what to do, what to do??

Hi - First, sorry for the length of this...

We're in Curacao on a Wednesday in August from 8-4 and definitely plan to spend 2-3 hours to explore town, but struggling with the rest of the day. I should probably mention that I never take cruiseline excursions - too crowded, too expensive. So that's out...

We can't decide if we should snorkel or take a land tour - both are of interest, and both have merit, being our first visit to this island. I haven't yet seen any land tours that include snorkeling, and can't imagine there's time to do both plus town on our own. Are there any land tours that include snorkel?

And is it best to do town in the am and tour/snorkel in the pm, or the other way around? I prefer the latter, as it puts us closer to ship/port in the pm, but wonder if it will be too hot by then to really enjoy the walk...

Finally, if we want a tour, would we be okay to wait until we get there - are there safe & decent providers at the port - or should we pre-book? I've done this on other islands with good results, but don't want to assume.

As you can see, I'm conflicted here. :rolleyes: I welcome any ideas, suggestions, help? Thanks for reading! :D

You will love Curacao. The town is great to explore. I personally like am hours as it can be hot, mostly the air does not move thru the town real well. Also the floating market is a great thing to see and it tends to be more active in am. It is really fun to be walking across the floating swing bridge when a ship goes in or out. It swings open when you are standing on it. The picturesque side is the popular part to explore but do not miss going across the bridge and explore the other side too as there are many historical sites. There is a ferry that goes back and forth between the sides if you do not want to walk the bridge both times.

Snorkeling is not as great as in other ports but there are some very unique land sights. The flamingos in the salt flats are interesting, but be sure to walk around as there can be some of the most unique starfish you will ever see on the flats. One coast (sorry I cannot remember which one or name of park but I will try to look it up) is beautiful. Crashing waves, blowholes, caves. Magnificent site! Best pics are in am tho so could conflict with town tour. Either time tho it is a fabulous site well worth the time to see. There are also some beautiful coves and secluded beaches worth seeing and even swimming if you have time. There is also a historical house that is very interesting to go through. I will try to get name of that too. Take every minute to explore. It is different from any other Caribbean port you will go to.

Have fun!

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Ok it is the Shete Boka National Park for the crashing waves. House was connected tonslavery and an indigenous Indian group. Google curacao crashing waves and there are some great pics of the natl park.

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Lol, you acknowledge the conundrum even in your post - tour best in a.m., town best in a.m. :) Since we're snorkeling a few days later in Turk, a land tour would probably give us the most value for the time we have, just hate to be there and not even put my foot in the water. I hear the island is really beautiful. I also want to see the synagogue in town.

Thanks for the reply. :)

If you go to some of secluded coves and beaches you can get your toe and more in depending on your tour guide :) forgot the synagogue. Many historical Jewish sites. You can do alot in your alotted time so just enjoy!

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You will love Curacao. The town is great to explore. I personally like am hours as it can be hot, mostly the air does not move thru the town real well. Also the floating market is a great thing to see and it tends to be more active in am. It is really fun to be walking across the floating swing bridge when a ship goes in or out. It swings open when you are standing on it. The picturesque side is the popular part to explore but do not miss going across the bridge and explore the other side too as there are many historical sites. There is a ferry that goes back and forth between the sides if you do not want to walk the bridge both times.

 

Snorkeling is not as great as in other ports but there are some very unique land sights. The flamingos in the salt flats are interesting, but be sure to walk around as there can be some of the most unique starfish you will ever see on the flats. One coast (sorry I cannot remember which one or name of park but I will try to look it up) is beautiful. Crashing waves, blowholes, caves. Magnificent site! Best pics are in am tho so could conflict with town tour. Either time tho it is a fabulous site well worth the time to see. There are also some beautiful coves and secluded beaches worth seeing and even swimming if you have time. There is also a historical house that is very interesting to go through. I will try to get name of that too. Take every minute to explore. It is different from any other Caribbean port you will go to.

Have fun!

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Forgive me but I am not quite sure where you snorkeled but we loved snorkeling in Curacao (at Blue Bay) and we were able to see fish and even a baby octopus without snorkeling gear at Cas Abou.

Forgive me but I am not quite sure where you snorkeled but we loved snorkeling in Curacao (at Blue Bay) and we were able to see fish and even a baby octopus without snorkeling gear at Cas Abou.

I heard that snorkeling is very good in Curacao, thus my interest in same. Did you snorkel right from shore, or was it a "boat-access" thing?

We thought the snorkeling in Curacao was very good ... but we always did it from a catamaran or dive boat.

LuLu

You can also join the FB page Curacao - Cruise Port of Call, where you can get more detailed information on your day in port.

Thanks everyone! Really appreciate all the ideas.

Any thoughts on booking upon arrival? OR - know of any operators who do does both land/sea in one tour?

I heard that snorkeling is very good in Curacao, thus my interest in same. Did you snorkel right from shore, or was it a "boat-access" thing?

We snorkeling right from the shore - last year is was a ship sponsored tour.

We did not have the same snorkeling luck, but based on hearing these good reports I think we will try it again. We had heard it was good, but maybe we hit it after a storm or some other fluke reason for it being bad. That is why views from others is so helpful. Thanks everyone

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If you have the whole day - go on a tour in the morning - the light for photos on the waterfront is much better in the afternoon

We generally do beach/water sports in the morning and the town in the afternoon, so we can be closer to the ship later in the day.

We have had good snorkeling experiences in Curacao.

http://oceanencounters.com/en/diving-in-curacao/dolphin-dive-for-non-divers

http://oceanencounters.com/en/diving-a-snorkeling/snorkel-trips

http://oceanencounters.com/en/diving-a-snorkeling/watersports

http://oceanencounters.com/en/diving-a-snorkeling/animal-encounters

Thanks for everyone's input. Just got enough folks together to tour with Nastasja - going west, and should be back in town by 1:30. :)