Trip readiness checklist for Curaçao

What to pack

Curaçao is Dutch in its gables, Caribbean in its beaches and dry all year. Pack for sun and rocky coves, and something for a Willemstad evening on the Handelskade.

• Water shoes

  Most of the island's forty beaches are small coves with rock or coral at the entry, and the west end's snorkel spots are pebbly. Sand-only beaches are the exception.

• Reef-safe sunscreen and a hat

  Dry, sunny and breezy, with little shade on the beaches. The wind hides the burn until the evening.

• Your own snorkel mask

  The reef drops off a few metres from shore almost everywhere, which is the whole appeal. Rental masks leak.

• A light shirt for the evening

  Willemstad dresses casually but not in swimwear, and restaurants run the air conditioning hard.

When to go

December to April is peak, and Carnival in February is the island's biggest party, with parades that fill Willemstad for weeks. Curaçao sits outside the hurricane belt, so summer and autumn are hot, dry and quiet, with the best rates. May, June and November are the sweet spot.

Money & getting around

Curaçao's currency is the guilder, pegged to the US dollar (the Caribbean guilder replaced the old Antillean one in 2025 at the same rate); US dollars are accepted everywhere, with change in guilders. Cards work in Willemstad and at resorts; the west-end beaches and snack stands prefer cash. Tipping is 10 percent, often already on the bill as a service charge. A rental car is close to essential: the best beaches are a 45-minute drive from town and buses are sparse.

Local quirks worth knowing

Curaçao is the easygoing one of the Dutch islands, with four languages on every street and a pontoon bridge that gets out of the way for ships.

• Complete the Digital Immigration Card before you fly

  Every visitor arriving by air fills in the free online DI card before departure. Airlines check it at the counter.

• The Queen Emma Bridge swings open

  Willemstad's floating footbridge swings aside for ships, sometimes for half an hour. A free ferry runs between Punda and Otrobanda whenever it is open; look for the flag.

• Bon bini and danki go a long way

  Papiamentu is the first language; everyone also speaks Dutch and English. The two words earn a smile at every counter.

• Beaches charge admission

  Many of the best coves (Cas Abao, Porto Mari, Kenepa) are privately run and charge a few dollars per car or person. It buys loungers, showers and a bar.

• Do not stand on the coral

  The reef starts at the shoreline. Fins off the coral, no touching, and no taking shells or sand through customs.

A week in Curaçao, the list starts here

Quantities scale with your dates, the weather groups arrive once we have your travel days, and your own plans add their gear on Trip Pass.

• Passport & travel documents1
• Phone charger & adapter1
• Wallet, cards & some local cash1
• Toiletries bag1
• Any daily medicationsenough for the trip
• Underwear7
• Socks7
• T-shirts / tops5

• Everything in my carry-on, and why each thing earns its spot
• The packing trick that got me through 3 countries with one carry-on