If you’re trying to figure out Is Curaçao worth visiting, I get it—there are a lot of islands competing for your attention. After actually going, I can say yes, but it really depends on how you like to travel. This ended up being a mix of beach days, good food, and moving around when I felt like it (which worked out very well for me).
I went into this trip hoping for clear, calm water and good food, and that’s exactly what I got. The water was consistently clear, the food was better than I expected, excellent in fact, and every interaction felt easy and normal in the best way.
I split my time between relaxing at the resort and driving around to different beaches, and both felt equally worth it. I could chill when I wanted to, then switch it up the next day with a full itinerary.
If you’re figuring out how to plan your days around this, you can check out my guide to Curaçao 7 Day Itinerary: How to Spend One Week in Curaçao because that’s basically how I balanced everything.
I got in the water at almost every beach we stopped at, and I could see straight to the bottom every time. The water is crystal clear, insanely blue, and some of the best I’ve seen in the Caribbean.
I kept expecting it to get cloudy or less clear the farther out I went, and it just didn’t. I stayed in longer than planned more than once because it was too pretty to leave (and I wasn’t rushing that).
I didn’t stay at one beach all week because there were so many cool beaches to explore. Some were wide and sandy, some were tucked into cliffs, some had better snorkeling, and some felt more local and quiet.
I’d go to one beach, stay for a while, then head somewhere else just to see what it looked like. Beach hopping ended up being a big part of the trip, and honestly I’d do it the same way again (snack breaks included).
If you want a full breakdown of where I went, you can see my Best Beaches in Curaçao (with Map + Tips) because that’s exactly how I planned it out.
I went into this expecting the food to be just fine, and it ended up being outstanding. I ate a mix of local Caribbean food, Dutch-influenced meals, and a few nicer dinners, and I had very few “dud” meals.
Every meal felt thought out, and I didn’t have that one disappointing dinner that you just accept on vacation. That alone made me extra excited every time we sat down to eat (I’m always ready to eat, so this helped).
If you’re planning meals, I’d recommend looking at Best Restaurants in Curaçao (Where to Eat + What to Order) so you’re not guessing when you get there.
We rented a car early in the trip and used it every day. The roads were easy to follow, nothing felt confusing, and most of the beaches we wanted to see were on the same side of the island.
We'd leave in the morning, hit a couple beaches, grab food somewhere, and head back. If you’re planning to move around like this, renting a car here makes it easier and gives you way more flexibility.
I talked to people at restaurants, beaches, and anywhere I needed help, and every interaction felt welcoming and easy. No one felt annoyed, and everyone was just genuinely kind, which made everything feel more relaxed.
That kind of thing isn't something that you think about before you leave on a trip, but it definitely affects how everything feels once you’re there.
I walked into a few beaches and immediately noticed rocks, coral, and uneven entry points. It’s probably the biggest thing to know ahead of time.
I wore water shoes at most beaches and that helped a ton. Once I got in, the water completely made up for it anyway. If you want something structured, this guided snorkeling tour in Curaçao is an easy way to see multiple spots without figuring it all out yourself.
I drove around expecting more greenery and instead saw a lot of dry, desert-like areas with cactus and rocky terrain. It’s not waterfalls and jungle everywhere.
It is still very beautiful and it didn’t bother me, but it’s definitely different if you’re picturing somewhere like St. Lucia or St. Kitts. The contrast actually made the beaches stand out more once I got to them.
If you like beaches and snorkeling, want crystal-clear water, enjoy trying different restaurants, like having the option to explore, and want a mix of relaxing and doing things, this works really well.
I naturally ended up doing all of that, and it felt like the right balance the whole time.
I also thought about what wouldn’t work for some people. If you want a super lush, tropical island with waterfalls, don’t want to rent a car, or prefer soft, sandy beaches everywhere, you might get frustrated.
Those things aren’t deal breakers for me, but they’re worth knowing ahead of time.
Curaçao is less lush than islands like St. Lucia or Jamaica, but the water is clearer and better for snorkeling. It doesn’t have the long, soft sand beaches you’ll find in Turks and Caicos or the Bahamas—most beaches are smaller coves. Compared to Aruba, it feels less resort-heavy and more about exploring, with better variety in beaches and food.
If you’re deciding between islands, you can learn more in my Curaçao vs Aruba: Which Island Is Better for Your Trip? because that’s the closest comparison I kept thinking about.
I ended up splitting my time between relaxing and exploring, and both felt like the right choice. I’d spend part of the day at the beach, stay in the water longer than planned, then go out to dinner somewhere new after (earned it).
Curaçao is worth visiting if you want to unwind at a resort with crystal-clear water and great food, or if you want to beach hop and see different parts of the island.
Either way, you’ll sea(ha ha) what I mean pretty quickly.
If you’re planning the logistics, looking at where to stay in Curaçao and booking here helps get you the best rate, and checking flights on Skyscanner is where I usually start.
A hotel that’s also a free 24-hour contemporary art museum penguins included. We booked a Corner Suite at 21c and it was massive: separate bedroom, living room, dining area, 699 square feet to spread out in. The bathroom alone had a double vanity and custom Rookwood Pottery tile that made getting ready weirdly entertaining.
The location is downtown, two minutes from Fountain Square, walkable to Boca for dinner, and close enough to hop the free streetcar into Over-the-Rhine. If OTR is where most of your plans are, you might want to stay closer to that neighborhood instead downtown worked for us, but we spent more time in OTR than we expected to.
And yes, there’s a recycled-plastic penguin sculpture that will absolutely scare you the first time you open your door and forget it’s there. Link in bio for the full review rooms, parking, walkability, and everything else before you book 🎨
Three neighborhoods, one streetcar, and more Cincinnati specialties than I could finish in one afternoon.
We hit a goetta breakfast sandwich, chocolate chip ice cream from a shop that’s been at it since 1870, a Liège waffle that earned its Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives spot, and Cincinnati chili the way it’s actually meant to be eaten... over a hot dog, buried in shredded cheddar.
$75 got us three and a half hours, a local guide, free streetcar rides, and a genuinely full stomach. Don’t eat breakfast before this one, the portions add up fast.
My third Secret Food Tour in my third city, and it’s still undefeated.
Link in bio for the full review cost, route, parking, and every stop we hit 🥟🌶️
13 creek crossings, a canyon that keeps closing in around you, and a hike I’d genuinely put back on my itinerary, West Fork Trail was the one.
We got to Call of the Canyon at 7:15am and the lot was barely a quarter full. By 12:30 it was 85% full, so if there’s one tip that matters most, it’s this: go early.
The maintained trail is 6.6 miles round trip, mostly flat, mostly shaded, but I kept my regular tennis shoes dry the whole way by hopping across the rocks at each crossing. It’s rated moderate, and honestly that’s about the distance, not the terrain.
Here’s what nobody tells you though ✨ the maintained trail isn’t the end. We changed into water shoes at the official endpoint and kept going another mile straight through the creek, canyon walls narrowing around us the whole time. That extra mile ended up being my favorite part of the entire hike.
5/5 for me. I’d bring the water shoes again in a heartbeat.
Link in bio for the full guide parking, timing, what to pack, and everything I wish I knew before I went 🥾
Two hours, zero regrets. The Pink Jeep Broken Arrow Tour is hands down one of the most fun things we did in Sedona.
Open-air Jeeps crawling over slickrock, backcountry views you can’t reach on your own, and the famous Road of No Return, steep, thrilling, and somehow completely safe the whole way down.
If you’re picking one paid activity in Sedona, make it this one.
You have to do @pinkjeeptours 🌵🚙 Link in bio for the full review.
Dinner beside Oak Creek at Cress, and yes, it’s a splurge, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat.🤍
Candlelit tables under the trees, the creek running right beside us, a menu that mixes Arizona ingredients with French technique. We ordered a little of everything: the squash and beet salad, milk rolls with three different butters, sweet potato gnocchi that somehow felt light instead of heavy. Then two desserts because we couldn’t decide. The Vanilla Crème Caramel with Manchego cheese completely stole the show, salty and sweet in a way that sounds strange until you taste it.
Plan on $100–250 for two depending on what you order, and this isn’t the spot for a quick casual dinner, it’s slow, intentional, and worth every minute. Book ahead and ask for a creekside table if you can.
If you’re looking for one unforgettable meal in Sedona, this is it. Link in bio for the full review 🍽️
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