Getting around Curacao

Offering the perfect escape to beautiful beaches and breathtaking sights, Curacao is a stretch of almost 40 miles of arid land with amazing sceneries and colorful reefs. Reachable by an airplane, the island’s airport gets its daily streak of international flights.

Although geographically diverse, this is one of the islands in Caribbean which is easy to tour on foot, mainly due to its compactness. It is also a great way to explore and enjoy the various sights and sounds that the island has to offer. But if you want to include the geographically diverse West End and the island’s various beaches in your tour then renting a car is recommended. You can easily rent a car at any of the car rentals available throughout the island, and the rates are economical regardless of the time and season.

If you don’t want to rent a car or a jeep, then you can always take the guided tours or the taxi services and buses to the main attractions on the island. There are plenty of rental services available on the island at several hotels and the airport. Taxis are plentiful in Curacao and can be hired for long trips as well on negotiated rates. The traffic in Curacao can be chaotic at times, the ways at times are patchy and you can easily get lost without a proper map. So don’t ever forget to carry one around!

To get around Willemstad, the best means of transportation are the Konvoois, the yellow public buses, reliable and dependable; they will get you to all the beaches and the main locations with no hassle at all. The public mini buses follow diverse routes and it is an adventure to travel on them as you get to discover the various sights and sounds of the island while traveling on them.

You can also take a ferry to or from Bonaire and enjoy the slow but steady ride. They offer round trips on reasonable prices and you can catch the ferry at the docks just across from the floating market in Willemstad. The best way to go about is to get a reservation and arrive at least half and hour early for departure.

But if you are the adventurous type then you can always rent a bike from the various bike rentals spread throughout Curacao or explore the island trekking. This is not only a cheap way but also gives you plenty of opportunity to discover Curacao.

There are two cruise terminals at the capital in the Otrobanda district of Willemstad as well. A few minutes walk from downtown there is a pier located by the harbor entrance near Riffort. Getting around Curacao is easy; you can always get numerous car rentals, taxis, buses from right outside the arrival terminal at the airport. They also have their own shuttle bus service that will take you to and from the airport.