Gail and I decided to visit Curaçao during January 2025. This was the first Caribbean vacation that we had taken sinde the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. We had previously visited neighboring and affiliated islands Aruba and Bonaire so we had a good idea of what to expect.

Our goal was to snorkel, bird watch, learn about the culture and history of the island, and maybe even see a few constellations of southern stars.

We were there for twelve days, from January 15 to January 27.

Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire were originally occupied by the Spanish as part of ther conquest of the Americas. The islands were taken over by the Dutch in 1634 during the Dutch War of Independence against Spain. They have been Dutch ever since. Curaçao became an independent nation within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 2010.

Map of Curacao in Caribbean from Google


BEACHES AND SNORKELING

We had to dust off our snorkeling equipment after years when it wasn’t used. We each had fins, a mask, a snorkel, a Fujifilm XP waterproof camera, waterproof storage pouches, and a mesh bag to carry our equipment. I also had a wetsuit T-shirt and water socks, and Gail had a T-shirt and wool socks she wore while snorkeling.

I bought a Curacao Snorkeling Guide V2.3 by Galen Piehl and Nicole Atkins. They give detailed location by location information about the beach, the fish and corals they saw there, the facilities at the beach, and driving directions to get there. I put a copy of this book on the iCloud where I consulted it with my phone.

We snorkeled five times on four of the thirteen beaches in the Middle West Coast and West End region. We started a Playa Porto Mari. Then in succession we tried Playa Grote Knip, Playa Kleine Knip, and Playa Daaibooi. Finally, we went back to Playa Porto Mari again because we saw the best sea creatures there. Playa Porto Mari was a fully commercialized beach with beach chairs for rent, a dive shop, a beach wear shop, restrooms, a bar, and a restaurant. Porto Mari also had feral pigs, a lookout tower, a hiking trail, and solar panels in the parking lot.

All the beaches had sand up to the waterline, but in the water there was coral rubble that rolled with the waves and hurt to walk on. In the water where we snorkeled, there was a small selection of live coral. We saw a number of fsih. The most common were parrotfish, sargeant majors, blue tangs, goatfish, gobes, and wrasses, but we also saw moray eels, flounders, and trumpetfishes among others.


Beach Scene at Playa Porto Mari Gail about to snorkel at Porto Mari



Spotted Moray Eel watched over by Bar Jacks
who are hoping to share its meal at Porto Mari


Brain Coral festooned with Christmas Tree Worms at Porto Marti





Two Palometa Jacks at Knip Grote
I like to see Palometa Jacks. They swim in schools along the beach in about waist-deep water. Except for the black edges on their fines, they blend in very well with the color of the water so that many people never see them as they pass by. The lack of contrast makes it hard to photograph them too.

I had to apply a lot of processing to my image to let these two be visible. Even so, the image is not in good focus



A Trumpetfish at Porto Mari


A Spanish Hogfish at Porto Mari


A school of French Grunts huddling with a Princess Parrotfish


We snorkeled along the cliffs at Playa Daai Booi



PARKS

We visited Hato Cave, Shete Boka National Park, Christoffel National Park, Mangrove Park, and Ascencion Park.

Hato Cave is an ordinary cave with stalactites, stalagmiters, columns, and shallow pools of water located on a, for us, exotic Caribbean island. It is located in a cliff that had been the shoreline when the seas were much higher. One room had stretched so close to the surface that a huge boulder had fallen out of the roof, leaving a window to the sky. The cave was only a few hundred feet from our hotel. It was the first sightseeing destination we visited after getting our rental car. We even had a lunch of empanadas from the snack bar there.

Shete Boka (Seven Mouths or Inlets) National Park is located on the east coast where constant, strong winds drive waves against the cliffs of the rocky shoreline. There is no swimming or snorkeling at this park. The cliffs are interrupted by an occasional inlet in which the wave activity is scenic.

I expected that a visit to Christoffel National Park would be the highlight of our vacation, but it wasn’t. The park is divided into two parcels by the Weg Naar Westpunt, the main highway in the northern part of the island. The parcel west of the highway contains the craggy, 1,220-foot-high Mount Cristoffel and its highlands. East of the highway are rocky hills, a seasonal pond, lots of thorny plants and cacti, and the wave-beaten coast. On the day we visited, the Mount Christoffel parcel was closed because overnight rains had made the steep roads too slippery. We drove through the coastal parcel on roads that were paved, but some of the hills were pretty steep. We climbed to a hilltop observation platform and stopped along the road to see birds. After driving the circuit, we visited the park’s Savonet Museum, which featured exhibits of life in this historic manor house.

We weren’t sure what we’d find at the Mangrove Park. Close to the center of Willemstad, it was recovered land that had once been a location where sewage was discharged. It was not mentioned in the two pieces of tourist information we possessed, but a woman at the Toruist Bureau had told us about it. It was nice. We mostly had the place to ourselves. Some people came through on a kayak tour, but we walked the boardwalk. We saw herons, parakeets, and other birds, several butterflies, a barracuda looking for lunch, and other creatures.

Boka Ascension is the location of a small community park. To get it to, we drove a single-track, dirt road that occasionally dipped into scary looking puddles. We did not get stuck, despite appearances. Our hostess, Susanne, told us about the park or we never would have been aware of it. This boka was larger than those in Shete Boka and was populated by herons, egrets, and pelicans. There was a small picnic area and some paths worn by people walking.



Petroglyphs left by Amerindian Arawaks outside Hato Cave


A 60-foot high room in Hato Cave with a window to the surface



Us at Boka Tabla



Iguana at Shete Boka National Park


The natural bridge at Boka Wandomi


Spouting Action at Boka Pisol

Click here to see Pisol Boka in action




Mount Christoffel - 1220 feet high. We did NOT climb it



Gail on the path to the overlook platform


One view from the overlook platform


A Brown-throated Parakeet at Christoffel National Park



A Tri-colored Heron looking for a meal in the Mangrove Park



Mangrove park and boardwalk seen from the lookout tower



Wave action and jagged shoreline at Boka Ascension



North American Kestrel at Boka Ascension.


Mushrooms in the gravely soil at Boka Ascension


Gail on the old-fashioned teeter totter in Boka Ascension park



CULTURE

In Willemstad, the capital, we wandered the tourist area on one afternoon, and visited the Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue and the Kura Hulanda Museum on another.

Jews begaj coming to Curaçao in the 1500s to escape persecution in Spain. Jews on Curaçao helped establish the Jewish congregation in New Amsterdam in the 1600s. The Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, consecrated in 1732, is the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the Americas.

The Kura Hulanda Museum celebrates the African origins of many of the citizens of Curaçao. There are rooms devoted to the implements of slavery, masks, and art including Benin bronzes. The rooms of the museum are arranged around a courtyard featuring a large statue of a head. From the front, the statue shows a face. From the side, the back shows the outline of the coast of West Africa.

Cruise ships docked at Willemstad. Tour buses, some large, modern and aid-conditioned and others quaint, open-air and colorfully painted, carried the ships’s passengers to the beaches and parks.

Colorful buildings along the shipping channel in Willemstad



Chichi sculpture, Big Love and Big Care, in Willemstad


At the Love Hearts sculpture by the shipping channel in Willemstad


Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge across the shipping channel


Defending Willemstad against Spanish pirates?


Gail in the Synagogue Mikve Israel-Emanuel


Synagogue interior


Face of statue in the courtyard of the Kura Hulanda Museum


Side of the museum’s statue showing the west coast of Africa



LODGING CHAOS

As soon as we’d decided to visit Curaçao in late October, I made a reservation with Vbro for a place to stay. The apartment which was located near the little crossroads of Bisento seemed to have all the features we needed.

However, by the Sunday before our scheduled Wednesday arrival, I had not received any detailed information about the address and how to access the apartment. Therefore, on Monday morning I got in touch with Vbro and asked for help. The help person gave me a phone number for the owner. I called the number on the island of Sint Maarten multiple times, but no one answered. Then, as an emergency back up, I reserved a room for us at the Curaçao Airport Hotel for Wednesday and Thursday night.

I contacted Vrbo again on Tuesday morning. The person there used another phone number to get in touch with the owner. It turned out that the apartment was no longer available because of construction. I would have to find another place for us to stay within 24 hours. On the positive side, if I found a place that cost more than my original reservation, Vrbo would subsidize the additional amount up to the original cost.

So there we were, leaving the next day and no apartment to stay in. I found another apartment in Grote Berg which closer to Willemstad. I put a deposit on it and waited to hear whether my offer was accepted.

Wednesday morning, we still had not heard back about the Grote Berg apartment when we boarded the plane. When we changed planes in Miami, I learned that my request had been rejected! Fortunately, we had the reservations at the hotel for Wednesday and Thursday night so we would not have to sleep on the street.

When we arrived in Curaçao, I immediately looked for an apartment to take us from Friday, January 17, until we planned to leave on Monday, January 27. I found one in the village of Barber and put in a reservation request for it. The request was immediately accepted. Hooray!

We were lucky to find this apartment. The owners Susanne and Peter, Germans who had lived in Curaçao 17 years, were great hosts. Susanne provided flowers, Peter made us chocolate cake, and both shared advice when requested. Susanne even washed our laundry for us. Moreover, the location was great for us. The beaches of the Middle West Coast and West End were only a short drive away. Christoffel National Park and Shete Boca National Park were conveniently up the main highway. We found all our food and other needs at the village’s Sunshine Market. Above all, it wasn’t in the city and it wasn’t a resort where you only meet people like yourself. There were plenty of roosters and dogs in the neighborhood, but Susanne and Peter’s little kitty was our friend.

The apartment had a small kitchen, an open design, and even WiFi. Every Sunday there is a food fair in Barber so we got to sample the kinds of foods eaten by the locals.



Gail relaxing on our patio


The sleeping and dining areas of our apartment


Barber can be seen under the wing, near the far side of the island


BIRDING

There were birds everywhere. We saw them in the hotel’s restaurant, in parks, on the beaches, in the patio of our apartment, at the airport, on city streets... Most frequent were the Bananaquits (Sugar-thieves) and Tropical Mockingbirds. Venezuelan Tropials were not shy about showing up if food was involved. We even saw a surprising (to us) number of Crested Caracaras while driving along the roads.

Because we'd visited Aruba and Bonaire before, we expected many of the birds to be familiar. And that was true. The only new species that I saw was the Rufus-collared Sparrow. Other Caribbean species that we saw included Bananaquits, Tropical Mockingbirds, Bared-eyed Pigeons, Common Ground Doves, Eared Doves, Venezuelan Tropials, Crested Caracaras, Yellow Orioles, Flamingos , Brown-throated Parakeets, Tri-colored Herons, Brown Pelicans, Carib Grackle, and Safron Finches. Vacationing North American birds included Kestrels, a Great blue Heron, a Great Egret, an Osprey, a Spotted Sandpipper, a Yellow-crowned Night-heron, a Belted Kingfisher, a Yellow Warbler, and Greater Yellowlegs. I also saw Hummingbirds, but not well enough to identify their species, and the ubiquitous Pigeons.


Rufus-collared Sparrow, seen scrounging food at the beach


A Flamingo flock in a rare fresh-water pond


A Bared-eyed Pigeon seen from the restaurant


Venezuelan Tropial lurking above the beach



SOUTHERN STARS

Typical night sky looking south from Tropichill
At 12 degrees north, Curaçao is close to the equator. At night, Orion was nearly directly overhead and the bright southern star Canopus could be seen above the southern horizon.

Our apartment at Tropichill was on a hill which is good for sky gazing. But it was surrounded by the lights of the village - street lights and yard lights - and by trees and shrubs. In addition, clouds often appeared after sunset. Those conditions made it less astronomer-friendly. Nonetheless, the stars directly overhead appeared very bright.

Peter, our host, suggested driving about 5 kilometers west on Kamida Próspero "Popo" Rojer to where there were no street lights. When driving along that road in the daytime, I did not see any good spots to park and spend time looking at stars so I never tried his suggestion.

One evening the power went out all over town for an hour. I went out to see the stars but it was overcast.

Peter let us use an indoor patio that had walls on three sides, which kept out some of the unwanted light. There I took these photos of the sky with my iPhone.



A slice of the sky from Jupiter and Taurus at the top
to Sirius and Canis Major at the bottom


A slice of southern sky, Sirius and Canis Major at the left,
Canopus at the bottom right, and Columba, the Dove, in the center
To see maps of these stars and constellations and larger versions of the photographs, click here.



TRANSPORTATION SNAFUS

We had two problems with a rental car from Dollar, which is a subsidiary of Hertz.

First, Dollar did not have a car for us when we arrived. Fortunately, it was less than a kilometer to our hotel, but the taxi cost $20. The next morning, after breakfast, we visited the Hertz/Dollar office and they did manage to produce a car, a Kia i10, for us.

Second, just six days after we got the car, the keyless entry fob failed to unlock the car doors after we snorkeled at Playa Kleine Knip. The key alone opened the car door but also set off an alarm, which no one at the beach paid attention to. The key also failed to start the engine, but set off the alarm again. The car’s manual gave a procedure for starting the car without the keyless entry fob, but that failed. Seeking help, I spent a half hour calling the phone numbers for Dollar on our rental agreement but no one answered. Eventually, another driver, from Quebec, saw my problem and diagnosed it as a dead battery in the fob. We pried open both of our fobs, I put his battery in mine and unlocked my car. I returned his battery to him and drove straight to the Sunshine Mart where Gail purchased a new 2032 battery for the fob for our car. Everything worked fine after that.

My own fault, but when we started our second swim at Playa Porto Mari on the second to last full day of our vacation, I felt something in the pocket of my trunks. It was our car keys, all wet! Gail returned them to our bags on shore. By the time we’d finished snorkeling and eating lunch, the key and fob had dried out. The fob worked and the car started! Hooray!


I chose to fly from Baltimore to Curaçao via American Airlines and a transfer in Miami because it let us sleep later in the morning of departure.

I suppose everyone else in the world knows what a hassle it is to enter the U.S.A, at the Miami airport. We missed that information. It was a long journey from our arrival gate to passport control and then on to pick up our checked bags from the carrousel. Then, another long journey with our heavy checked bags, my heavy carry-on, and the bag with two bottles of booze from Curaçao’s duty-free shop. These long journeys put us out into the public departure area where we got our checked bags onto the conveyor belt to be delivered to our next plane. And then we lined up for the TSA security check again! I put everything I carried onto the scanning conveyor belt and walked through the metal detector. That’s when I realized that the two quarts of booze in my duty-free bag exceeded the 3-ounce TSA limit by a large margin. The TSA inspector took the booze bottles aside, inspected them closely, and, then, smiling, handed them back to me. Whew! And we were off to Baltimore and home.


On our American Airlines flight


Gail with our little rental car at Hato Cave


CONCLUSION

Our visit to Curaçao wasn’t as smooth as we hoped, but we did enjoy ourselves. We found that we were still able to snorkel after not doing it for five years and after aging the same five years. We also saw Caribbean birds, ate local cuisine, learned a little about the history, and saw and photographed a few southern stars. I took 632 photographs and videos.

Once we had our lodging arranged, there were no major problems. Everyone spoke English, and several other languages. All the businesses accepted American dollars. The only business that did not accept a credit card was the gas station nearest the airport.

We did not visit every place that sounded interesting and there were places we did visit where we could have spent more time. All vacations are like that. But we were glad to get home, especially since we both came down with colds when we returned. It would have been no fun to be sick while on vacation.



POTPOURRI


The view from the Blue View Restaurant We snorkeled along the cliffs at Playa Porto Mari Hollywood, Take notice of Williwood


Dining at Shelterrock Paradise on Karaoke night
after we were drenched at our table by rain


My Williburger - made with goat meat -
and my Montana Black Beer


Sint Willibrordus Catholic Church
All the churches we saw were the same color


One of many Manchineel trees


Island Home of Deadly Trees


Mata Piska Tree in Christoffel National Park

The “dreaded” Manchineel tree is one of the most poisonous trees. The sap, the bark, and the fruit are poisonous. Not limited to Curaçao, it is found from South America to Florida.

The twigs and branches of the Mata Piska tree are used to make a poison for fish.



Gail at the Natural Bridge in Shete Boka Park


A juvenile Crested Caracara at Pisol Boka


A visit from our local friendly kitty cat


Menu of one vendor at Barber’s Food Fair


A Sea Anemone at Porto Mari


A butterfly at the Mangrove Park

Responsible: Albert Holm
Created: 13 February 2025, updated 22 February 2025