How safe is Curaçao?
Curaçao is a very nice island to go on vacation. Many tourists also come every year to enjoy the beautiful island. Every holiday country has its advantages and disadvantages, including Curaçao. But how safe is Curaçao really?
Theft
The largest form of crime is theft. That is why it is useful not to have a lot of valuables with you. Of course, a telephone and debit card are useful to have in your pocket, but do not show too much or take other valuables such as jewellery, watches or iPads with you. In the Netherlands and of course other countries you also pay attention to your belongings and do not throw everything around in unknown places. If you do not do this in Curaçao, you run little risk and ensure a safe holiday 🙂
Always lock your apartment/house. Close all windows and make sure no one can enter in any way. Do not leave valuables visible on a sofa, table or bed. In short: don’t try to make it attractive to break in.
Also useful to make your time on Curaçao as safe as possible is to always lock your car and not leave anything in the car. Park your car behind a closed gate and not somewhere in a deserted alley. A car burglary is not rare on Curaçao. Of course you always lock your car in the Netherlands, but there it does not hurt to leave something in your car, such as a towel. On Curaçao you have to take everything out of your car and preferably open your glove compartment. This way people see that the car is completely empty and there is nothing to get.
In addition, the steering lock is also not wrong. This provides extra security and your car will not just be stolen. At a rental company you actually always get this and this is also mandatory, also with us!
Safety on the street
Common sense goes a long way when it comes to safety. Don’t go out alone at night. Don’t walk around the block and preferably not on the scooter in the evening. During the day there is not much of a problem and you can drive everywhere in most places. Walking is also not normal as in the Netherlands. Of course you can walk through the streets in Willemstad while you go into a shop. But don’t walk along a busy road or in areas where it’s quiet and not many people live. There is no sidewalk along the road that you can walk on.
In the alleys in Amsterdam it is not very nice to go alone on the street at night. And your own instinct is also a signal! You feel when you drive in a neighborhood where it is a bit too quiet or where it gets chilly. Rather stay in well-lit and bustling streets.
Bad neighborhoods Curaçao
There are a few neighborhoods that are not really safe in advance. You would rather avoid these neighborhoods in Curaçao. They are somewhat poorer neighborhoods in Curaçao.
-coral woodpecker: behind the boulevard at mambo beach is the coral woodpecker district. Members of the No Limit Soldiers gang live here. This is the only neighborhood that is close to a tourist spot. It is not safe to walk here. Avoid this place after dark and always go together.
-Souax: This district can be found in the north of Curaçao. You can just drive through it by car. It is not safe to take a walk here.
-Seru Fortuna: The same goes for this district. Go through it by car. This district is also in the north near the airport. Avoid this area at night.
-Marie Pompoen: here is a walking route along the sea. No matter how beautiful the route is, try to avoid this path. Tourists have been robbed here a number of times in the past.
Safe on the road
On Curaçao, the rules on the road are different. It is not safe to continue the driving behavior from the Netherlands in Curaçao. Before you rent a car you will also receive instructions and a mini lesson about the rules. In addition, the speed in Curaçao is considerably lower than in the Netherlands. You can drive here at a maximum speed of 80 km/h.
The most important thing is that you are better off giving than taking. People can be unpredictable here sometimes. There could be spontaneous braking or the car behind you does not see that you are braking. Be careful especially at night. Car lights are not always turned on.
The road surface is also bad. There may be holes in it. If it has rained, it is also wise to drive more slowly because the road can be very slippery.
Everywhere in the world there is crime and there can be danger. The only question is to what extent you seek out this danger. As long as you pay attention, don’t do crazy things, look after your belongings and listen to your instincts, it’s safe to go on holiday to Curaçao!
Are you going on holiday to Curaçao and do you still need a car that is safe and reliable, then take a look at our website.
The options at Mambo beach
It’s a touristy place, but that’s why everything is well organized. The choice is huge at mambo beach. Mambo beach not only has a fairly extensive beach, but there is also plenty to do.
Shopping
At mambo beach there is the mambo beach boulevard. On the mambo beach boulevard there are many different shops with swimwear, beachwear, jewelry, flip flops, snorkels and more. So you can enjoy yourself for a while on the mambo beach boulevard. And if your partner or fellow holidaymaker doesn’t want to go shopping with you, you can lay them down on a beach bed with a cold drink in hand.
Vacation captured
If you never want to forget your vacation on Curaçao, you can also get a tattoo at mambo beach. There are really a lot of palm trees, suns and waves tattooed here. Apart from the small work, you can certainly leave the big pictures to Byron on the Mambo beach boulevard.
Beach
Mambo beach is of course mainly there for the beach. At mambo beach there are many different beach bars. Want to relax with not too many people around you? Then you are in the right place at Hemmingway, where the hotel guests of Lionsdive and beach resort in particular are relaxing.
At Chill you can choose between hanging out at the bar, relaxing on a real Curaçao beach chair, sitting on one of the garden benches or lying on a beach bed. You pay for the beach beds, the rest is free. Grab a cold drink, smoothie or grab a bite to eat and enjoy Chill Beach. At Chill you can also hang a painted piece of driftwood with your company name, for example. We are curious if you have already found ours.
Bonita is the part of the beach where you have to provide yourself with a snack and a drink. Bonita’s snack bar and bar are located on the mambo beach boulevard. Snack Friday is the day to take a seat here.
Madero Ocean club not only has a stretch of beach at its disposal, but even a swimming pool. So if you prefer not to have sand between your toes for a day, but you do want to be on the beach, you can simply jump into the pool at Madero at mambo beach.
Which beach do you prefer? Let us know in the comments and we’re also curious why.
Restaurants
The choice of food is also extensive. At mambo beach you can go for a good pizza at Piazza or Pizzamare. At the green house you can eat a good piece of meat or order unlimited sushi on Mondays and Thursdays. You can also go to mambo beach for a hairdresser, at the Green house downstairs at the beach. So you can snack at Bonita. Chill is known for its chicken skewers. At Hemmingway there is something for everyone, a simple but good menu. There are even more restaurants at mambo beach boulevard, come by to see where you would prefer to enjoy your lunch or dinner.
Parking
You can park your rental car safely opposite Lions Dive and Beach resort to prevent damage and theft of the car. You pay ANG5 or $3 here and they pay close attention to your car parked within the walls of the parking lot. At Mambo beach itself in the large parking lot, the experiences are unfortunately not good.
Do you have something to share about mambo beach that really should have been included here? Share it with us and the other readers, so everyone knows where we really must have been on mambo beach.
Traffic on Curaçao
Some people think that Curaçao is a piece of the Netherlands in the Caribbean. That is certainly not the case. Yes, you can speak Dutch on the street, but that’s about it.
Consider, for example, the traffic on Curaçao. Driving on Curaçao is different and Dutch traffic rules are not observed. Curaçao is based on more American rules.
Priority rules on Curacao
In traffic on Curaçao, the right has no right of way. For a Dutchman it is therefore a bit of a change and there are regular Dutch people standing still to unjustly give priority to traffic from the right. We are used to it on Curacao by now, but it remains strange to take priority if you don’t actually have that. So who has priority? The rules on Curacao are based on the fact that straight through traffic has priority. And to avoid confusion, we always say, everyone has priority except you.
Curacao and roundabouts
There are also roundabouts on Curaçao, just like in the Netherlands. There are still quite a few accidents at roundabouts because the rules are not really clear. You do not necessarily have priority on roundabouts. In Curaçao traffic there are also different rules than we are used to in the Dutch. It is not always indicated with traffic signs or road markings, so take a good look yourself and again never give way.
The double-lane roundabouts are also slightly different than you are used to, the outer lane has priority over traffic on the inner lane.
Curaçao roads
The roads on Curaçao are like cheese with holes in some parts. Due to the holes in the road and the debris on the road, screws, nails and sharp stones, a flat tire is easily caused. Fortunately, fixing a tire in Curaçao does not cost more than ten guilders, say five euros. The annoying thing is that if you continue driving with a flat tire, it will break and you will need a new tire.
Smoothness on the road
You wouldn’t say it, but it sometimes rains on Curacao. And then there are several things that you really have to take into account. One of those things is the slipperiness, because there is so much junk, sand and oil from older cars on the roads, it is very slippery when it has rained. So you can only adjust your speed to this. On Curacao we have the concept of ‘poko poko’, which means nothing more than just taking it easy.
The drainage is not regulated everywhere on Curacao, so the puddles can be quite deep when it has rained. Don’t just drive through a puddle where you can’t see the depth of it, because coming back to the holes in the road, sometimes a whole stretch of road just disappears. Then you cannot go through that puddle with every car and it could well be a real terrain car path.
Road markings
We mentioned it before, but don’t assume that there are neat stripes on the road. Driving in the dark is therefore best done with extra caution, before you overlook a turn or cannot distinguish road halves.
Driving behaviour
We will of course close it on a positive note, because we are proud of the riding behavior of our fellow islanders. During the morning and afternoon rush hour, it is not easy to get through the traffic if there is no zipping and people always think along very friendly and helpful. After each car, another car from an intersecting side street is passed.
Did we forget anything or did you notice something in the traffic on Curacao? Let us know!
5 most unique restaurants on Curaçao
How nice that you ended up here! We at rental car Curacao love to take you along all kinds of nice places on Curacao. You don’t have a rental car for nothing and you can visit all these places. Today a blog about restaurants. We can give many restaurant tips, but we would like to mention these unique restaurants in this blog. Every restaurant I mention here has its own uniqueness why it is so nice, nice, beautiful or cozy to be there.
Restaurant at Westpunt
The first restaurant is ‘Shelter Rock Paradise’. This is a restaurant near Soto. Soto is west of Willemstad on the map of Curaçao (really towards Westpunt). This local restaurant of the sweetest Curaçaoans is a huge asset on Curaçao. Besides the singing of the lady of the house, what makes this restaurant so unique in Curaçao? On Friday night you get your food served in a coconut! Speaking of the island feeling… definitely do it!
Weekend on Curaçao
During the weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) SOL food is also open at Westpunt! The best pizza on the island can be found here. And I can’t talk about it myself, but I hear from our customers that the steak must also be great. I believe it right! Owner Sunshine (originally from Massachusetts USA) is there with all her love for her customers and staff. This restaurant on Westpunt also has a magnificent view over playa Grandi. And unique here is also the tastiest brownie with ice cream, just make sure you leave a hole for it!
Culinary enjoyment together
Restaurant Mosa in the Penstraat on Curaçao is the first on the island to start with shared dining. A concept with which this restaurant makes a statement in this digital age. Eat, talk, laugh and enjoy together. This restaurant on Curaçao is more than worth it, take a picture for them on instagram, but otherwise leave that phone in your bag and enjoy the quality time with your restaurant company.
Local and very restaurant worthy
At Tabooshh on the caracasbaaiweg you are in the right place for local food. The restaurant is partly on a platform and overlooks a pleasant harbour. On Curaçao, the local population eats Creole. Martin, the owner of Tabooshh, has set up a beautiful restaurant with a great local menu. Partly thanks to his grandmother’s recipes, you can enjoy real Curaçao dishes in a restaurant-worthy jacket at Tabooshh on Curacao.
A look in the kitchen
The fishery restaurant, which is open from Friday to Monday, has no secrets! This restaurant has the freshest fish on the island. You first order your fish and side order at the first window, then you walk to the next window to order your drinks. Take a seat at one of the picnic tables and then be surprised by the taste of the freshest fish. The tuna melts on your tongue! And in the meantime, hard work is being done, not only by the service and the cooks. The men who saw the fish are also busy, watch how they perform their craftsmanship.
Did you enjoy reading, did you gain new ideas from this piece of text? Or do you have a unique spot to name? Let us know in the comments!
