2 days in Curaçao

Day by day

1. Day 1: Handelskade and Queen Emma Bridge

   Handelskade, Queen Emma Bridge, Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue and Fort Amsterdam, then Rif Fort in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Handelskade

      Cafés line the quay, and ships pass close by on their way into the harbour.

   2. Late morning

      Queen Emma Bridge

      When it is open, free ferries carry pedestrians across, and at night it is lit with coloured lights.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Keshi yená

      Local restaurants and the cook-stalls of Plasa Bieuw in Punda.

   4. Afternoon

      Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue

      The adjoining Jewish Cultural Historical Museum displays ritual objects from the island's Sephardic community.

   5. Late afternoon

      Fort Amsterdam

      The Fortkerk church inside still has a cannonball lodged in its wall.

   6. Evening

      Rif Fort

      Climb onto the ramparts at sunset for views of Handelskade, then eat at one of the restaurants inside the fort.

2. Day 2: Playa Kenepa and Christoffel National Park

   Playa Kenepa, Christoffel National Park, Shete Boka National Park and Playa Piskadó, then Pietermaai in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Playa Kenepa

      Smaller Kleine Knip is just down the road, and the nearby Landhuis Knip is where the 1795 slave uprising led by Tula began.

   2. Late morning

      Christoffel National Park

      The summit trail is short but steep and rocky, and lower trails and drives look for white-tailed deer, orchids and birds.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Stoba

      Plasa Bieuw in Punda and local 'krioyo' restaurants around the island.

   4. Afternoon

      Shete Boka National Park

      Sea turtles nest on some of the small beaches.

   5. Late afternoon

      Playa Piskadó

      The beach is small, pebbly and informal.

   6. Evening

      Pietermaai

      Cocktail bars, sea terraces and late-night lounges in restored mansions, the busiest area most evenings.

If it rains

• Swap in Hato Caves (Hato): Ask your guide about the Caquetío rock drawings on the trail outside; many visitors miss them.
• Swap in Landhuis Chobolobo (Salinja): Book the cocktail workshop rather than just the short tour if you want to taste more than one flavour.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 12–17 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 11.4 hours in December to 12.8 hours in June.

Getting between stops: Car. Renting a car is the most practical way to explore the coves of Banda Abou, Christoffel and Shete Boka; roads are generally good and driving is on the right.

More or fewer days

• One day in Curaçao
• 3 days in Curaçao
• 5 days in Curaçao

Questions travellers ask