Curacao - Non diving question

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

divebomb

Contributor
Messages
201
Reaction score
0
Location
B'ham - There's no ham like Birmingham
# of dives
50 - 99
I think I've got my diving ducks in a row. What about things to do in Willimstad? Where does one park the car? Is it small enough to walk?

Also, are the Hanto caves worth visiting? What about the hike at the national park?

Thanks, Beck
 
Haven't been there, will be in two weeks, but have heard that the national park is nice.
 
It's an interesting town to explore a little, has historic buildings and picturesque waterfront, the floating market, floating bridge, a few casinos if you're into that. You can walk to most everything downtown you'd care to see. My favorite part is just watching the variety of boats and ships going by. I've seen signs for a boat tour of the inner harbor which I think would be interesting, but it only ran one day a week and we've never gotten around to it. There is a fair amount of shopping and restaurants, some scattered around downtown and some concentrated on the oceanfront in Riffort and Waterfort Arches.

The channel to the inner harbor goes right through the middle of town and there's no way to drive across right there, so you'll usually just park on the side you're coming from and walk across the floating bridge (or take the free ferry) to get to the other side. There are parking lots on both sides, and we've never had problems finding a spot on the Otrabanda side, at least in the late afternoon or evening. It's worth driving over the big bridge at least once for the view though, even if you have no other reason to cross.

I haven't done the caves or the park, but I've heard the Ostrich farm is interesting. The aquarium is small but nice.
 
We'll be in Bonaire for 8 days and Curacao for 7 days in May 2004. My wife's non-diving parents will be with us the last 3 days in Bonaire and the first 2 days in Curacao. We haven't been to either island previously. I think we'll do the Hato caves and see what else the in-laws are up for. I'd appreciate whatever you have for a trip report when you return. The in-laws are fairly travel jaded, having been to 93 countries so far, so whenever we mention going somewhere they haven't been (which has happened twice in the last 2 years) they come along and join us. But never for too long - they're retired now and just too busy for something like a 2 week vacation!
 
Hato caves are nice to see. They tour you thru them, it's nice to get the history. There are many steps to get up to the entrance and once inside they are nice and cool. 7 or 8 major chamber areas, some nice water falls and bats.

The park is great, very big. Nice to drive thru. Take a lunch and take the high road and enjoy the views, or take the low road and enjoy sitting along the water watching the rough surf and enjoy the sea spray.

Have a great time.
 
If you're downtown consider eating at the Blues restaurant. It sits out over the water and is a very nice spot. Sunsets are great. There was no one playing the night we were there but the food and ambiance were just fine.

Check out my trip report for more suggestions.
TEdJ

Something is not working sith the link to my trip report so try here: http://www.digitaldiver.net/trip_reports.php?reportID=97
 
Whew....just got back from Caracao and we had a great time. I can highly recommend Ocean Encounters at Lion's Dive/Breezes. They were top notch. Saw stuff that I'll never forget.

If you stay at Lion's Dive I would recommend that you DON'T get and "Enviromental" room. The air conditioners in those rooms shut off after you leave or if you leave either the deck or front door open. I really got chapped that I put down good money and came back from diving to a hot room. Other than that, it was fine. Great location.

For anyone who hasn't driven there....OHMYGOD. The street for the most part are not marked. Get a good map at the rental car agency and take along some good dead recogning. We kind of "felt" our way along to Lion's dive from the airport.

We went to the Hato caves near the airport. It was a good way to kill a couple of hours.

Food...be prepared to shell out some bucks and just a warning. In most of the restaurants, if you get there at 7:00, be prepared to be there until at least 9:30. It was that way every where we ate. I think it's just a European thing. They are very slow about service.

If anyone has any other questions, just let me know.

Beck
 

Back
Top Bottom