Our Happy Place
My husband and I agreed long ago that we wouldn’t travel to the same place twice. There is too much of the world to see and not enough time (or PTO and school vacations) to see it. We have a map of the world on our wall at home with pins in every country and state we’ve visited. Like many travel junkies, putting another pin on the map is like a feather in your cap. We have a collection of magnets from every country we’ve visited cluttering our fridge. We aren’t hoarders in any way, but we DO collect travel mementos. We have a google sheet of bucket list destinations. I’m in Facebook groups for future places to travel, just lurking and gathering intel. But when you’ve found your “happy place,” you just know.
One thing to know about my son is that he is the very definition of a water baby. We discovered this when he was 15 months old visiting Cancun with extended family. He wanted NOTHING to do with the pool or any other activities. He was happy just playing in the sand near the waves. Even now, when we visit the ocean I’ll catch him just floating peacefully for long moments. My husband and I realized a few years ago that while Colorado is an amazing place to live and raise a child, we HAVE to visit the ocean at least once a year for our son’s wellbeing. It truly brings him a sense of peace and joy that we can’t deny.
Curaçao is not as commercialized as Aruba, which is one of the reasons we ended up choosing this island as our first experience with the Dutch Caribbean. There aren’t many All Inclusive Resorts either. In fact, the island is known for its amazing international cuisine and it would be a shame to limit yourself to only the choices provided at your resort. Additionally, it’s quite easy to rent a car and explore the various beaches and the bustling town of Willemstad. We quickly found a routine of driving to a new beach to explore during the day, paying reasonable fees for entry and chair rental. All of the beaches we visited had restaurants on site and served both local and Dutch beers like Brasa and Amstel Bright. We were happy snorkeling and searching for shells for hours on the amazing beaches before heading back to the hotel for some downtime before driving into the town of Willemstad for dinner.
Curaçao is home to over 40 beaches and in our two trips we have barely scratched the surface. Each one we visited was unique in its own way. Some of our favorites included:
Grote Knip (also known as Playa Kenepa Grandi), which was the least crowded of the beaches we visited and also the most picturesque. Surrounded by rocky cliffs, it gives the feeling of total seclusion.
Playa Porto Mari which has a full restaurant/bar and is known for its famous “wild” pigs who laze about on the beach and in the shady parking lot.
Daaibooi beach where sea turtles are easily spotted in the shallow waters near the dock and many colorful schools of fish can be found while snorkeling.
Curaçao, like the other ABC islands, is famous for its diving and snorkeling which is the main reason we visited in the first place. My son could spend hours head down in the water exploring and following schools of fish. In fact, I had to remind him to look up once in a while to make sure he’s still within the boundaries of the cove. All of the beaches we visited were on the West side of the island. Google Maps worked well as a navigator for the main roads and then we followed the signs to the individual beaches once we got closer. Grote Knip was the most remote of the beaches we visited (and the reason for fewer crowds), be sure to follow the signs once you see them. If you visit Daaibooi or Porto Mari, make sure you stop at the Jan Kok Salt Pans to see the flamingos. There is a pull off area that’s hard to miss.
After a day of snorkeling we would return to the hotel for a snack and a little down time before getting ready for dinner in town. We had some of the most memorable meals in Willemstad. Kome in the historic Pietermaai District stands out as a place we want to return again. Kome (which means “eat” in the local language of Papiamentu) is a cozy, upscale spot focusing on modern Caribbean cuisine. The menu is diverse and exciting; we were blown away by the Oven-Baked Escargot and Octopus Carpaccio, followed by perfectly prepared Lamb Shank and Smoked Duck. Our son is a “foodie in training” and tries everything at least once! Between the extraordinary food and impeccable service, it’s a must-visit - just be sure to book a reservation well in advance, as this is one of the most popular restaurants on the island! Another favorite restaurant is Soi95, also in Pietermaai, which has an amazing rooftop dining area and features Asian fusion cuisine with Indonesian flavors. The dishes are tapas style and meant to be shared. The Chicken Satay, Duck Roast and Braised Beef were outstanding and they have a creative cocktail menu and made some excellent wine recommendations.
The Verdict: Was Curaçao Worth Breaking Our #1 Travel Rule?
After two trips to this incredible island, the answer is an unequivocal yes.
Our travel philosophy was simple: the world is too vast, and time is too short, to see the same place twice. We wanted a map full of pins, a fridge covered in new magnets, and an ever-expanding Google Sheet of new destinations.
But Curaçao challenged that rigid checklist.
We discovered that sometimes the goal isn't just to see a place; it's to feel a place. And Curaçao feels exactly right.
Our world map still has plenty of blank spaces waiting for new pins, but we’ve made peace with breaking our rule for our family’s happy place. We aren’t hoarders, remember—we just found a memento we want to keep coming back to.
