Still a territory of the Netherlands, Curaçao is one of the larger Caribbean islands where tourism only plays a minor part in its economy. The official languages are Dutch and Papiamento, but English is spoken by virtually everyone in the tourist industry, and Spanish is also quite popular as well.
Along with Aruba and Bonaire, Curaçao is just north of Venezuela and it’s almost never in the path of hurricanes or tropical storms. This helps make the scuba diving just offshore some of the best in the world and it also means visitors can book in the autumn with some confidence.
Curaçao is quite popular with Europeans, particularly the Dutch and Germans, but it’s also a common stop for Americans and Canadians
Population | 145,000 |
Area | 145,000 |
Timezone | UTC-4 |
Currency | Netherlands Antillean Guilder |
Airports | Hato International Airport (CUR) |
Local Breakfast | Both hotels and local restaurants offer coffee, juice, tea and pastries filled with different fruits. | $3.00 - $9.00 |
Local Lunch | If you're looking for a great cheap lunch make sure to check out some of the Chinese 'snacks' that can be found all over the island. | $7.00 - $16.00 |
Local Dinner | Dinner is a mixture of European, West-Indian and East Asian dishes. | $12.00 - $30.00 |
Beer | Amstel bright beer is a local favorite that can be found around the island. | $2.00 - $4.00 |
Month | High F | Low F | Precip (inches) |
---|---|---|---|
January | 86 | 76 | 1.0 |
February | 86 | 76 | 0.5 |
March | 87 | 77 | 0.4 |
April | 88 | 78 | 0.5 |
May | 89 | 80 | 0.4 |
June | 90 | 80 | 0.4 |
July | 90 | 79 | 0.8 |
August | 90 | 80 | 0.4 |
September | 91 | 80 | 0.9 |
October | 90 | 79 | 2.4 |
November | 88 | 78 | 3.1 |
December | 86 | 77 | 1.9 |
Found right outside of the Caribbean’s “hurricane zone”, Curacao serves as a great place to visit year round without the worry of a big storm coming your way.
Considered to have both a tropical and savannah like climate, visitors will find that the temperatures remain pretty much the same throughout the year with little to no rain. The heat however, is calmed by the passing breezes and the low humidity.
21 Mar | 6:39am | 6:47pm |
21 Jun | 6:12am | 7:03pm |
21 Sep | 6:25am | 6:33pm |
21 Dec | 6:51am | 6:16pm |
Curaçao has about 50 hotels and resorts, mostly on the western side of the southern coast. Unlike many Caribbean islands, there are some simple hotels and affordable guesthouses here, but there are also some posh resorts so almost any budget can be catered to. Getting to Curaçao isn’t necessarily cheap (except from Amsterdam), but most things are quite affordable once you arrive, at least compared to other Caribbean islands.
The best times to visit weather wise are during the winter and early spring. During this time of the year you’ll find mild temps and sunny days. Because of this, you’ll also find a lot of other travelers visit the same area at the same time. This in itself drives hotel and flight costs up.
Summer and fall are great times to visit if you’re fine with some rainy days. If so, you’ll be rewarded with lower prices and smaller crowds. May and early December tend to be the two months were you’ll get great weather along with smaller crowds and lower prices, though not usually as low as during the low season.
Rating | Price(USD) |
---|---|
- | |
48.00 - 79.00 | |
70.00 - 152.00 | |
123.00 - 195.00 | |
755.00 - 755.00 |
Type | Price(USD) |
---|---|
- |
Arrivals are through Hato International Airport, which is one of the largest airports in the Caribbean. A new terminal was opened in 2006 and it’s easily large enough for widebody planes from North America and Europe.
Nonstop flights from:
Miami, Newark, Toronto, Amsterdam, Düsseldorf, Milan