Things to do in Curaçao

25 things to do in Curaçao

Listed in full below. The running order is set by votes and loads with the page.

• Stroll along the Handelskade to admire the colorful Dutch colonial architecture

  Walk the iconic cobbled waterfront lined with candy-colored gabled buildings, the city's UNESCO-listed 18th-century heart, best viewed from the floating bridge at sunset.

  Willemstad

• Visit the Curaçao Maritime Museum

  Discover the island’s seafaring history through ship models, antique navigation instruments, and exhibits on Dutch trade, piracy, and underwater archaeology.

  Willemstad

• Snorkel or dive the sunken Tugboat wreck in Caracas Bay

  Explore a shallow, intact tugboat resting on a sandy bottom, teeming with corals, moray eels, and barracuda—perfect for beginners and advanced divers.

  Caracas Bay

• Swim with endangered sea turtles at Playa Grandi (Playa Piskado)

  Encounter green and hawksbill turtles in the clear shallows where local fishermen clean their nets—an effortless snorkelling experience just off the beach.

  Westpunt

• Watch the dramatic wave blowholes at Shete Boka National Park

  Hike the rugged limestone coastline to see towering spouts and underground caverns where the Atlantic thunders in, especially impressive at Boka Tabla.

  Westpunt

• Contemplate the African diaspora at the Kura Hulanda Museum

  An intense, world-class museum housed in a former slave compound, presenting the trans-Atlantic slave trade, African heritage, and Curaçao's role in history.

  Otrobanda, Willemstad

• Wander the Floating Market on the Punda side

  Colourful Venezuelan wooden boats sell fresh tropical fruits, vegetables, and fish right off the dock, creating a vibrant open-air market along the quay.

  Willemstad

• Tour the Curaçao Liqueur Distillery at Landhuis Chobolobo

  See how the famous blue liqueur is crafted using the bitter Laraha orange peel, taste different flavored liqueurs in the courtyard, and bring a bottle home.

  Salinja, Willemstad

• Cross the floating Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge

  Walk across the pedestrian bridge that swings open several times a day to let ships pass, connecting the Punda and Otrobanda districts with stunning harbour views.

  Willemstad

• Admire the vibrant street murals in the Scharloo district

  Wander streets lined with once-grand mansions now adorned with large-scale, colorful murals by local and international artists during the Scharloo Art Project.

  Willemstad

• Soak up the sun at Cas Abao Beach

  A picture-perfect white-sand bay with turquoise water, palm huts, and excellent offshore snorkelling visible from the beach bar.

  Sint Willibrordus

• Hike to the summit of Christoffel Mountain

  Begin the challenging predawn trek to the 372 m peak, rewarded with a panoramic sunrise over the entire island and its rolling cacti-covered hills.

  Christoffel National Park

• Eat Keshi Yena at the Plasa Bieu (Old Market)

  Try the national dish of Gouda cheese stuffed with spiced chicken or beef, slow-cooked, from a casual market stall in a lively communal hall.

  Willemstad

• Explore the ancient Hato Caves

  Tour illuminated limestone chambers filled with stalactites, hidden pools, and 1,500-year-old Amerindian petroglyphs, while learning about the cave's cultural significance.

  Near Hato International Airport

• Take a boat trip to the uninhabited Klein Curaçao

  Spend a day on a tiny pancake-flat island with a rusty lighthouse, powder-white sand, and crystal-clear waters ideal for drift snorkelling and turtle spotting.

  Klein Curaçao

• Step inside the Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue

  The oldest synagogue still in use in the Americas, with a sand-covered floor symbolising the Israelites’ desert wanderings, plus an adjacent museum and Jewish heritage cemetery.

  Willemstad

• Bar-hop through the Pietermaai District after dark

  Formerly derelict colonial mansions now house a buzzing nightlife strip with live music, cocktail lounges, and Caribbean beats spilling into the streets.

  Willemstad

• Swim into the glowing Blue Room Cave

  Accessible by boat or a short cliffside swim, this hidden sea cave turns an electric blue as sunlight filters through the water, creating an otherworldly swimming spot.

  Westpunt

• Learn plantation history inside Landhuis Knip

  This restored 18th-century manor house now hosts a museum that honestly portrays the harsh realities of slavery and the 1795 Tula rebellion for freedom.

  Knip, Westpunt

• Cliff jump from the Playa Forti restaurant terrace

  Take a flying leap off the 12-metre cliff directly into the deep sapphire water below, then climb back up for another round—a local rite of passage.

  Westpunt

• Enjoy lionfish ceviche at Pop’s Place on Caracasbaai

  Sit toes-in-the-sand at this beloved local hangar-bar, where freshly speared invasive lionfish is turned into zesty ceviche as part of reef conservation efforts.

  Caracas Bay

• Browse Caribbean and Latin American art at Gallery Alma Blou

  Housed in the oldest plantation house on the island, this gallery showcases a rich collection of local paintings, sculptures, and ceremonial objects.

  Landhuis Habaai, Willemstad

• Watch sunset over the harbour from Fort Nassau

  Dine or have a cocktail on the ramparts of this 1797 hilltop fort, enjoying sweeping 360-degree views as the sun drops behind Willemstad.

  Willemstad

• Kitesurf or windsurf at St. Joris Bay

  A shallow, flat-water lagoon with consistent onshore winds, making it the island's premium spot for both beginners and advanced riders seeking Caribbean speed.

  St. Joris, east Curaçao

• Discover traditional herbal wisdom at Den Paradera garden

  Join a tour led by Dinah Veeris, a renowned herbalist, to learn how plants are used for medicinal and spiritual purposes in Afro-Curaçaoan culture.

  Groot Kwartier