Curaçao

Hey, why go to Europe when you can combine a visit to both a Caribbean island AND Holland at the same time? Toplessness is common on this Dutch island.



  U.S. Citizens: Passports are required for international air travel to all destinations outside the USA.

Breezes Curaçao, a family resort, is operated by SuperClubs from Jamaica. The resort was previously known as the Princess Beach Resort & Casino (largest on the island). The Casino's still there but the rest of the resort has really changed.....in a great way, with SuperClubs adding its magic touch, including the all inclusive concept coupled with an energetic family atmosphere.....great for adults and kids alike.

One of the largest family resorts in the Caribbean, with almost 400 rooms and suites plus a casino next door, this all inclusive property is located on a great stretch of beach, just southeast of downtown Wilemstad, the capital. Hey, why go to Europe when you can combine a visit to both a Caribbean island AND Holland at the same time? Legally a part of the Netherlands, Curaçao and its sister island, Bonaire, make up the furthermost islands of the Dutch Antilles. Aruba, a neighboring island, is an independent nation within the Dutch commonwealth.

  U.S. Citizens: Passports are required for international air travel to all destinations outside the USA.

Curaçao is what you get when you mix Amsterdam with South American and Dutch culture in a southern Caribbean location that looks suspiciously like the Baja in Mexico. Got that? And, with GREAT weather year round and NO hurricanes!

Curaçao is about 30 miles north of South America, with Venezuela as its closest neighbor on the mainland. Its neighboring islands, Aruba and Bonaire plus Curaçao carry the moniker: The A-B-C islands.

This island is one of our favorite places in the Caribbean! A big plus for the resort is that it's located in Curaçao, a neat as a pin Dutch island, owned by the Netherlands. Curaçao's capital is Wilemstad, which looks like a smaller clone of Amsterdam, complete with Dutch architecture and buildings. Curaçao's population is about 150,000. All the ABC islands are only 30-50 miles north of the Venezuelan coast of South America. On a clear afternoon, you can see the tip of one of the mountain ranges north of Maracaibo. Most all the locals speak Dutch, English, Spanish and the local dialect, Papiamentu......and do so very fast!

TRANSPORTATION

American Airlines and other airlines service the island frequently from the U.S.A. which is about a 3 hour flight from Miami. KLM flights also bring tourists frequently from Europe plus several charters arrive weekly from Holland and Germany. The resort is about 30-40 minutes south/southeast of Hato Airport on Curaçao and about 10 minutes from downtown Wilemstad. You can rent a car if you wish or take a transfer shuttle to the resort. Driving is on the right-hand side and the roads and highways are in good condition, maintained in the efficient Dutch tradition.
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  Breezes Curaçao is a sprawling resort spread over about 15 acres for adult singles, couples and families. It's right on the Caribbean on the southeast side of Curaçao, facing Venezuela and South America. The sandy beach is long, deep and wide with an length of at least 1,500 feet.

The resort has almost 400 rooms and suites in several multi-story buildings and a high rise, too, called the Royal Tower, with two double or one king bed in each room. Suites include multiple rooms and service areas, perfect for families. All rooms are clean and newly remodeled, tropically decorated with cock/radio, CD player, A/C, satellite TV, direct dial telephones, iron and board, coffee maker, hair dryer, safe deposit box and private bath. Breezes has several bars, a pretty buffet restaurant right on the beach and a couple of ala carte restaurants, Jacuzzis, water sports, swimming pools, night club, disco, sauna & steam room, work out area and spa, piano bar and shops plus no tipping. And, the Princess Casino (Curaçao's largest) is right next door, too! Chilrens' programs are available as well, based on age groupings. Baby sitters can be arranged for a nominal charge at night.

For those of you who need to know, the hotel's conference center is next door with a maximum seating of several hundred attendees at once plus break out rooms and facilities....good for business meetings as well as big weddings or family reunions, too.

Breeze's package is all inclusive which means all your basics are provided for one price. Included are: complimentary bus shuttle between the airport and resort, room accommodations, all meals, bar drinks, premium liquors, water sports, entertainment, children's programs, hotel taxes and gratuities. There are five bars on site for your drinking pleasure.

Breezes' athletic features include a new fitness center, aerobic classes, games, boutique & spa, arts & crafts, basketball, boat rentals, a circus school with trapeze, kayaks, sailing, snorkeling, SCUBA diving, tennis, bicycles, volleyball and windsurfing. No tipping is permitted. The disco on site is great plus live entertainment is featured each night of the week with the resident band. Late night piano bar, karaoke, theme nights and body painting round out the fun and games at this resort.

Weddings and vows renewals are free.

Electricity is 110 volts/50 cycles, so your standard 110 appliances form the USA may run a bit slower in Curaçao.

Make sure you ask your waiter's name, introduce yourself, be happy and converse with the locals.
  A full buffet is served in Jimmy's Buffet, the one main open air restaurant facing the beach for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The fine dining restaurants include Pastafari and Munasan ala carte for dinner only. Long pants are required in Pastafari but casual dress is fine at Munasan, which is also open air out near the pool. It's nice to have waiters serve your dinner with wine available from a bottle. The Munasan Asian restaurant features innovative Japanese fare including sushi and traditional dishes as well as stir fried veggies with beef, chicken and seafood. Pastafari serves a variety of pastas and related dishes with wine service in a "casually elegant atmosphere" with air conditioning.....yea!

Say hello and be friendly. Caribbean, American and seafood dishes are featured during the main buffets. The food is plentiful and filling plus you can return for seconds and more. Premium liquors are served along with beer and wine. There are five bars to quench your thirst including the beach bar, pool bar, Pelican Piano bar, Casino bar and Hurricane's Disco bar.

From 11AM-5PM, light snacks are served on the beach grill at the Kontiki Beachclub. The menu include hamburgers, hot dogs, finger food, french fries plus ice cream is available by the Kiddie pool or at the Kontiki Beachclub.
  Per person nightly rates start at about $120/person/night up to $250+/person/night. Rates vary by season and are subject to change without notice. The lowest price can be secured via vacation "packages" primarily. Seasonal specials and early booking discounts apply some parts of the year. The rooms are classified according to size, location and amenities and range from standard garden view rooms to ocean view suites. Accommodations are located in several two-three story buildings and one high rise. Check with us for an exact quote for the resort and airfare. Charter airfare packaged with resort rooms offer the best value for an all inclusive vacation. Kids stay at reduced rates.

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  You will see toddlers to seniors at this resort with mostly young adults and young couples with families vacationing there.
  Resort rooms are all newly redecorated . Guests usually vacation at Breezes for its great water sports activities and family resort activities including children's programs based on age ranges of the kids. The main pool area is huge and is the center of daytime activities. There are hot tub areas that attract a more relaxed crowd after a hard day of sports. Nightly planned activities, themes and entertainment all seem to set the stage for something for everyone. And with a casino next door, there is plenty to occupy the adults at night. People are fun, friendly and set a really relaxed, laid back tone during the day. Night life can be fun in both the big disco and cozy nightclub. There's lots to do there, so pace yourself.

One feature of the resort which is pleasing: There are several, ,separate low rise, 2-3 story guest buildings with separate swimming pools at each, including service areas.....all away from the main building for a bit more privacy, away from the crowd.

Dress throughout the resort is casual, with beachwear the norm from thongs to shorts. Most guys and girls wear shorts, T shirts and polos for meals and in the evenings. Some guests actually "dress up" (dress for women and long pants for guys) for dinner although it's not required, except one place: long pants are required in the Italian restaurant, Pastafari. But, NO ties and NO jackets.

The quietest and best rooms we think are those in the far west side of the resort.

TIP: SCUBA diving is spectacular. If you've been thinking of becoming a certified diver, DO IT before you visit Curaçao. You will rarely get a chance to see such terrific marine life in such a beautiful underwater setting as Curaçao.

TIP: The constant breezes also give you a good excuse to learn to wind surf or practice sailing there, so plan on it if you like the saltwater.
  World-class diving, snorkeling, fabulous beaches (some topless), wind surfing, several casinos plus terrific shopping, shopping, shopping for European goods are just some of the reasons to visit Curaçao. Night life in town is great as long as you know the fun places to go and the place is safe! The locals seem to find a reason to dance at almost any time, so expect to "lively up yourself" and shake your bootie. Several country houses serve as great hangouts for a drink and dancing, so don't be surprised if you round a corner where a crowd has gathered to dance and party....the locals are great to make friends with.

Walking tours downtown are the best way to see the Punda (the Point) and the Otrabanda (the "other" side), the two parts of downtown Wilemstad. St.Anna's Bay (actually a channel) separates the city's two parts and connects the lower Caribbean to the huge bay just northeast of downtown Wilemstad, designated as a UNESCO "World Heritage City." Refineries, manufacturing, ship building and a huge dry-dock company maintain operations in nearby Schottegat Bay, reported to be the second busiest port in the world.

In Curaçao, hotel rooms number only about 2,000 total, providing you with a chance to be a part of the local culture without sticking out like a tourist, even if you are! The Plaza Hotel on the point in front of the harbor entrance is one of two hotels in the world with marine insurance in the event a ship plows into its building. Our favorite restaurant we found in town is the open air TuTu Tango, where on Wednesday nights, the Dutch buffet, risjtafel, (rice table) is featured...our favorite dish: peanut sauce that goes great with just about everything (yum, yum!).

Favorite seaside spots are the public Mambo Beach where lots of open-air parties are held. Last time we were there the Mambo Kings played, driving the crowd wild. Sunday nights bring out the crowd to Mambo Beach's best party. If you like to dance, pick a beat and party......these people know how to move! Our other favorite spot is at Waterfort, a converted look out point and fort (built 1634) and located adjacent to the Plaza Hotel downtown at the entrance to the harbor. Waterfort now houses several ocean side restaurants for Italian, Mexican and Continental cuisine, a great place for dinner with a great ocean view. Amstel Beer is brewed right on the island, too, as is the liqueur, Curaçao....you can tour both places.

Two equally famous and historical bridges join the two sides of Wilemstad together: The Queen Emma pontoon bridge, over 100 years old, links both sides of downtown for foot traffic while the huge Queen Juliana Bridge spans the industrial and residential sections of town. Downtown Wilemstad is both quaint and compact so you can visit most of the interesting spots downtown on foot. Plan on having a cold Amstel or Polar (from Venezuela) by the pontoon bridge about 6 PM at one of the many sidewalk cafes for a spectacular sunset. Many days, you will see a huge cruise ship or tanker moving in or out of the bay right in front of you.

One of the canals off the main bay in town is the site for the floating market, colorful boats and crews from Venezuela that visit dock-side daily to sell fresh produce and fish to the locals. Such a mix people has produced a diverse island population representing South America, Europe as well as African and Caribbean descendants, each with its own section of town. The Otrabanda on the west side of Wilemstad has made an outstanding comeback with an almost complete restoration that has taken place the last five years or so....a great place for a walking tour. If you're into cultural anthropology and enjoy Caribbean history, you'll have lots to see and do in Curaçao.

Outside of town in the country side, you have more tourism choices than you'll have time for including:
  1. Mountain climbing in Christoffel National Park
  2. Hiking and horseback riding
  3. Spelunking and visiting the ancient caves
  4. Touring the nature parks and the underwater park
  5. Seeing spectacular, world-class diving/snorkeling spots
  6. Visiting the many small, diverse towns spotted around the island's perimeter
  7. Golfing
  8. Horseback riding
  9. Sail boarding
  10. Running
  11. Visiting the SeaQuarium, the best in the Caribbean in our opinion, where you'll have a chance to experience sea creatures right in front of you in the water in a safe environment. **This is a MUST SEE for families as children get to interact with the gentler species of sea life. This is almost next door' to the resort, too, within walking distance.
  12. Visiting Landhuis (plantation homes in the countryside)
  13. Taking a driving tour of the island
  14. Touring the Hato Caves
  15. Visiting the seven historical forts on the island
  16. Visiting the BLUES cafe for great live music on Thursdays (reservations required so call ahead)


 
Diving and snorkeling are absolutely WORLD-CLASS in Curaçao, with no thermocline and virtually no current at the many dive/snorkel spots. World-famous spots include the Mushroom Forest plus others on the island. Visibility is normally up to 150 feet with average water temperatures 75-85 F, so no wet suits are needed unless you want one.
     
Breezes Curaçao includes shore diving only. However, SCUBA dive shops are numerous in Curaçao.
     
No 24-hour room service.
     
Looks like the big cruise ships have discovered how "quaint" Wilemstad and Curaçao is so some days you may see your share of tourists bustling through downtown but most ships depart by 5-6 PM.
     
The bird's eye view of Wilemstad from the Queen Juliana Bridge is one of the top scenic vistas in the entire Caribbean along with some of the forts built atop several of the imposing mountainous outcroppings.
     
  Curaçao and the ABC islands are outside the hurricane belt so you can visit and enjoy sub-tropical weather year round.
     
  Only about 22 inches of rain falls a year, so you will enjoy a dry and warm climate year-round.
     
  The ABC islands are only a few miles north of South America...a great reason for taking 3-4 extra days to see Angel Falls or spots close by in Venezuela. Daily flights to all parts of Venezuela are available from Curaçao. Check with the Guest Services desk about possible day tours or longer.
     
  If you're expecting romantic lush tropical vegetation and exotic palm trees, forget it. The A-B-C islands are all arid and get less than 24 inches of rain a year. Think of Arizona instead!
     
  The Sea Qaurium is arguably the best aquarium in the Caribbean so DO GO for a visit if you have the time...it's within walking distance of the resort.


  Any time of year is great...no hurricanes and a little rain. Take a hat and lots of sunscreen...you can burn your butt, quickly !
  Just about right....Curaçao has a significant sized population residing on a small island so you get around easily and can converse with just about everyone.

Wish Breezes Curaçao including Boat service for Scuba diving.

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