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If none of that interests you, there is always its glorious colorful town, rich with history, culture, excellent cuisine, and friendly residents. The ships on this cruise line are among the largest in the world. Cruise lines with less than 700 pax capacity usually arrive at the Mathey Wharf.
Eating and Drinking in Curaçao
You could easily spend the entire day walking around the port area and taking in the sights. For season 2019, Curacao Ports announced nearly 800,000 cruise tourists are expected to visit the country. You can also visit the cactus garden featuring hundreds of different cacti species, home to rare birds and friendly Green iguanas. You can often swim with these friendly sea creatures in the shallow, clear water of this small beach. Turtles often come to the shore, so you can swim directly from the beach. Featuring a beautiful yellow façade and a picturesque clock tower, the 18th-century Fort Church is the oldest in Curacao, situated within the walls of Fort Amsterdam.
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Otrobanda
We will highlight a couple of popular beaches that are conveniently located near the cruise port, allowing passengers to easily access the sun, sand, and sea without extensive travel. The Mega Pier is for large cruise ships that cannot fit under the Island’s Queen Juliana Bridge. This pier is located in Otrabanda, and is where you are most likely to dock when cruising with major cruise lines such as Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Celebrity Cruises. Curaçao has many beautiful beaches that are visited daily by cruise passengers. Most visitors take a taxi or book a shore excursion to one of the more popular beaches. The beach club is situated next to Mambo Beach and offers everything you need for a relaxed day under the Curaçao sun.
Colonial Willemstad
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Itinerary Changed, Port Cancelled for Norwegian Cruise Ship.
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Curacao’s beaches are different because they’re not long stretches. Instead, you’ll find lots of small coves and hidden beaches among pretty cliffs. There are more than 40 beaches, and all of them are within a 45-minute drive from the Cruise Port.
The Mega Pier is at the foot of St. Anna Bay and Mathey Warf is a little further into the inner bay. You don’t have to pay an entrance fee, but there are also few facilities. Madero Ocean Club offers a full day of relaxing at their pool or the beach. Bonita Beach Club is a cozy laidback beach where you can get a taste of the real Caribbean lifestyle.
Playa PortoMari (Pig Beach) and The Playa PortoMari Pigs!
The most famous attraction here is the legendary Tugboat shipwreck, lying 5 m (16.4 ft.) under the water’s surface, in the shallow, pristine waters of the bay. You can swim to the boat directly from Tugboat Beach, and explore its beautiful marine life. Caracas Bay is a dynamic place packed with restaurants, bars, hotels, and recreational areas. Mathey Wharf dock is located a 5-10 minute walk from the Willemstad city center and features facilities such as a tourist information desk, a taxi rank, tour booths, souvenir shops, and restrooms.
Cabana Beach is also a 15-minute drive from the Cruise Terminal. Kokomo Beach is a 15-minute drive from the Mega Pier Cruise Terminal. Blue Bay Beach is a 15-minute drive from the Curaçao Cruise Port. The sandy beach of Blue Bay can be found at the Blue Bay Curaçao Golf & Beach Resort. This is a large private community where Curaçao residents and tourists are housed among several facilities and amenities.
The city boasts a variety of vividly colored buildings that are guaranteed to leave an impression. The Curacao Golf and Squash Club is a private 600-member club with a par hole course. The setting is spa-like located among the quiet tranquility of the island. The Blue Bay Golf and Beach Resort is located on the sea with amazing views from wherever you stand on the course.
The most famous inlets include Boka Tabla, Boka Pistol, Boka Kalki and Boka Wandomi. There is free parking at Boka Tabla, and the inlets are connected via walking trails and relatively close to each other. This rocky pebble beach is famous for the tugboat wreck that sank several years ago and has become a popular underwater attraction ever since. The wreck lies only 5 m (16 ft) below the water’s surface and can be easily reached from the shore. Floating Market, New Market, and Old Market can be found within a 5-minute walk from the main street and the Synagogue, alongside the canal by the Queen Wilhelmina Bridge.
The smaller of the two beaches is great for snorkeling while the other is idyllic for swimming, tanning, and water sports. Enjoy the crystal clear waters on a transparent kayak, or glide gently over the calm waters of the playa. The clarity and turquoise color of the water is so mesmerizing you may not want to leave. This consists of Mega Pier and Mega Pier 2 (also called Tula Pier). The water is crystal clear and you can find several sea turtles right next to the pier.
You will find that most places accept both currencies interchangeably without any issues. It makes it convenient for cruise ship travelers who may prefer using US dollars instead of exchanging their money for local currency. Just be sure to check with each establishment if they accept credit cards or prefer cash during your visit.
This is best done in the morning to take advantage of cooler temperatures and to ensure plenty of time to rest and hike leisurely. The mountain hike closes at 10 AM The park charges about 25 florins per person to access the park. The sea aquarium is located on the waterfront in the west coast of Willemstad and has plenty to see, do, and learn. There are large pools with a variety of marine life found in Curacao’s water and interesting shows, such as dolphin, sea lion, and shark shows held daily. It’s an especially fun place for the kids to learn and interact with marine life. If taking a tour of the wild north to Christoffel Park, then a visit to the Savonet museum is a must.
The historic downtown is designated UNESCO Site and consists of 4 quarters. Punda and Otrobanda are separated by Sint Anna Bay (an inlet leading into Schottegat / natural harbour). Scharloo and Pietermaai Smal are across from each other on the smaller Waaigat Harbour.
Hawksbill, loggerhead, and green sea turtles lay their eggs on the island’s beaches, and you can often spot them swimming in their wild, natural habitat. The national park spreads over 10 km/6 miles of Curacao’s north shore known for its rugged coastline and dramatic cliffs hanging over the series of caves. This secluded piece of heaven lies on the northwestern coast like all other beaches and is located less than a 40-minute drive (29 km/18 miles) from the port of Willemstad. The road is bumpy and curvy, and there is a small entrance fee for the parking that you pay on-site. This cruise dock is also behind the pontoon bridge but on the Punda side of town. Although the Mega Pier provides the best facilities for cruise passengers, the other docks are also just a small walk away from transportation, shopping and the city centre.
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