OUR ISLAND
Discover Curaçao
There is much more to Curaçao than beautiful water. If friends ask us what to do here, this is the list we give them: beaches we return to, restaurants we love, local spots, happy hours and a few practical things worth knowing before you set off.
It is not meant to be a complete travel guide. These are simply places we know, enjoy and would happily recommend.
OUR CURAÇAO
A Personal Connection with Curaçao
Where It Started
I first came to Curaçao 35 years ago. From that very first visit, I fell in love with the island, its atmosphere and, above all, its people. Over the years I kept coming back, and Curaçao gradually became much more than just a holiday destination to me. The places on this page are not taken from a travel guide. They are places we know, enjoy and would happily recommend to friends and guests.
What we love about the island
One of the things we love most about Curaçao is its variety. One moment you can be enjoying beautifully prepared food with your feet in the sand, and a few hours later you might be sitting at a local snèk with an ice-cold Polar, surrounded by people who live here. There are quiet beaches, lively happy hours, colourful streets, rugged nature and places where time seems to slow down completely. Curaçao can feel refined and wonderfully simple at the same time. For us, that contrast is a big part of what makes the island so special.
BEACH DAYS
Our Favourite Beaches in Curaçao
Curaçao has plenty of beautiful beaches, but these are some of the ones we personally like returning to. Not every great day here needs a detailed plan. Rent a car, head west, bring your swimwear and take your time. Some of the best beach days are the ones where you simply find somewhere you like and stay much longer than expected.
West Curaçao
Grote Knip
Grote Knip is one of those beaches that still makes us stop for a moment when we arrive.
The white sand and clear turquoise water are beautiful, and the rocks around the bay make it an easy place to take a mask and snorkel.
The view from above before you walk down to the beach is part of the experience for us.
GOOD MOOD TIP:
Go earlier in the day if you prefer it a little quieter.
Southwest Curaçao
Cas Abao Beach
Cas Abao is one of the easiest places on Curaçao for a long, comfortable beach day.
The water is usually clear and calm, the reef is good for snorkeling and diving, and there are enough facilities that you don’t need to bring half the house with you.
It’s the kind of beach where doing very little works perfectly well.
GOOD MOOD TIP:
Don't put too much else in the diary. Pick a spot and stay as long as you feel like.
Near Sint Willibrordus
Playa Porto Mari
Playa Porto Mari is easy to like.
The water is generally calm, the beach has a relaxed feel and the easily accessible double reef makes it especially interesting if you enjoy snorkeling or diving.
A couple of hours here can quite easily turn into much longer.
GOOD MOOD TIP:
Bring your snorkel gear. There is plenty to see without having to swim very far.
Lagun, West Curaçao
Playa Lagun
Playa Lagun feels completely different from Curaçao’s larger beaches.
It’s a small, sheltered bay between rocky cliffs, with good snorkeling and diving close to shore.
We like it because it still feels intimate and unhurried.
GOOD MOOD TIP:
Take your time and make the drive along the west side part of the day.
EXPLORE THE ISLAND
Things to See in Curaçao Beyond the Beach
The beaches are an important part of Curaçao, but there is much more to see around the island. These are a few places we think are worth making time for.
WHERE YOU’LL FIND US
Our Favourite Restaurants in Curaçao
This isn’t our ranking of the best restaurants in Curaçao. Nobody has paid to be here either. These are simply restaurants we enjoy ourselves and regularly recommend when friends or Good Mood guests ask us where we like to eat. Some are refined. Some are very local. We like both.
Kurá Hulanda, Otrobanda
Caleo
Caleo is one of our favourite places for an evening out in Curaçao. It sits inside Kurá Hulanda, so we like to arrive a little early and walk around before dinner. Once we're at the table, sharing is the way to go. The concept works beautifully because both the starters and the smaller main dishes lend themselves to ordering several plates and tasting them together. For us, the cooking is genuinely at a very high level. Great flavours, beautiful presentation and dishes that make you curious about what is coming next. And the service is outstanding. Friendly, attentive and professional without ever feeling stiff. That's a combination we really like.
GOOD MOOD TIP
Arrive a little early and take a walk through Kurá Hulanda before dinner.
Curaçao
Baoase
You can enjoy both lunch and dinner at Baoase. We personally love it most in the evening. For us, Baoase is a wonderful combination of peace, luxury, excellent food and genuinely attentive service. The tables are beautifully set, yet you can sit there with your feet in the sand and the Caribbean just a few steps away. The food is on the level we personally associate with Michelin-star dining. Refined, beautifully presented and full of flavour, without the atmosphere ever becoming formal or stiff. That contrast is probably what we enjoy most. Beautiful surroundings, very high-level food and service, but still the feeling that you are in the Caribbean with your feet in the sand.
GOOD MOOD TIP
Give yourself the whole evening. Baoase isn't somewhere we would rush through.
Coral Estate
Karakter Curaçao
Karakter is one of our favourite places to spend a relaxed day by the sea. There isn't really a traditional sandy beach. Instead, you will find a large rocky seaside area with free sunbeds, easy access to the water and very good Wi-Fi. The restaurant is a great place for breakfast, lunch or dinner. You can sit with your feet in the sand or find some shade under the covered terrace. The food is consistently good and the team is genuinely friendly. It's also somewhere I occasionally get a little work done. After breakfast, you might find me there for another hour or two with my laptop and a coffee, looking straight out over the Caribbean Sea. There are worse offices.
GOOD MOOD TIP
If you're driving to Karakter, keep a valid driver's licence with you. Guests are asked to show one at the main gate when entering Coral Estate.
Curaçao
Brass Boer Curaçao
Brass Boer is another place where you can enjoy both lunch and dinner. Our personal favourite is lunch. Not because dinner isn't good, but because we love combining lunch here with a relaxed day by the water. The food and service are at a very high level and the setting makes it easy to turn lunch into much more than just a meal. Bring your swimwear, enjoy lunch properly and spend the rest of the afternoon by one of Curaçao's beautiful bays. There is no need to rush anywhere afterwards. And that's exactly how we like it.
GOOD MOOD TIP
Make a day of it. Book lunch, bring your swimwear and leave the afternoon open.
Caracasbaai
Brisa do Mar
Brisa do Mar is a completely different kind of favourite. It's more local, more casual and has exactly the relaxed Caribbean atmosphere we enjoy. It sits right by the water at Caracasbaai and is a great place for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The service is friendly and you don't need to dress up or make a big occasion of it. We especially enjoy Friday evenings when the BBQ comes out. Order one of the large skewers from the grill, grab a drink and find yourself a spot by the water. They taste fantastic. The little beach at Caracasbaai is also part of why we like coming here. This isn't a polished resort beach filled mainly with tourists. It is very much a local place. Families come to swim, spend the afternoon together, have something to eat or celebrate a birthday by the water. You get to see a little bit of everyday Curaçao. For us, that's part of the charm.
GOOD MOOD TIP
Go on a Friday evening for the BBQ and arrive before sunset. Spend some time at the little beach first and then stay for dinner.
TRY A LOCAL SNÈK
A Taste of Local Curaçao
If you want to experience a more everyday side of Curaçao, stop at a local snèk. You will see them in different shapes and sizes all over the island. A snèk is difficult to translate exactly. Think of it as part snack bar, part neighbourhood bar, part mini-market and part meeting place. People stop for a cold drink, something to eat or simply to catch up with whoever happens to be there. Don’t expect white tablecloths or carefully designed interiors. That’s not the point. A good snèk is informal, social and very Curaçao.
Curaçao
Heineken Snek
Heineken Snek is one of our favourites when we feel like something completely uncomplicated. Have a drink, look around and enjoy the fact that you're somewhere locals actually come themselves. It is also where I learned a Curaçao way of drinking Polar beer that sounded slightly strange to me at first. Pour it into a glass full of ice cubes. It actually has two advantages. The beer stays cold in the Caribbean heat and, as the ice slowly melts, it dilutes the beer just a little. I got used to it surprisingly quickly.
GOOD MOOD TIP:
Order a Polar and ask for a glass full of ice. Try it before deciding it sounds strange.
Curaçao
Paddy's Curaçao
Paddy's has a slightly different character from a traditional snèk, but we include it for the same reason. It's relaxed, informal and local. You don't go there because somebody has designed the perfect Instagram backdrop. You go for a drink, the people and the atmosphere. And sometimes that's exactly what you want.
Jan Thiel Beach
Saturday at Zanzibar
Saturday afternoon at Zanzibar is one of those Curaçao traditions we keep coming back to. Find a place underneath the palm trees, kick off your shoes and order a bucket of cold beer for the table. You're sitting with your feet in the sand, the beach is still full of life and slowly the afternoon starts turning into evening. And don't be too quick to leave when Happy Hour finishes. Stay for the live music afterwards. That's when we think it gets even better. Locals, visitors and people who arrived planning to stay for one drink often end up staying much longer. It's lively, relaxed and very Curaçao.
GOOD MOOD TIP:
Arrive before Happy Hour starts, find a place under the palm trees and stay for the live music afterwards.
LXRY Mall, Brakkeput
The Grand Smoke
If you enjoy a good cigar, The Grand Smoke is a place worth knowing about. It has an impressive selection of cigars and a beautiful lounge atmosphere where you can sit down, order a drink and take your time. What we particularly like is the combination of the setting and the service. It feels stylish without becoming formal, and we have always found the team pleasant and helpful. Whether you already know exactly what you like or want some help choosing a cigar, it is an easy place to settle in for a while.
GOOD MOOD TIP:
Don't be in a hurry. Choose a cigar, order a good drink and enjoy both.
ON THE ROAD
Getting Around Curaçao by Car
If you really want to explore Curaçao, we recommend renting a car. The island isn’t enormous, but the beaches, restaurants and places worth seeing are spread out. Having your own car gives you the freedom to decide where to go, how long to stay and when it is time to move on. Or not move on at all.
Ruseler may not always be the cheapest car rental company in Curaçao. We recommend them for a different reason. The cars we have rented there have almost always been nearly new and the service has consistently been excellent. One experience probably says more than any review ever could. We once returned our rental car before flying home. The airport taxi we had booked didn’t show up. At first we thought it was just late. Then it became increasingly clear that we were in real danger of missing our flight. A Ruseler employee didn’t leave us standing there trying to solve the problem ourselves. He got in a car and drove us to the airport. We made the flight. That is the kind of service you remember. And it is exactly why we’re happy to recommend them.
This is a personal recommendation. We don’t have a sponsored partnership with Ruseler.
PRACTICAL NOTE
After an Accident, Don’t Move the Car
This one is important. If you’re involved in an accident, don’t immediately move the vehicle to the side of the road. Contact your rental company and Curaçao Road Services and follow their instructions. The position of the vehicles needs to be documented and the necessary photographs and paperwork completed before you move the car, unless you are specifically told otherwise. Even if the vehicles are blocking the road, wait for instructions. Moving a vehicle before the accident has been properly documented can cause serious problems afterwards with the insurance claim and determining what happened.
ON THE WATER
Spanish Water & Fuik Bay
Spanish Water
Most of our charters begin in Spanish Water, so this is often the first part of Curaçao you experience from Good Mood. Calm and sheltered, it is a beautiful place to ease into the day before heading towards the open Caribbean Sea.
Along the way, the shoreline moves between marinas, waterfront homes and quieter stretches of water. We know this area well, and for us it is part of the character of almost every trip.
Fuik Bay
Fuik Bay is world-famous for Fuikdag, held on the first Sunday of January, when the bay fills with boats, music and people enjoying one of Curaçao’s most iconic days on the water. Every Sunday, that atmosphere returns on a smaller scale, which is why our Private Sunday Fuik Charter has such a unique vibe. During the week, however, Fuik Bay is almost the opposite: quiet, peaceful and a beautiful place to anchor, swim, relax and enjoy the bay at your own pace.
See Curaçao from the Water
There is plenty to discover in Curaçao by car, on foot and from the beach. But for us, the island changes once you leave the road behind.
From the water, the coastline opens up and much of the activity on shore falls away. Spend a few hours aboard, watch the sunset, take a full day to explore, visit Klein Curaçao, experience Fuik Bay or go scuba diving from Good Mood.
Your yacht. Your crew. Your day.
Private Sunset Charter
Private Full Day Charter
Private Klein Curaçao Charter
Private Scuba Diving Charter
Your Curaçao. Your Good Mood.
Explore the island. Find your favourite beach. Stay too long over lunch. Try somewhere local. Have a Polar at a snèk. Stay for the music. And when you’re ready to see Curaçao from the water, we’ll take care of the rest.
