10 Unmissable Things to Do in Curaçao: Beaches & Willemstad

After spending over a month across two trips to Curaçao, I want to share with you the best things to do in Curaçao, what to visit, and what you definitely shouldn’t miss.

If you’re visiting on your own, the things you really shouldn’t skip are exploring the colorful neighborhoods of Punda and Otrobanda, walking across the Queen Emma Bridge, and visiting the beaches.

If you have enough time, it’s worth renting a car and exploring the whole island, visiting all the places mentioned below. You won’t regret it.

If you’re visiting Curaçao as a cruise stop, don’t worry—this is a very small island and you’ll still have time to see quite a bit. The island is so small that when you’re on the plane, not long after takeoff you can see the whole island (I guess it will depend on the route of your flight, but still, you can see ALL of it!).

Are you planning a visit to Curacao?

Check out the best tours to make the most out of your trip.

1. Tour around several beaches in the Westpunt area (recommended!) – The prettiest beachest and amazing snorkel opportunities.
2. Nature lovers tour – Swim with turtles, spot flamingos, visit a national park and one of the prettiest beaches of the island.
3. Helmet diving – Underwater walking tour among corals and colorful fish
4. Walking tour of Otrobanda and Willemstad – Walk around the colorful streets of the city historic center.
5. Visit the city center, an old plantation house and Mambo Beach – A little bit of everything!
6. Sunset cruise party – End the day at a luxury catamaran

So if you want, you can rent a car and make stops along the way. But if you’d rather not worry about planning the route and prefer to be taken around, you’ll also find several tours you can join in the recommendations below.

Hope this helps you plan your trip and that you have a wonderful vacation!

Table of Contents

1. Walk around Punda

Downtown Willemstad, Curaçao’s capital, is divided by a channel that splits it into two parts. One of these is the Punda neighborhood.

Punda is super pretty and very walkable. The buildings facing the channel are in an old Dutch style, but painted in bright, cheerful Caribbean colors. Their facades visually show the mix of cultures that makes Curaçao so special.

Colorful umbrellas in a street in Punda, Curacao

In Punda, walk through the streets lined with colorful houses, stop into little shops and restaurants, or enjoy a meal by the sea (Bij Blauw is a great option with a beautiful view). If you’re in the mood for coffee, Café Van Gogh is a nice spot.

In Punda’s main square, you’ll find big letters that spell out “Dushi”, which means something like “sweet” and is one of the most typical words in Papiamentu (Curaçao’s local language). Everything is dushi!

In the square you’ll also see “the Chichi”, a sculpture of a woman created by a local artist that has become another icon of the island (and you can also visit the little Chichi shop).

My partner and I with the Chichi sculpture

Something that might catch your eye is that some of the houses, although nicely painted on the outside, are clearly abandoned, with boarded-up doors or windows. This goes back several decades, when there was a major workers’ uprising against the Shell oil company. When the company modernized its processes, a huge number of workers were laid off. The city went through a very chaotic time and several houses were set on fire during those days.

2. Visit the Floating Market

Boat part of the Curacao floating market

In Punda you can also visit the floating market, with stands set up on small boats that come over from Venezuela bringing all kinds of fruits and vegetables, with a variety you don’t always find in the island’s supermarkets.

In my opinion it’s not as cheap as markets usually are, but it’s definitely very picturesque!

Just a few steps from the floating market you’ll find the Willemstad market, which is also interesting to visit. And if you’re curious to try local food, you’ll find several small food stalls there with a bit of everything.

3. Cross the Queen Emma Bridge

Punda and Otrobanda are connected by a long, floating wooden pedestrian bridge with lovely views of both neighborhoods and the sea.

Several times a day the bridge swings open completely to one side to let boats or cruise ships pass through. Usually it’s just for a few minutes, but sometimes it can stay open for over an hour. So if you’re visiting on a cruise and need to cross back on time, keep that in mind.

4. Walk around Otrobanda

Otrobanda is a traditional and historic neighborhood in Willemstad. Punda is more commercial and a bit more touristy, while Otrobanda feels a little more local and bohemian, and less commercial.

Crossing the bridge from Punda you’ll arrive at Brionplein (Brion Square), and just behind it you’ll find Kurá Hulanda Village, which is worth a visit. It’s a pedestrian area with cobblestone streets and historic buildings, full of restaurants, bars, and small shops. It’s a lovely place to sit down for a coffee. This is also where we visited Bagyra’s gallery, a local visual artist.

You’ll also find the Kurá Hulanda Museum, which pays tribute to the history of the people of Curaçao and where you can learn about the island’s history of slavery.

If you prefer to visit with a guide, you can book this walking tour of Otrobanda and Willemstad.

5. Visit Mambo Beach

If you want to spend a beach day somewhere with all the services, surrounded by bars, restaurants, and boutiques (there’s a shop with really cute summer clothes!), you shouldn’t miss Mambo Beach.

The beach is beautiful and, like almost everywhere in Curaçao, the sea is calm. You can rent loungers, umbrellas, or chairs if you want. A lot of people also come here as part of city tours, so the atmosphere is pretty lively.

If you have a car, it’s super easy to get to, not far from downtown, and there is plenty of parking.

If you’d rather go with a tour, you can book this tour that includes a couple of hours at Mambo Beach.

6. Visit the Beaches in Westpunt

If you want to see some of the most beautiful beaches in Curaçao, head to Westpunt, in the far northwestern part of the island, about a 40‑minute drive from Willemstad.

My favorite beaches there are Grote Knip and Kleine Knip, two of the most turquoise beaches on the island, with super clear water and excellent snorkeling. In fact, just a few steps from the shore, even standing in the sand, you’ll already start seeing fish of all sizes and colors swimming around you.

The Grote Knip, one of the most beautiful beaches in Curacao

Other pretty beaches I recommend are Lagun (very popular for diving) and Jeremi (very small and quite peaceful).

➡️I invite you to read this post if you want to learn more about the best beaches in Curaçao and see my photos of each one.

If you’re looking for a tour to visit these beaches, you can book this tour that takes you to several beaches in the Westpunt area.

7. Explore Shete Boka National Park

Visiting Boka Pistol in Shete Boka National Park, one of the best things to do in Curacao

You’ll also find this national park in the northern part of the island. I visited it on my last trip and loved it. We went early in the morning, which I also recommend if you can, so you can visit each spot calmly, before most people arrive.

“Shete Boka” means “seven mouths” in Papiamentu, referring to the “mouths” or rocky inlets where the ocean crashes into the land with a lot of force.

You can easily visit four of them inside the park. Our favorite was Boka Pistol, where the waves come in with so much force that the water shoots up with a loud “boom”, like a pistol. If you pay attention, and depending on the weather, you can sometimes see tiny rainbows forming in the spray. The most popular inlet is Boka Tabla, where the water rushes into a small underground cave you can enter by going down some stairs.

If you love nature and want to read more, check out my complete guide to visit the Shete Boka National Park.

To visit Shete Boka, you can go on your own if you have a car, or you can book a tour that includes a stop at the national park.

8. Swim with Turtles at Playa Grandi

The first time I was in Curaçao, we went to this beach early in the morning, before most tourists arrived (most come on tours from Willemstad or from cruise ships). Swimming with the turtles is beautiful, really quite an experience.

When I was there, there were three or four turtles swimming around the pier.

However, I do have doubts about whether it’s really okay to swim with them. The second time, we decided not to go. We had read some comments online saying that apparently the turtles were so overfed it looked like their shells were about to burst.

Other people also mentioned that swimming surrounded by dead fish (which they use to feed the turtles) wasn’t very pleasant—something we hadn’t thought about. We also didn’t like how some tourists insisted on touching the turtles just to get a photo.

On the other hand, they’re not in captivity and they can leave if they want. And it really is a beautiful experience to be so close to them. So it’s up to each person to decide.

If you do decide to go, you can book a tour to swim with the turtles here.

9. Go See Flamingos

If you like birds or nature in general, you shouldn’t miss a visit to see the flamingos. Personally, I love birds, and you can see a huge variety all over the island (in just 15 days I managed to see about 10% of the more than 300 species found on Curaçao!).

To see flamingos, head to the Sint Willibrordus salt pans (also known as the Jan Kok salt pans), where wild flamingos feed and rest in the shallow waters. You can park right by the road, from where you can already see the salt pans and the flamingos in the distance, or you can walk a bit closer along the muddy, marshy area by the water (bring mosquito repellent) to see them better.

To see flamingos as part of a full‑day outing, you can book this tour, which includes a stop to see them.

I didn’t bring my camera when I went, but here you can see some of the beautiful birds I photographed elsewhere on the island. That’s another thing that you can do in Curacao, birdwatching.

10. Relax at a spa

Okay, this isn’t something that’s “typical Curaçao” in itself, BUT the truth is that a lot of people do want to relax somewhere beautiful and special on their vacation. Especially if you’re visiting Curaçao for a special occasion, like your birthday or an anniversary.

I’ve spent two birthdays on the island, and on my last one one of the things we did during the day was buy a day pass at 8 The Experience Spa, about a half‑hour drive from Willemstad. The pass includes a sauna, a cold room, pool, hot jacuzzis with sea views, and a few mini experiences (like masks and short massage sessions). Many of their spa facilities, including the sauna and special cold “igloo” room, are part of a larger wellness complex overlooking the sea.

They also offer plenty of classic spa services you can book separately. Highly recommended—I loved it.