C is for – Curacao
This year for our anniversary trip we took our first trip to Curacao. And if you’re like a lot of people, then you might be wondering where is Curacao?!?!
Curacao is part of the ABC Islands. Aruba is probably the most well known island in the group and has been a tourist destination for some time. Bonaire, which I will also write about in this series is the last island in this trio. For us Curacao, was the last of the three to cross off our list, and we were very excited about exploring a new destination.
Curacao is an island with a rich trade history. The island is home to the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge, which connects Punda and Ortrobana, two historic districts within the capital city of Willemstad. The Queen Emma was built in 1888 and today is the last remaining active pontoon bridge. Willemstad, including the harbor has also been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We both have pretty stressful jobs, and week isn’t always enough time to disconnect, relax and recharge so a typical trip for us is usually ten days. The bonus is, we can take advantage of the cheaper flights and quieter airports by flying on non-peak days. Flying from Boston, JetBlue is always our airline of choice. We each have our own JetBlue Plus Card, and use it for most expenses so we often fly using points. We highly recommend this card, aside from points, you also get a free check bag for yourself and up to three others when booked together.
Ten day trips are great, because we get to split our time between two different resorts. The first half of the trip we stayed at the Renaissance Curacao Resort & Casino, located in right in the heart of Willemstad. The second half of the week we spent at Lion’s Dive Beach Resort.
We chose these two resorts because they are very different. The Renaissance Resort is located downtown, in the heart of everything. It is connected to Rif Fort, which was once used to protect the bay from invaders and has seen a variety of other uses since, now part of the Renaissance complex and home to shops and restaurants.
To be honest I was a little nervous about staying downtown near the cruise terminal. On other islands we have visited, these areas often are very quiet at night and many shops close early, once they ships leave. But that is not the case, there are plenty of shops and restaurants all within walking distance and some stay open well into the night. Friday night at Rif Fort is the place to be, and the live music which draws a great, lively crowd.
Above is the view from the second floor, infinity beach pool. It overlooked the harbor and you can watch the large cruise ships and other vessels coming in and out of port. One thing to note, the hotel is not on the beach. BUT – and a big BUT – with the salt water pool and real sand, Renaissance has done an amazing job and quite frankly you would never know. The Infinity Beach Bar has great food, with weekly BBQ specials and wait staff serving the beach.
Food is an important part vacation, well important part of life really. And Curacao did not disappoint. Typically, on beach trips we end up only eat two meals a day, alternating between breakfast, and lunch and of course, we eat always dinner. Our favorite for breakfast was Douwe Egbert Cafe inside Rif Fort, everything was delicious, especially the fresh baguettes and cold coffee drinks.
With the hotel being right downtown, we had more than enough restaurants to choose from, and most in walking distance. Luckily, we didn’t have to venture too far to find our favorite, Royal Dutch Cheesery also in Rif Fort is exactly what you imagine. Cheese lovers dream! They also have a great wine list to compliment all the cheese, we liked it so much we ate there twice!
Our other top pick for downtown Willenstad was Gouverneur de Rouville, with a reservation you can get an amazing sunset view from their second floor patio, overlooking St. Anna’s Bay. We didn’t have a reservation, but the restaurant is large enough to accommodate walk-in’s and were seated in the beautiful courtyard.
On Monday, we checked out of the Renaissance, hopped in a taxi and took the short drive over to Lion’s Dive Beach Resort, which is located next to the Sea Aquarium. Part of the reason we booked this resort was because its entirely different than the Renaissance. It is much more a beach resort, with variety of units, both apartments style and hotel rooms. There are 4 restaurants onsite, although one, Nemo was under construction while we were there. Next to Lion’s Dive, is Mambo Beach Boulevard which offers even more dining and shopping options.
My favorite restaurant would probably be Hemingway’s located onsite at Lion’s Dive. Whenever I travel to Aruba, I must get Keshi Yena at least once. And lucky for me this dish is also served in Curacao. It is shredded chicken with raisins, capers, and delicious sauce, stuff inside a cheese ball or baked casserole dish. Traditionally, Keshi Yena was baked and served in the left-over wax shells of edam and gouda wheels.
Safe to say, Hemingway’s didn’t disappoint. The view is also amazing and they have lived music multiple times a week.
My favorite part of this resort was our patio, it was basically like being on an iguana farm. They slept in the trees, and under the patio of our unit and were always happy to be fed. They were really entertaining!
Overall this was amazing trip and didn’t disappoint! We will definitely be back soon, maybe even as soon as this November when we head back to Bonaire for a scuba diving/yoga trip. More about that coming soon!
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