Most people booking Curaçao start with the accommodation and worry about the location later. We would turn that around.
Curaçao is about 60 kilometres long and the road network is simple, but the island is not a single place. Where you sleep decides whether you walk to dinner or drive to it, whether your evenings are lively or quiet, and how much of your holiday you spend behind the wheel.
We host guests in Jan Thiel, so we are not neutral. What follows is still the honest version — including the areas where you would be better off than with us.
The short answer
First trip to the island, travelling as a couple, and you would rather not drive every day? Stay in Jan Thiel.
Here for the architecture, the restaurants and the nightlife? Stay in Pietermaai or Punda, in Willemstad.
Here mainly to dive and snorkel the best bays? Stay in the west, and rent a car for the whole stay.
Jan Thiel: the easiest base
Jan Thiel sits on the south-east coast, roughly 20 to 30 minutes from Hato airport. It is the area where a beach, several beach clubs, restaurants, a supermarket, a pharmacy and dive shops all sit within a short walk of each other.
That density is the whole point. You can land, drop your bags and have dinner without arranging transport. If you want the island’s west coast, you rent a car for a few days rather than for the full stay.
Less good for: travellers who want an untouched, local neighbourhood. Jan Thiel is developed and it is popular with Dutch visitors in particular. It is comfortable rather than undiscovered.
Willemstad: Pietermaai, Punda and Otrobanda
Willemstad is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the most interesting part of the island to walk around. Pietermaai has the restored colonial houses, the cocktail bars and the best concentration of restaurants. Punda and Otrobanda, on either side of the floating bridge, hold the museums, the market and the postcard waterfront.
Stay here if you want to step out of the door into a city. Do not stay here expecting a beach: the good swimming beaches are a drive away, and the city has a nightlife soundtrack that carries.
The west: Westpunt and the north-west coast
The bays that appear in every photograph of Curaçao — Playa Kenepa, Playa Lagun, Playa Porto Mari, Playa Kalki — are in the west. The snorkelling and diving there is the best on the island, and the coast is far quieter.
The trade-off is distance. Westpunt is roughly an hour’s drive from Willemstad, and there is no useful public transport for visitors. Without a car for the entire stay you will be stuck, and choice of restaurants is limited once you are out there.
Many guests take the middle road: sleep in the east, and drive west for two or three day trips. Our list of the best snorkelling spots on Curaçao covers both halves of the island.
Other areas worth knowing
- Mambo Beach and Sea Aquarium. Next to Jan Thiel, busier and louder, with shops and bars along the boulevard. Good if you want activity on your doorstep
- Piscadera. Between Willemstad and the west, dominated by larger resorts. Convenient, but you are firmly in resort territory
- Spanish Water (Spaanse Water). Green, calm and built around the marina. Lovely if you are boating, quiet if you are not
- Bandabou, the countryside. Plantation houses, kunuku landscape and very few tourists. Rewarding, but a car is not optional
Resort, boutique hotel, guesthouse or apartment?
Once the area is settled, the type of stay is the easier decision. None of these labels are regulated on Curaçao, so judge the property rather than the word.
- Resort. Everything on site, a staffed desk around the clock, all-inclusive options, facilities for children
- Boutique hotel. Smaller, design-led, often a bar or small restaurant. Service hours vary widely
- Guesthouse or B&B. A handful of rooms, hosts who know the island, breakfast included at a B&B. No reception at night
- Apartment or villa. Space, a kitchen and privacy. Best value for longer stays or groups, with nothing arranged for you
We compare the two extremes in detail in B&B or resort on Curaçao.
Practical things that decide it for most people
- Do you want to drive? If no, stay in Jan Thiel, Mambo Beach or Pietermaai. Everywhere else assumes a car
- How long are you staying? Under a week, stay in the east and take day trips. Two weeks or more, consider splitting your stay between east and west
- Are you travelling with children? Resorts and apartments are built for it. Many small properties, ours included, are adults only
- What time do you land? Small properties have no night reception. Flights from Europe often arrive in the afternoon; connections through Miami, Bogotá or Panama can land late. Check before you book
- Walking distance is claimed generously. Put the address into a map and measure it yourself
What to expect on the day you land is covered in arriving on Curaçao: from Hato airport to Jan Thiel.
Staying at Hibiscus Beach House in Jan Thiel
Hibiscus Beach House is a small adults only bed & breakfast in Jan Thiel, Curaçao, about five minutes on foot from Jan Thiel Beach. Diana and Martin have run it since 2013.
During your stay you enjoy:
- A five minute walk to Jan Thiel Beach
- Adults only
- Breakfast from 08:00 to 10:00
- Free parking
- Free WiFi
- Swimming pool
- Tropical garden
- Personal service since 2013
If you need more space or a kitchen, we also manage apartments and villas elsewhere on the island.
Frequently asked questions about where to stay in Curaçao
Conclusion: pick the area first
Curaçao rewards a little planning. Decide first how much driving you are willing to do, then choose the area that matches, and only then compare properties. Done in that order, the choice is usually obvious.
Still unsure? Ask us. If we think another part of the island suits your trip better, we will say so.
Looking for a quiet, small adults only stay within walking distance of Jan Thiel Beach? Have a look at our rooms and plan your stay on Curaçao. You will find more ideas for the area in things to do in Jan Thiel.