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Here’s what you need to know to plan the perfect trip to Curaçao. With travel to the Caribbean surging during even the warmer "off-season" summer months, destinations outside the Atlantic hurricane belt shine for a worry-free vacation. One of those islands is Curaçao; despite its location at the far southern edge of the Caribbean, it's becoming increasingly popular with U.S. travelers, attracting beach-bound visitors year-round.

But the "C" of the Dutch Caribbean ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao is more than just a safe choice for a hurricane-free summer vacation. "Curaçao has always been a melting pot," says local Sascha Mercer of Sandals Royal Curaçao. "Four languages are widely spoken on the island, which has always been at a cultural crossroads in everything from architecture and art to food." Community-led arts projects and a blossoming food scene drive fresh interest in Curaçao as a destination that weaves cultural richness into a sun-and-sand vacation in a way few other places can. 

The best part? The island still jealously guards its slightly off-the-beaten-path character, making visitors feel like they've stumbled across the best-kept secret in the Caribbean.

Top 5 Can't Miss

• Dramatic Dutch Caribbean architecture drenched in vibrant, sunny hues makes the UNESCO World Heritage-designated capital of Willemstad one of the Caribbean's coolest cities.
• Tucked away on a hidden beachfront, the award-winning, family-owned Baoase Luxury Resort ups the luxury factor on the island tenfold.
• Rich reefs and accessible wreck diving destinations make Curaçao an underwater paradise that should be on every serious diver's list.
• Kome is a buzzy restaurant in the vibrant Pietermaii neighborhood that feels representative of Curaçao's eclectic and exciting new culinary scene.
• The Kaya Kaya Festival is a mission-minded, art-driven celebration of one of Curaçao's most colorful communities that offers insight and connection with the island's culture.

Best Hotels & Resorts

Sandals Royal Curaçao

When it opened in 2022, Sandals Royal Curaçao instantly set a new standard for all-inclusive vacations on the island. Pristine beachfront and beautiful accommodations are just the start at this hotel (which was included among T+L's expert-picked list of the best all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean). Amid an array of innovative dining options, the resort also offers a unique dine-out program for select guests that lets them use hotel credit at some of the island's best restaurants.

Baoase Luxury Resort

Snuggled into a crescent of palm-fringed private beach and hidden amid a residential neighborhood of all places, Baoase Luxury Resort is full of surprises. A paired-back Balinese-inspired aesthetic and lush tropical foliage offer unmatched seclusion at this boutique hotel's handful of luxe suites and villas, making this a swoon-worthy honeymoon destination. It's all part of the unexpected magic of Curaçao's most luxurious place to stay, named among the 100 best hotels in the world by Travel + Leisure readers this year.

Avila Beach Hotel

Once the private mansion of Curaçao's governor, Avila Beach Hotel lived many lives before it became one of the island's most sought-after places to stay. This 150-room hotel straddles two private beaches and preciously guards its boutique feel, maintaining a historic charm that feels unique among island accommodations. Despite its tranquil oceanfront location, it is within walking distance of the city center, seamlessly combining the best of the island in one.

Bario Hotel

Hidden among the colorful streets of Otrabanda in the island's capital, Bario Hotel is made for the traveler, not the vacationer. Sure, guests will enjoy the infinity pool and beach chairs, but the handpainted murals in every room and effusively friendly service remind visitors that they're staying in the heart of one of the island's most engaging neighborhoods. The property's Urban Food Yard, complete with a cocktail bar and vendors selling a mix of local and fusion fare, should be on your itinerary even if you're staying elsewhere.

Cas Abao Beach in Curacao. 

Photo: FFOKKEBOK/Getty Images

Explore Willemstad.

Curaçao's dual-sided city of Willemstad is one Caribbean capital not to miss. The historic Punda neighborhood is home to a tropical take on Dutch canal houses, painted in every color of the rainbow. Long-overlooked Otrabanda, literally "the other side," feels new again with the island's hippest places to eat, play, and stay. Local-led walking tours focused on history, food, street art, or all the above are the best way to explore.

Even the casual diver knows that Curaçao is among the best diving destinations in the Caribbean. An impressive mix of reefs and wrecks, along with a robust array of dive operations on the island, have welcomed divers for decades, long before Curaçao was the Caribbean destination du jour. Notable dive sites are the MV Superior Producer wreck and the shore-accessible Tugboat wreck, which even snorkelers can explore.

Explore Hofi Mango.

A sprawling mango grove in the center of the island is home to Hofi Mango, a nature park complete with a historic sugar mill, rum distillery, Caribbean-inspired surf-and-turf eatery, and what is soon to be the island's first ziplining course. Add it to your itinerary after hiking nearby Mount Christoffel, the highest point on the island, or taking in the vistas from the roadside viewpoint at Santa Martha.

Beach-hop around stunning shorelines. 

Head west of Willemstad for one of Curaçao's true treasures: a cache of untouched, undeveloped shores. Playa Kalki and Playa Jeremi should be on your itinerary, but you'll really fall in love with Playa Lagun, a tiny cove beach complete with impressive snorkeling along craggy cliffsides. Stop at local beachfront eateries serving fresh seafood and cold beers to recharge throughout the day.

Even in a region built on and shaped by slavery, many still struggle with how to communicate this complex history properly. Curaçao's small Kurá Hulanda Museum comprehensively tells this important story from beginning to end while identifying its enduring cultural and historical legacy. The museum stands at the harbor entrance where many enslaved people first arrived in the Americas and is a highlight among a number of thoughtful art and cultural museums sprinkled around Willemstad.

Best Restaurants 

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Kome

You'll find a menu as diverse as the island itself at Kome in the heart of the capital's trendy Pietermaii neighborhood. Highlights include dishes prepared in the restaurant's custom-designed smoker and in-house bakery. An oversized mural by renowned local artist Francis Sling and a dedication to using locally sourced ingredients root it firmly in the trends and traditions of the island.

Asian cuisine meets Caribbean flavor at Soi95, one of the unique fusion restaurants responsible for the growing foodie scene on an island "known for its incredible diversity of dining options, and rightfully so," says Robbin Vogels, general manager of Avila Beach Hotel. It has a spacious outdoor dining area and is home to one of the best craft cocktail bars on the island.

Marshe Bieu

Gather around picnic tables for coal-fired cooking and local dishes at the Marshe Bieu (the “Old Market”) in the heart of the capital city's Punda neighborhood. "If you want to try the original local food, which you definitely do, there's no better place than Marshe Bieu," says Kurt Schoop, owner of the Bario Hotel & Bar and director of the Kaya Kaya Festival. He recommends sampling okra soup, goat burgers, and the local pumpkin pancakes for the full experience.

Maira's Kitchen

Caribbean cooking seeps into traditional Mediterranean dishes at Maira's Kitchen in the Otrabanda neighborhood. The restaurant's cheery cottage-style setting makes it particularly dreamy for a late breakfast or brunch, though it's also open for dinner on weekdays.

Mosa/Caña Bar & Kitchen

Curaçao is located just 35 miles off the coast of South America but feels even closer at Mosa/Caña. The menu is rooted in Latin American shareable small plates, including ceviche and tacos, while favorites like rum-glazed ribs and curry-doused fish remind guests that everything tastes better with a little Caribbean flavor.

Areas to Visit

Southeastern Coast

Curaçao's southeastern coast is lined with beach resorts on both sides of the entrance to the port of Willemstad, one of the most important Caribbean cruise destinations in this part of the region. Beaches on this side of the island get busy when ships are docked, so head for the sands at private resorts or to farther-flung coves on the west end of the island if you can.

The West End

The southwest coast of Curaçao is known for its unspoiled beaches, but there's even more to love in the island's interior. Adventurous travelers will want to visit Christoffel National Park for hiking trails and scenic views and should consider local guesthouses or Airbnbs for a more unplugged Caribbean escape.

Northern Coast

Curaçao's rugged, wave-thrashed northern coast "has a lunar landscape that you have to see to believe," says Vogels of the often-overlooked side of the island. One of the major attractions along the coast is the Hato Caves, where guides give walking tours amid underground formations so dramatic, they have names like Sleeping Giant and Mother Maria.

Klein Curacao

An uninhabited white-sand islet about six miles off the island's southeast coast, "Little Curaçao" is the go-to destination for catamaran cruises or sunset sails. With little more than untouched white sands and a few bands of colorful coral, Klein Curaçao is a snorkeler's paradise, "a popular day trip destination that always feels like a deserted island no matter how busy it gets," says Mercer.

Best Time to Visit

Like most Caribbean destinations, Curaçao is busiest when it's colder elsewhere, with most visitors heading to the island between late November and early April. However, its location outside of the Atlantic hurricane belt means it shines as a safer destination for travel in the summer months, particularly between July and November, when a passing shower will be the worst of your worries. Vogels recommends budget-conscious travelers visit in May or June when prices drop at hotels and resorts, but the weather remains fair.

Late August and early September bring two events that are worth marking your calendar for. The back-to-back North Sea Jazz Festival and the Kaya Kaya Festival generate some of the buzziest days on the island every year. "Travelers can enjoy both in one trip," explains Schoop, "meaning that there is really no better time to experience the culture of the island."

Despite the jazz festival's star-studded lineups, the Kaya Kaya Festival is the highlight of the season. Celebrations center on the revitalization of Willemstad's Otrabanda neighborhood and bring together local artists, makers, and musicians for a jam-packed day of food and festivity. It gives back to the local community while showing off the cutting edge of Curaçao's creative scene.