What to do in Curacau???

[mndity]

Ok... I will be in Curacau for my first visit in February and will be in Aruba the day before. My question is...... if you had to do one "tourist" thing in each country what would you do???? I am part of a group of 10.... all around 50 yrs old. Seems like you can do same things in both countries.... is snorkling better in one place than the other??? Is the off roading better one place as well??? Any help is appreciated.

[mndity]

sorry for the spelling............

[gizmo]

In Curacao I would suggest the "Trolley Train" tour.

 

After that you could walk around town and shop or go to a beach. The shops have lots of linens.

[cruiseapril]

Curacao has many choices for snorkeling at its small beaches. This year, we're going to Playa Porto Mari, which gets good reviews on this forum.

 

Willemstad is a World Heritage site- a good walking or trolley town with good shops and friendly folks. There are a number of historic sites right in town. There are also many hotels and restaurants which we have enjoyed- such as the Hotel Avila and Fort Nassau.

 

We find Aruba good for its large beautiful beaches which offer lots of water sports. Palm Beach and Eagle Beach have plenty of activities for everyone.

 

Both islands have "cunucu" tours of the countryside where you will see the dry, desert-like landscapes.

[kborth]

Hi we just returned and we took a private tour with Blue Angel Tours. Rudolph took us all around Curacao for 15 dollars each and we had a ball. The bus is brand new and air conditioned. We had lots of sniors on the bus and they loved it.http://www.blueangeltours.com/ Very nice man.He is right outside the pier. Kathi

[nancycara]

Curacao is where you want to snorkel. Go to Playa PortoMarie or rent a car and drive around the island and stop at a few different snorkeling spots.

[daryleann]

kborth: did you have the tour prearranged or did you just pick it up at the pier? Could you tell us a bit about what you saw? (there are no prices on their website so did you haggle about the price?)

Thank for any info.

[carbon]

How did you get over to Porta PlayaMarie? We are three people. Would like to visit downtown area too. What works out the best city then beach or beach then city?

[love2vacation]

Hi we just returned and we took a private tour with Blue Angel Tours. Rudolph took us all around Curacao for 15 dollars each and we had a ball. The bus is brand new and air conditioned. We had lots of sniors on the bus and they loved it.http://www.blueangeltours.com/ Very nice man.He is right outside the pier. Kathi

 

Thanks for the report on Blue Angel Tours. I was thinking about booking with them but wanted to get a review first! I think I will contact them.

 

Judi

[nancycara]

I was there for several days, so we rented a car, which worked out well. I have heard others say that they took a cab, which was somewhere around $10 each, each way, so it works out the same. Having a car would allow you to try other spots if you wanted to. I would think you should go out early to snorkel before it gets crowded and then head back to town to walk around and maybe have something to eat or drink at one of the outdoor spots.

[cruiseapril]

We like going to the beach in Curacao in the morning- then we freshen up, have lunch on the ship, and walk around Willemstad in the afternoon.

 

Curacao can get wonderfully warm- hot (I used to live there, and like the climate)- so the beach in the morning is best for us. We were there a few Aprils ago and it was pleasantly hot- we're going back this April and are planning for heat.

[CuracaoExpert]

Curacao has a lot to offer; take a ride to the wild and rough northwest coast, visit the Christoffelpark, explore the Hato Caves or visit some beautiful beaches near the southwest coast. I can recommend you some tourcompanies if you want. For more information, please contact me at aboutcuracao@yahoo.com.

 

Regards,

Dinja

[SeafordCruiser]

Can you walk from the cruise ship to the town??

I want to go to the beach also but dont want double the taxi fare...

[thatbloominplace]

there is a major difference between curacao and aruba. curacao is much less "touristy" than aruba and has a "wild" side feel to it as you move away from willemstad. we rented a car there last year when we stayed for 5 days. on a one day stay, i would suggest a tour company so that you can see more of the varied sights. we have been traveling throughout the caribbean for the last 20 years, mostly on cruises, and curacao has the best snorkeling i have seen. you should definitely try to incorporate this into your tour if you love snorkeling. we did a tour with http://www.curacao-actief.com. the north shore/snorkeling tour covered many of the wild shoreline sights as well as a great snorkeling stop. you can see all the whitesand beaches and americanized restaurants and stores that you want while in aruba. get out onto the island to really see and enjoy the beauty of curacao.

 

steve

[Charsacutter]

We just returned from Curacao. We rented a guide who we found on Cruise Critic. He meant us at the dock with 2 fun buggies which we requested then took us all around the island. They each seated 4 people. We went to beaches, Port Marie which is beautiful along with another beach also beautiful, snorkling at the tug boat sight, stopped for lunch, went from one end of the lsland to the other. Had a great time!!! My only regret is we ran out of time. His email address is plaate@interneeds.net. Very reliable, knowledgeable, and great about getting back to you.

[niecyd]

Okay, DH & I are leaving a three days (pre-cruise). Please tell me what to do in Curacao? We are laid back, no snorkeling or any water sports...just relax on beach and shopping. Please tell me what is best beach near ship? Thanks.

[carbon]

How much was your guide per person? How long were you with him? We are a family of 3.

[Charsacutter]

We paid him 200.00 for the whole day then extra for the buggies. There were 7 of us. He will set your day up personally for you and your interests.

[pisces5]

We will be in Curacao for one day and the 5 of us (all adults) would like to try deep-sea fishing. Has anyone done this and knows of a reputable company to contact?

[zanetta]

Ok... I will be in Curacau for my first visit in February and will be in Aruba the day before. My question is...... if you had to do one "tourist" thing in each country what would you do???? I am part of a group of 10.... all around 50 yrs old. Seems like you can do same things in both countries.... is snorkling better in one place than the other??? Is the off roading better one place as well??? Any help is appreciated.

 

I have just been on that island and it was wonderful to have a guide like that lady on that Bus. Shary. The tour was very informative. She has that personality for that job and informs you very well. She gave me a card. her name is Sharella Coffie and works for Island Experience.

After the tour she dropped us at the beach and it was easy coming back to the city. Don't hesitate. Do it.

[zanetta]

Ok... I will be in Curacau for my first visit in February and will be in Aruba the day before. My question is...... if you had to do one "tourist" thing in each country what would you do???? I am part of a group of 10.... all around 50 yrs old. Seems like you can do same things in both countries.... is snorkling better in one place than the other??? Is the off roading better one place as well??? Any help is appreciated.

 

I have just been on that island and it is beautiful. We took a tour with the Mitsubishi Rosa Red Busses with that guide called Shary. The best so far of the 11 day cruise I was on. the tour was very informative. She has that personality for that job. After the tour she dropped us at the beach. she gave us a card. her name is sharella coffie and works for Island Experience. her email is info@island-experience.com

Don't hesitate. Just do it.

[jst4fun715]

same as Charsacutter...do a tour with Leo! We had a group of 8 (all 50 and over) and he showed us a great time. Wonderful tour of the island. He will tailor the tour to you wants. I had a different e-mail for him though...it is leo@interneeds.net. Very reasonable rates and so accomodating...even if you change the tour a bit right in the middle of it!:p Wonderful tour of the island. Hope you have a wonderful time.