Things to do in Curaçao: Willemstad, diving and the western coves

Curaçao splits neatly into three: the colour and history of Willemstad, the water, and the wild western end. The capital is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its Dutch colonial waterfront, painted in sherbet colours along the harbour, is the island’s postcard.

What to do

In Willemstad, cross the Queen Emma floating bridge between the Punda and Otrobanda districts and walk the painted waterfront. The island is one of the Caribbean’s better dive destinations, with easy shore dives, the Tugboat wreck and the Mushroom Forest among the names. The west is where the best beaches hide, small coves like Playa Kenepa, Cas Abao and Playa Porto Mari, and at the tip Christoffel National Park rises to Mount Christoffel, the high point. Shete Boka on the north coast is all crashing surf, and boats run to the empty sands of Klein Curaçao.

Where to start

Before you go

Boat trips to Klein Curaçao and the dive sites need booking, and the west-coast coves reward an early start. The number on each page is the operator’s own.