Curacao Archieven - Stylish Travel Tips

Wintering on Curacao for 3 months, all the tips you need for a pleasant stay

It is spring, spring is in full swing and we have been back in the Netherlands for a while now. It’s nice that everything is open here now and that all measures have been lifted (for the time being) and that we can enjoy all the freedom of the pre-Corona era again. I think everyone was also ready for it. Two years ago our world was turned upside down when Covid-19 entered our lives.

Within 2 weeks Vincent lost 70% of all his customers. It was an uncertain time, for us as well, but it did bring us a lot in the end. The Netherlands became too small and Vincent decided to go international with his websites and to focus on that for the coming years.

A good move, because it gave us another dot on the horizon on which we could focus so that we became less dependent. The stifling measures of the Netherlands and the school closures “forced” us to travel to Curacao for 3 months in early 2020. From here Vincent could further develop his international websites and more importantly, our daughters could just go to daycare, while in the Netherlands everything was locked up. We even made it to the Dutch newspapers (Tubantia and AD) and it was the “start” of our new (working) life.

The most beautiful beaches of Curaçao and where to stay

Most people who go on holiday to Curaçao usually book a stay at Mambo Beach or at Jan Thiel Beach. The hotspot spots of the island, but did you know that the beaches on the West coast are also one of the most beautiful of the island? If you like unspoilt nature, white sandy beaches and you don’t want to be lumped together, you should explore the other side of the island.

Day trip to Klein Curacao with the Serendipity yacht

If you are going to Curaçao on vacation or like me staying on the island for a longer period of time then a day trip to Klein (Little) Curaçao should absolutely not be missed. Klein Curaçao is a small uninhabited island of about 1.7 m² off the coast of Curaçao. It is less than an hour by boat and highly recommended if you want to book a super fun day trip where you will be completely taken care of by Miss Ann boat Trips.

Besides being a special little island with history, it has a beautiful long sandy beach on one side and a wild rugged rocky coast on the other. Here you will also find a huge shipwreck, an oil tanker that ran aground in the 1980s. I went with a bunch of friends for a whole day with the crew of the Serendipity yacht and we had a super nice day that I can really recommend to anyone. Check out the photos below and if you have any questions let me know!

Chogogo, the most popular resort on Curaçao!

Chogogo Resort is located at the very end of Jan Thiel Bay. Hidden between the greenery, with on one side the salt pans in your backyard where you can spot flamingos and on the other side the Caribbean Sea. The owners of Chogogo bought this special piece of land almost 30 years ago and decided to turn it into a resort. Today the Chogogo resort is one of the most popular accommodations to book for a vacation on Jan Thiel.

Did you know that Chogogo means flamingo? It’s a nice reference to the many flamingos you can spot here in the water during a walk in the Salt Pans. The beautiful pink color of the flamingo is reflected in the beautiful flower bushes that bloom everywhere in the park. And that just through all the year, because on Curacao it is always nice weather 🙂 The different colored houses in yellow ocher, coral red, green and aqua blue finish it off. And with a clear blue sky you literally become happy with all those beautiful colors you see here every day!

The most beautiful country house in Curacao, Plantation Jan Thiel Lodge

Hidden in the greenery on 2 hectares of land overlooking the salt pans is the historic “Landhuis Jan Thiel”. The history of Jan Thiel Lodge goes all the way back to the 17th century when the skipper Jan Thielen (hence the name) took possession of the plantation.

The estate has gone through several owners and impoverished over the years, but fortunately the mansion has undergone quite a metamorphosis since the last owners bought the estate in 2016 and decided to share this magical place with everyone.

Beautiful private villa Vista Royal, Jan Thiel Curacao

Good news, since May 15, Dutch citizens may officially travel again and Curaçao is back on yellow! Curacao has also abandoned its lockdown period and all beaches are open again, so double celebration 🙂 In addition, TUI has increased its flight capacity since this week and you can now fly 5 days a week to Hato airport or every day with KLM. Curacao is one of the few countries in the world that is safe to travel to for the Netherlands. This means, among other things, that you no longer need to take a PCR test when returning back to the Netherlands.

If you go on holiday to Curaçao, then most people book an accommodation in or near Jan Thiel Bay, the beating heart of Curaçao. Here you will find many beautiful private villas in the district Vista Royal. Just perfect if you want to celebrate your vacation with your family or with a group of friends in Jan Thiel within walking distance of the beach. But which villa is really nice? After 3 months living in Curacao I ended this wonderful period with a staycation at Villa Solo in Vista Royal and I had better not, because after this I really did not want to leave. It was so beautiful!

Book your own Beach House in Colourful Pietermaai, Willemstad

Did you know that Pietermaai is one of the most beautiful districts of Willemstad? And that you can find the best restaurants of the island here? This district is really upcoming and everywhere nice bars pop up in the small colorful alleys. You can find very nice boutique hotels here, but my favorite is Beach House Pietermaai.

Beach House Pietermaai is all yours with a private pool and with a fantastic sea view. Cindy and David, the owners of Beach House live at the front of the authentic colonial house and welcome you with open arms. As a guest you will feel right at home because Beach House Pietermaai feels immediately as home and everything is just perfectly styled.

Luxury Holiday at Coral Estate Luxury Resort Curacao

Hidden between the greenery on one of the most beautiful spots on the southwest coast of Curaçao is located Coral Estate Luxury Resort. A unique resort with beautiful private villas high on the hill overlooking the sea and below the fine resort with different types of apartments you can book for a wonderful vacation on Curaçao.

Coral Estate Luxury Resort is an ideal base if you like peace, quiet and good food because at the resort you will also find Coral Rooftop Bar where you can join every Saturday for a delicious sushi night and the famous Karakter Beach Lounge Restaurant right by the sea. In addition, Coral Estate is less than a 15 minutes drive from the beautiful white sandy beach Playa Porto Marie. If you ask me the perfect base to discover the island for a successful holiday on Curacao.

Long term stay at Curacao for the winter

We are living in a crazy time now Covid-19 has thrown a spanner in the works with all our travel plans. As I am typing this I have been in Curacao for 2 months. A fantastic time (and still) with the intention to stay here even longer, but when uploading this interview suddenly the lockdown came. With this lockdown they hope, just like last year, to successfully reduce the number of infections and believe me, you are safe again! So put Curacao already on your bucket list for spring/summer and read below what Curacao has to offer for a wonderful sun vacation or if you want to go to Curacao for a longer period of time.

Completely unexpectedly Rinkje from “TheTraveliciousFamily” ended up on Curaçao six months ago when they were busy with their world trip and at that moment, when about half the world was locked up because of Covid-19, they had to leave Africa in a hurry to be able to fly home safely. Via Iceland they ended up on Curaçao and they liked it so much here, that they decided to stay, and even their 3rd child Louise was born here. Because of Rinkje we are here now too, which was the best choice ever. In this interview Rinkje, as a true island insider, gives all her tips from sunny Curaçao.