The BEST Curacao Travel guide! Best Beaches, Budget Travel Tips
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Last Updated on August 17, 2026 by Tiffany
Curacao was one of my most memorable and exciting trips ever. Let me tell you, a time was had. Here I’ll be sharing the BEST curaçao travel guide you’ll find, with tips on how to travel on a budget as well!
Driving around the island with a group of girls I met at my hostel, seeing some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and being able to explore a place most people don’t even know about was such a pleasure.
This island is so gorgeous and an absolute must visit in my opinion. As an avid traveller and a girlie that loves islands, Curacao is the safest I’ve felt as a solo female traveller in the Caribbean.
Whether you’re going by yourself or the girls group finally made it out of the chat, you’re going to throughly enjoy your trip to Curacao!
Where is Curacao?
Curacao is apart of the ABC islands, or Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao. It’s located in the southern part of the Caribbean, very close to South America. When I was there, I met plenty of Brazilians and Colombians as the flight is very short for them.
Curacao is its own country, however they are apart of the “kingdom” of the Netherlands. People born here have dutch passports and travel the same as citizens from the Netherlands would.
Although the island is technically apart of the European nation, like Puerto Rico is to the States, it has its own culture and language. Papamientu is a beautiful creole composing of Bantu African and other European languages.
views from downtown ! <3 ⬇️
How much does it cost to visit Curacao? Budget Tips
Curacao is commonly known as the most affordable ABC island, especially since they have hostels scattered across the island. This island is the most populated of the three ABC’s and they have the most social life while still maintaining somewhat affordability.
I spent a relatively low amount of money on my trip here because I am a budget traveller. My accommodation at Bed & Bike Pietermaai was just about $30 a night (a bunk in a 6 bed female dorm) which was pretty affordable.
I cooked all my meals and brought snacks to the beach and ate out a total of three times the entire week while I was there.
I typically love to eat out while I’m travelling in a new place, but restaurants could add up quickly. There was a tiny kitchen at my hostel and so that allowed me to save a LOT of money on eating out so that I could spend more money on activities and souvenirs!
Renting a bike at the hostel was around $10 for the day and I even had it the next morning to bike to nearby areas before returning it. The hostel also rented cars for $100 per day, which was quite pricey, but no other dealerships had it for cheaper. It ended up not being bad al all because I split the price with 2 other people.
Overall, if you’re on a medium budget like myself, I would say prepare to spend about $50-$100 a day. This would include cooking at your accommodation, eating out a couple of times, renting a car split with other people, and exploring free beaches.
If you’re on an extreme backpackers budget, you can get by with around $50 by taking public transportation and cooking all your meals in the hostel.
If you’re staying at more expensive hotels and eating out for every meal, visiting beach clubs diving and etc, definitely set aside closer to $175-$250+ per day including transportation, private accommodation and eating out daily.
Learn more about how I afford to travel the world on a budget!
Things to know- Curacao Travel Guide
They speak primarily Papamientu
There are quite a few people I was not able to converse with due to language barrier. However, most people I met were able to speak English. Some people spoke Spanish as workers from neighbouring South American countries move here for opportunities.
ANG or Antillean Guilders are the local currency
The current exchange rate is 1 USD to 1 ANG. A lot of places accept card as payment, and USD is widely accept in most places.
Download maps
GPS services can sometimes be spotty, and you want to make sure that you’re driving safely on the road. And that you know where you’re going.
Some Beaches have entry fees
I find this quite annoying as I come from a Caribbean islands that also has pay to enter beaches. Don’t worry though, there are still plenty of free and gorgeous beaches to explore!
How to get to Curacao?
You might never believe me when I say this, but I flew to Curacao straight from The Netherlands. My flight was reasonably priced considering I irresponsibly booked it less than 2 weeks before my departure.
When I flew back home to the states (Atlanta), I had a layover in Miami, and I flew Surinam Airways. The ticket price was affordable and they even fed us lunch on the short flight!
How to get around Curacao- Curacao Travel Guide
After a grueling 10 hour flight from Amsterdam, I arrived in Curacao late at night. There weren’t many options to get to the town when I arrived. Either get an extremely overpriced $40 taxi or pay about $2 for the bus.
My penny pinching self obviously chose the latter. There were a few bus stops right next to the airport, so I asked around for which would take me closest to my hostel and hopped on the last bus for the night.
The bus ride ended up being extremely pleasant, and I sat in the front and the driver helped me out and let me know when and where to get off! I was able to pay the driver directly with cash and it was so easy.
Do keep in mind they don’t take credit card so make sure to have bills! Once I arrived, I walked to my hostel for about less than 5 minutes.
I always walk and take advantage of public transportation when I’m travelling. One day, I rented bikes with another girl at my hostel, and I totally face planted while trying to jump a curb on the side walk.
The very next day we decided to rent a car, LOL! If you are a more skilled cylist than me, renting a bike is an affordable and easy way to view parts of the island.
Walking within the capital, Willemstad, is a great way to sight see and get used to your surroundings. However, you’ll still miss a lot of beautiful views the island has to offer if you only opt for walking. For this destination, renting a car or taking the bus is essential.
If you’re on a major budget, you can take the Konvoi busses I had mentioned earlier. They’re extremely affordable and can get you to different parts of the island. The only issue I will say is that the times can be a bit sporadic.
My best recommendation is to split the price for renting a car with people. I shared the price of a car for multiple days with some girls I met with my hostel, and it enhanced my experience times 100. So much cheaper than overpriced taxis, and you have total freedom of when you arrive and leave desintations.
When is the best time to visit Curaçao?- Curacao Travel Guide
While December through April are the busy season for the island, I found myself here in late October and loved it! The weather was absolutely beautiful with sunny skies each day, and barely any clouds in the sky.
I loved visiting in the off season because beaches weren’t as busy, hotels are priced cheaper, and the overall trip was just much more affordable. If you can, I would highly suggest visiting during the off season!
Learn some Papamiento!
Goodbye- Ayo
Good Morning- Bon dia
Good night- Bon nochi
Welcome- Bon Bini
Please- Por Fabor
How are you?– Con tai bai?
Thank you- Danki
MUST Visit Beaches in Curacao
Grote Knip
Playa Piskado
Mambo Beach
Cas Abat Beach
Playa Porto Mari
Kleine Knip
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