Need suggestions re diving/accomodations in Curacao

[Dogbowl]

My husband and I are beginner divers and would like to go to Curacao this August for some diving, sightseeing, etc. We've dived in Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Roatan, Key Largo, and Tobermory, so our expectations of what constitutes good diving is pretty high (unfortunately). I'm torn between staying in Willemstad or Westpunt or several days in both.

On the one hand, I would really like to stay at the Renaissance in town, which is convenient to sightseeing and restaurants. There is no need to rent a car, which we always try to avoid on vacation unless it's absolutely necessary. It's also a much nicer hotel that's at a reasonable price right now. There's also a significantly better rate if we stay the full 7 nights.

On the other hand, my limited research has told me that the "better" diving is at Westpunt, particularly the Mushroom Forest (sometimes disputed) and Watamula. Since we would like to dive these, this would be important to us. However, it appears that there is really only one dive op (Go West Diving, which I'm fine with), several hotels (all of which I'm not too keen on ), and very limited dining options (great, we might starve to death ). Remember, we don't want to rent a car.

So, I guess I was wondering what people's thoughts are, especially those of you who have been there or live there. Should we do 4 nights at Westpunt and 3 nights at the Renaissance, and rent a car for the 4 nights we're in Westpunt? Of course, this would be the more expensive option, with the added costs of the car rental and the inability to get the special discount at the Renaissance.

Or, should we just spend all 7 nights at the Renaissance in Willemstad and go diving with a dive op in town? How's the boat diving that leave from dive ops in town? Is the diving really that much better in Westpunt? Any dive op recommendations? Any dive ops that might pick us up at our hotel in town?

I also see that shore diving is very popular in Curacao. I personally don't think I'd prefer it over boat diving - being a pretty weak and short person, carrying all that gear from the car, over the beach/rocky shore, and into the ocean would surely tire me out before I even got into the water! I'm just not sure if I'm prepared for all that work. But I've also heard that many people, thinking the same thing, have been converted!

Thanks for your help!

 

[DoubleAA]

We dive with Ocean Encounters. They do trips to Klein Curaçao and Mushroom forest. They are awesome and have hotel deals too. We booked everything through them and had some amazing diving.

Edward was great booking the whole thing.

 

[diversteve]

Caribbean Sea Sports provides a shuttle for divers staying at the Renaissance to the other Marriott a few miles away in Piscadera Bay where they keep their boats etc. Also there's a shore dive there in PBay - they do it guided one night/wk. Since you mentioned dining, Bistro Le Clochard is walking distance away with great views of the harbor/swinging bridge at night. It's in the RIF fort/Renaissance Mall next door.

A few things to know about the Renaissance - they have arguably the best casino on the island, the beach you see in the header photos is one side of their pool since the resort itself is on a low bluff at the harbor entrance and the Megaport cruise pier is just down the street. Google the cruise schedule but August is usually a slow month. Also the Swinging Bridge is right there so you can walk across the harbor entrance to the Punda side which is where all the colorful buildings are.

Another option for guided shore diving without the work is the Dive Bus - they pickup anywhere in town.

I like your plan, it's what we did - a few days out west and a week or so in town. Turned out we twice drove back west to shore dive at the mid-island sites and once all the way east to the Tugboat though so if you plan to do any of that a car is a must. If you stay in Westpunt, I'd get one anyway, a cab out there from the Renaissance would be over $50 - my friend was quoted $45 from the airport to Westpunt about 6 yrs. ago - about the same distance.

A nicer place out in Westpunt is the Lodge Kura Hulanda - it's probably nicer than the Renaissance. One of the Leading Small Hotels of the World yet I've seen some decent rates low season. Go West has their main shop on-site so that's convenient. The shore dive off Go West's dock is pretty good also - it's one end of the bay containing Playa Kalki/Alice in Wonderland. Plus they boat dive Watamula, Mushroom Forest/Lagun and other good dives in the area.

Check out Landhuis Misje and Sol Foods for dining options - Sol gets mentioned here regularly - Fri-Sun only still afaik. Sol is #6 on the Trip Advisor best of list. The Lodge has a view restaurant but IMO the food was just so-so the one night we tried it.

 

[editmojo]

Stayed at Waterside Apartments and dive in St Micheal last year. Tine (pronounced Tina) will pick you up at the airport and rent you a car from her small fleet. If you have your own gear, she has tanks and weights set up in a secure dive prep area. Walk a few steps to the water and swim out about 30 yards and you are on a great little wall. If I hadn't gotten a bad sinus infection I could have done dozens of dives at $5 a tank. Or grab one of the trucks and check out the other sites. It was very economical. The only downside is you need a car for groceries and to eat out, as there wasn't much around.

 

[WarrenZ]

We did the Sunscape A/I and dove with Ocean Encounters great trip.

 

[scubadada]

My wife and I had a wonderful stay at Lodge Kura Hulanda and dived with Go West Diving. Mushroom Forest is overrated, Watamula was very nice. The house reef, Playa Kalki/Alice in Wonderland, is quite good, nearly as good as Bari Reef at Sand Dollar/Den Laman in Bonaire. All West Apartments are also highly rated, may try them if we get an opportunity to return. Lodge Kura Hulanda is partners with Sonesta Kura Hulanda in Willemstad. Perhaps they would offer a deal with a stay split between the two.

 

[Diver OnLu]

Lodge Kura Hulanda is partners with Sonesta Kura Hulanda in Willemstad. Perhaps they would offer a deal with a stay split between the two.

Hi Dogbowl,

I work for Go West Diving, so please excuse me should any of my suggestions seem somewhat biased!

On a long-stretched island like Curaçao without any great public transport options from one end to the other unfortunately it's impossible to be flexible without renting a car.

One option could be to do the Kura Hulanda hotel combination mentioned by scubadada to have some days in Westpoint and some in town. If you include some weekend day(s) in Westpoint you have a close-by dining option outside the hotel at Sol Food, which is a lot of fun, and we could definitely get you to dive Watamula (and maybe Mushroom Forest, we dive there on our Sunday morning boat trip).
The Kura Hulanda Hotel in Willemstad isn't far away from the Renaissance, close to the swinging bridge across the harbor entrance. I think it is absolutely beautiful - they took a whole neighborhood in decay, refurbished all the little houses in the original style, and created a resort that feels like a little village with small cobbled stone streets, shops, bars, and restaurants, and a garden pool. Transfer between the hotels should be easy to organize. And the location in town gives you perfect sight seeing and dining opportunities.

So maybe check out this option. Here's a link to the Kura Hulanda Hotels:

Curacao Hotels | Hotel Kura Hulanda Resort | Luxury Resorts in Curacao

 

[irie1029]

If I were to have only one week I would follow Andreas advice above. Kura Hulanda Lodge is very peaceful though a bit remote. Go West is Perfect for newbie divers and the crew is very helpful. The west end diving is plentiful, easy, calm and beautiful. There is no doubt you may want to get to town and they have a shuttle for such. Also I am certain you will meet others with a car or you can walk to other other nearby restaurants such as Sol. I warn you Curacao is addictive! I now go for 3 weeks and spend time on both ends of the Island!

 

[diversteve]

Mushroom Forest is overrated,

Thats what the DM on our boat told us also - on the way there to specifically dive it. He thought all the flat corals made it too easy for predators so the fishlife was sparse compared with other sites. We did a different site instead suggested by him - farther away so it wasn't as convenient for them to make that suggestion.

 

[Diver OnLu]

While I wouldn't follow the argument of the coral structure making it easier for predators, and I think the fish life at Mushroom Forest is not bad at all, I still think we have quite some more interesting boat dive sites in the area, like Rediho, Scooter, Sponge Forest, Watamula, Elvin's Plane Wreck, Mako's Mountain, and Black Sand Wreck.

I have another theory regarding the ongoing popularity of Mushroom Forest as 'the greatest dive site around': for decades magazine writers have written reports about this place, and I get the impression that a) they often enough just copy from each others, and b) they are hardly ever open to suggestions from local divers regarding better dive sites; and since they have limited time on their trips to look around they just ask to be taken to the all time famous place - and there goes the next story about Mushroom Forest...
The latter by the way is true just the same with many tourist divers: they read about Mushroom Forest, and just won't believe a divemaster telling them that there are even nicer places to go - I guess since the bible it is the written word that matters above everything else