Playa Forti Curaçao restaurant is an easy add when you’re already out on the west side. You pull up, grab a table overlooking the cliff, and suddenly you’ve got front-row seats to people jumping into the ocean while your food comes out. It’s the view, the energy, and a solid local meal all in one stop.
I pulled into Playa Forti on the way through Westpunt and parked right above the cliff, then walked straight toward the edge before even looking at the menu. The view is right there as soon as you walk up, and you’re looking straight down at the water with people lining up to jump, which is exactly why I added this into my Curaçao 7 Day Itinerary: How to Spend One Week in Curaçao.
I grabbed a table at the Playa Forti Curaçao restaurant facing the water so I could watch everything happening below. The whole place is open-air, and people were walking in straight from the beach in swimsuits and coverups. No one was dressed up, and no one cared, which made it easy to just sit down and order.
I rented a car before the trip, and driving out here made it easy to pair this with a few beaches in the same area.
I found out that the building actually goes back to the 1700s, when a fort stood here to protect merchant ships. Now I get to eat lunch on those same foundations, which made it feel a little more interesting than a typical beach stop.
I ordered lunch and immediately started watching the cliff jumpers because its part of the experience. People would walk up, stand there for a second, and then either go for it or back out (honestly relatable).
I used this stop to try more local food, and I’m glad I did. I ordered the keshi yena with rice and plantains, and Brad got the garlic shrimp with fried funchi topped with cheese.
Looking at the menu, I’d order the same way again. The Playa Forti Curaçao restaurant menu sticks closely to seafood and traditional dishes, which is exactly what worked best here.
I cut into the keshi yena first and saw the thick melted cheese wrapped around the filling, almost like a shell. Inside was seasoned ground beef with onions and a slight sweetness from the raisins. The cheese pulled everything together—it was rich, a little salty, and melted into each bite.
I mixed the rice in with it and used it to soak up everything on the plate. It balanced out the richness and made it feel less heavy, and the plantains added a softer sweetness that worked really well with the beef and cheese.
Brad tried the garlic shrimp next and got hit with that buttery garlic sauce right away. The shrimp were flavorful without anything complicated going on, and the fried funchi had a crispy outside with a soft center. The melted cheese on top made it even more indulgent, but the textures made it work.
This is not light food. Cliff jumping after this feels like a high-stakes decision (I’ll see myself out).
I looked through the rest of the Playa Forti Curaçao restaurant menu and saw some interesting dishes like Keshi yena, fresh fish like mahi mahi or wahoo depending on the catch, garlic shrimp, conch dishes, and goat stew (kabritu stoba).
I’d stick with those instead of ordering something like a burger. The local dishes are where this place feels the strongest.
I came here for lunch and used it as a break between beaches on the west side. It worked perfectly for that kind of day.
You’re not coming here for a polished, chef-driven meal like in Willemstad. You’re coming here for the view, the cliff jumping, and a casual lunch that fits into everything else you’re already doing.
If you’re planning out your days, check out my West Side Beach Hopping in Curaçao: Porto Mari & Grote Knip Guide so you can map this stop in naturally.
Save this for later on Pinterest so you don’t forget it.
I looked back over at the cliff after eating and watched a few more people jump, and that’s when it really clicked how much this adds to the experience. You’re not just eating—you’re watching one of the most well-known jump spots on the island the entire time.
If you’re planning to jump, I’d do it before you eat. That meal sits heavy, and jumping right after doesn’t sound like the best idea unless you’re really committed.
I added Playa Forti Curaçao restaurant into my Westpunt day and didn’t have to go out of my way for it. It fit right in between beach stops and gave me a solid place to sit, eat, and take in the view.
I wouldn’t drive across the island just for this alone, but I would absolutely include it if you’re already exploring this side. It’s the combination of everything here that makes it work. I’d go back just for that view alone.
If you’re still planning your trip, my Curaçao Travel Guide for First-Time Visitors breaks down how to structure your days so stops like this actually make sense. Also, if you’re debating hotels, I stayed closer to Willemstad so I could still drive out here whenever I wanted.
Booked this Bryson City yurt for the ‘ber months and it’s already my top fall pick this year. 🍂
The Junaluska Yurt sleeps six but feels more like a stylish cabin than a yurt, two real queen bedrooms with actual doors, a full kitchen, and a private bathroom with a walk-in shower. Check-in is just a door code texted to your phone, no lobby, no waiting.
The real win is outside: wraparound porch, private fire pit, free firewood, a gas grill, and Smoky Mountain sunsets that stop you mid-sentence, picture all of that with October color on the ridgeline. Heads up, the last stretch in is a gravel road, so skip the low-profile rental, and there’s no restaurant onsite, you’re minutes from Bryson City, Dillsboro, and Sylva for dinner.
Two to three nights is the sweet spot. (We actually stayed in the dead of winter and it was still stunning, fall just takes it up a notch.) Full review linked in bio.
Italian food felt like the last thing I expected to find in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains... until I sat down at Ilda in Sylva.🍝
They call it Italian-Appalachian, and that’s not just a tagline. Homemade pasta, craft cocktails, local ingredients pulled straight from the mountains around it, this is the kind of meal that makes you forget you’re two hours from the nearest city. It’s cozy, it’s a little upscale, and it is not a walk-in kind of place, call ahead, because tables go fast on weekends.
It’s not cheap, and it’s not trying to be. But if you’re already making the trip out to Sylva, this is the one reservation worth planning your day around.
Full write-up, including what to order, link in bio.
Booked my fall cabin before September even started, and I’m not sorry about it. 🍂
These are the stays that make you actually want the cold to hurry up fireplaces, mountain views, the kind of porch you don’t leave. Not every one of these is going to fit every trip, but if a cozy fall getaway is on your radar, this is the roundup to start with.
One of my favorite travel seasons is almost here, and I have zero chill about it. 🍁✈️
There’s just something about fall trips cooler air, apple orchards, that first flannel of the season, food that actually makes sense with the weather again. I’m already mentally packing for it before September even starts.
If fall is your favorite time to travel too, tell me where you’re headed... I’m taking notes for the list.
Pack your bags... ✈️🧳My hiking and road trip gear shop just got a refresh, and this is everything that actually earns a spot in my bag. The dry bag pulls double duty for beach days and trail days, the Osprey backpack is the one I grab for anything motorcycle or day-hike related, and the GoPro comes with me literally everywhere at this point.
Nothing on this list is filler it’s all stuff I’ve used, packed, and repacked more times than I can count. Full shop linked in my bio if you want to build out your own kit before your next trip.
Follow @travelwithwendyplummer for Beautiful Beach Destinations, City Guides, Foodie Spots, and Luxury Hotel Recommendations.
