Wandering Publicist

Although we would be more than happy to lay on the beach all day every day, we wanted to be a bit active and explore the island in different ways. So we went kayaking to snorkel the blue room cave in Westpunt.

I never snorkeled inside a cave before. I was a bit nervous at the narrow entrance. Inside, it was such a cool experience and it was just the two of us!

Of course, we had to do some more diving while in Curacao. After the amazing snorkeling at Playa Grandi with sea turtles, we wanted to check it out from a diver’s perspective.

The reef was very pretty. I think we found Davy Jones Locker down there! We also got a rare glimpse of a mantis shrimp. They are almost impossible to spot let alone get a picture of, but this one clearly liked Tim :p

As expected, we saw a bunch of turtles. Unfortunately, one was eating trash 😦 Always a heartbreaking thing to see as a diver. Tim and I try to avoid using straws when possible, we reused our sandwich bags, and of course, picked up trash when we saw it on the beach.  Every little thing makes a difference! Just one plastic bag in the ocean can cause the death of many sea creatures.

Before we went diving, we fueled up at hotspot local restaurant, Jaanchies. I heard about this place from countless people and it definitely lives up to the hype. Although a bit pricey for island standards, its worth it. There are no printed menus. The owner, Jaanchie, comes up to your table and tells you what he has. Mainly fish and stews along with side dishes. I ordered the beef stew and goat stew, which were delicious. We also had a little taste of his specialty, the iguana stew!! Ah! Surprisingly good, it tastes like chicken.

One of our favorite spots to watch the sunset was at Karakter. The drinks are really good and the views spectacular. A nice place to unwind after a day of diving.

Above Karakter is another restaurant and bar called Koraal. They have a stunning infinity pool and delicious tropical cocktails. My only regret is we didn’t discover this gem sooner!

Tim and I love exploring off the beaten path. We were intrigued when we learned about Watamula – a hole that was eroded by sea action in Westpunt. We had to go off-roading to access this spot, one of Tim’s special skills.

The ground is all molten lava from past eruptions. This paired with the blue sea was a unique landscape to witness.  The hole itself is magnificent. So powerful watching the waves crash through it.

We really loved the Westpunt area of Curacao and spent many of our days there. After one such day, we decided to head over to Sol Food, another popular local restaurant that is only opened on the weekends! To our dismay, a reservation is a must. There are only 8 tables! We made a reservation on the spot for the following Friday.

The restaurant is absolutely adorable. It is essentially on a patio off of this charming couples home. Like I said before, there are only 8 tables, so it is small and homey with breathtaking views of the ocean below.

We were recommended to get their pizza. We listened and also ordered a shrimp salad.  Everything was pretty good, but the standout for me was the heavenly peanut butter chocolate brownie dessert. SO good!

The kicker was when we came out to our car and realized we had locked the keys inside. They were sitting in the ignition! First, the employees tried helping, but they had to get back to work, so other patrons started helping. In total, it took 7 men to finally break into our car.

Our big ticket excursion was a boat trip out to Klein Curacao, a tiny uninhabited island off the coast of Curacao. We booked through Ocean Encounters and the price per person was around $115. The staff was friendly and very helpful and they cooked up a delicious BBQ lunch for us. The only complaint I have is that we left the dock an hour and a half late! Waking up at 6am to arrive and wait is not exactly pleasant.

We were warned about the rough seas on the way to Klein, but thankfully neither of us get seasick, however, I can’t speak for others on the boat :p Pro tip – sit in the back of the boat.  After a rough 2 hours, we finally arrived on the island.  Greeted by white sand and crystal blue waters, all memories of the boat ride disappeared.

We hopped in the dingy and headed to the beach. The moment my feet hit the sand, I was in love. With only one other group on the island, it truly felt like being on a different planet with the ocean and arid landscape colliding.

The island is very flat with no palm trees, contributing to its otherworldly vibe. Our first stop was the statuesque lighthouse. Walking across the empty, vast land gave me serious Iceland vibes.

The lighthouse clearly doesn’t work too well given the graveyard of shipwrecks on the other side of the island :p

After seeing the main “attractions” we spent the rest of the day lounging on the beach and snorkeling. Didn’t really see any fish but apparently, there were a bunch of turtles that we missed. The crew cooked up a delicious lunch including grilled chicken with an amazing peanut sauce. I was one happy lady. After lunch, we continued to enjoy the gorgeous beach.

The journey back to Curacao was very smooth, a major contrast to the ride there. We set up the sails for the remaining 30 minutes of the trip, which was really pleasant. Overall, we had an amazing day and def recommend seeing this island while you are in Curacao.

As hard as it was to believe, 5 weeks flew by so fast, and before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye to our temporary home.  For our last night, we treated ourselves to a delicious dinner at Fort Nassau. The restaurant is situated in an old fort overlooking the famous bridge and city of Willemstad.  I ordered the lamb chops and Tim had a steak. Everything was absolutely scrumptious and well worth the price tag.

The next morning was bittersweet as we said goodbye to Curacao and hello to Aruba. We MUCH prefer Curacao to Aruba. Aruba was way too touristy for us. Curacao is more beautiful and peaceful. I miss it dearly.

If you are planning to visit Curacao, please feel free to reach out with any questions.

XO,

Sarah