers, t Of course, you should be able to buy adapters once you arrive in the event that you forgot, but just in case, buy it in advance online. Finally, I wanted to address the question of is Curacao safe? The answer is yes, that being said, just exercise normal precautions that you would anywhere. For example, some parking lots have signed up warning visitors to lock their ve Curacao is an incredibly welcoming country and you're gonna have a great time. Curacao is easily one of my favorite places that I've ever visited, but it's important to know what to expect so you could make the most of your trip. I hope that you found t