Curaçao is more than just a beach destination. It's proud of its culture, too. (2024)

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If you’re looking to take a beach vacation, the Caribbean has plenty of options with sandy beaches, warm water and loads of activities to have fun in the sun. But what if you want more?

If you’re looking for a warm-weather getaway that’s just as big on culture as it is on frozen co*cktails, consider a visit to Curaçao.

Curaçao is a Dutch Caribbean island off the coast of Venezuela. Along with its neighbors Aruba and Bonaire, it remains part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

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According to Expedia, Curaçao is a top travel destination for 2024. It's also a dupe destination for St. Martin, and travelers who like to visit the Dutch side of the island will likely enjoy Curaçao’s Caribbean-European fusion culture.

I visited Curaçao in May for USA TODAY as a guest of Expedia and the Curaçao Tourist Board and saw firsthand how the island’s residents infuse their multifaceted history into life and leisure there.

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Beaches and adventure

For all its history and culture, Curaçao is still a Caribbean island, which means there are beaches and adventures around every turn.

What sets Curaçao’s beaches apart, however, is they’re not the huge white, sandy expanses of many of its island neighbors. Many of the beaches on the island are set in coves among sheer volcanic cliffs, leading to a more intimate but no less relaxing beach experience.

Because of their geography, many of the beaches contain great protected spots for snorkeling right as you step into the water, and you won’t have to worry about getting overwhelmed by powerful surf on most of the island when you go for a dip.

Curaçao has plenty of options for adrenaline junkies as well. Whether you want to beach hop by jetski or go diving in the clear blue waters, all the typical warm-weather vacation activities are at your disposal.

Honoring their history

Almost as soon as a visitor lands in Curaçao, they can begin to see the island’s unique culture. Papiamento, a Portuguese-creole language with strong Dutch and Spanish influences, is the main language spoken at home there, and it’s used on signs across the island along with a mix of English and Dutch.

Damaris Sambo, an ambassador from the tourist board, said that the island is proud of its history, even the difficult parts.

Curaçao was first colonized by the Spanish in 1499, who committed genocide against many of the aboriginal Arawak and Caquetio, Sambo said.

Dutch colonizers took control of the island in 1634, and Curaçao became a major depot and trading post on the Atlantic slave trade.

Sambo said Curaçaoans recognize the horrors of slavery in their past but are not ashamed of it because they use that history to make the world a better place today.

Curaçao, she said, is “thankful for the lessons slavery taught, that its horrors can’t be repeated.”

The Kura Hulanda Museum, which memorializes the island’s role in the slave trade, is a centerpiece of its capital.

Today, Willemstad, the capital of Curaçao, contains nods to the island’s past and bright beacons of hope for its future. Among colorful Dutch colonial architecture, much of which is protected as a Unesco World Heritage site, there are murals by local artists that depict important touchstones of the island’s contemporary culture. Many of them feature women, who Sambo said are the backbone of society in Curaçao.

Willemstad’s Otrobanda neighborhood also hosts the Kaya Kaya festival every year in late August or early September. The festival features street art and music, local foods and co*cktails, and in my cases, residents open their homes to visitors, making it a great way for visitors to get an authentic taste of Curaçao’s local culture.

The island is also home to the oldest continuously operating synagogue in the Western Hemisphere. The first synagogue on the island was founded in 1651 by families from Amsterdam who had fled persecution in Spain and Portugal, and the congregation of Mikvé Israel-Emanuel currently holds its services in a building that was consecrated in 1732.

Hugo Clarinda, deputy director of the Curaçao Tourist Board said Curaçao plans to continue growing its tourism sector, but it has no plans to try to compete with its neighbor Aruba or more established destinations like Nassau in the Bahamas. He said part of what makes Curaçao special is its smaller-scale industry, which allows visitors to be more immersed in the culture of the island.

Sambo said many international brands that come to the island adapt their offerings to fit the location more than they do in other places. For example, she said, the Marriott in Willemstad uses a color palette for its branding and decor that is unique to that location.

Where to eat

Throughout Willemstad and other parts of the island, food is a central point of interaction for vacationers and locals and a way for them to get to know each other better.

In Willemstad, restaurants like MosaCaña Bar & Kitchen, Caleo Crudos & Parilla and Sal the Kitchen blend local flavors and international favorites.

Plasa Bieu, a stall in a downtown food market and Blue View near the island’s popular west side beaches offer more local flare, including dishes like iguana stew with polenta.

Sunset co*cktail spots like the bar at Saint Tropez Ocean Club and late-night haunts like BKLYN in Willemstad will have visitors feeling like they’re on the French Riviera or a Continental downtown night spot.

How to get there

From the U.S., these are your flight options:

• American Airlines, nonstop year-round from Charlotte and Miami
• Delta Air Lines, nonstop year-round from Atlanta
• JetBlue, nonstop year-round from New York-JFK
• United, seasonal nonstop from Newark

Connections to those nonstop flights are, of course, available from other markets.

Where to stay

Curaçao has lodging options at price points suitable for almost any traveler and plenty of choice when it comes to location.

Visitors can opt to stay at the all-inclusive Sandals resort, which offers packages with off-property dining as well.

There are many other beachfront hotels as well as more urban options in Willemstad, and a robust vacation rental market across the island.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.