TRAVEL
Curaçao: Your LGBTQ-friendly Caribbean Destination
Small island offers big opportunities for fun in the sun
BY ED SALVATO
Curaçao is best known
for the richly colored
colonial architecture in
its capital city, Willemstad,
a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. Its appeal lies in its unique
blend of cultures, warm and LGBTQ
friendly locals, pristine bluegreen
waters, diverse cuisines, and
complex history. The population
of 160,000 is spread across 171
square miles of an island just 40
miles from Venezuela. Most locals
speak four languages: Papiamentu
(a Spanish and Portuguese-based
creole language), Dutch, Spanish
and English — a fl uidity that empowers
nimble thinking and openmindedness.
Same-sex marriages aren’t performed
locally, though they are
legally recognized. Curacao Pride
takes place in the fall, which is also
a great time to visit when families
are back to school and much of the
rest of the Caribbean is fretting
about hurricanes. Awe-inspiring
art is found everywhere: live music,
colorful murals, plein-air (and
even underwater) sculptures, and
art galleries crammed into historic
alleyways in Willemstad. Find
more trip-planning information at
curacao.com/en.
STAY
Curaçao offers a wide variety of options
for accommodations, from modest
Airbnbs to ultraluxury hotels and
most major US brands, but to maximize
your local experience (without
sacrifi cing quality), we recommend
dividing a four- or fi ve-night stay between
the Bario for its proximity to
historic sites and wide variety of cuisines
and the Dream/Zoetry complex
to wind down your experience in
a luxurious beach-side setting.
Local entrepreneurs (one of
whom is openly gay), opened the
Bario Hotel, a chic property in an
increasingly gentrifying neighborhood
a short walk to Willemstad
with unique units (some with
kitchenettes) in restored and colorfully
painted historic buildings.
The restaurant/lounge area boasts
three local eateries. There is a pool
The vibrant colors of Curaçao reverberate across the island.
and on most nights there is a DJ or
live music. Not to worry, early risers
— it quiets down by midnight.
The All-inclusive Dreams Resort
Hotel, Spa & Casino and Zoëtry
Curaçao share a dreamy location
in the leafy fi shing community of
Piscadera, a 10-minute drive from
Willemstad on Curaçao’s southwest
facing coast. Think turquoise
waters, glorious sunsets and not a
care in the world. Make sure you
have at least one meal of fresh
seafood at Oceana at the edge of
the bay. You’ll often fi nd groups
of queer locals hanging at Crafty
Iguana Brew Pub. Zoëtry is pricier,
but there are far fewer families,
and while both are LGBTQ friendly,
this one is exuberantly so.
EAT/DRINK
The Willemstad area boasts
myriad culinary infl uences,
mouthwatering fresh seafood,
and other specialties, whether at
the most expensive haute-cuisine
Dutch dining room or a humble
beach shack. Mosa/Caña Bar &
Kitchen combines two previously
separate concepts. Mosa serves international,
tapas-stye dishes and
shared plates in a homey environment.
Caña is a Latin-inspired Caribbean
bar and kitchen offering
tacos, ceviche and other fresh seafood
and meat dishes. Bario Urban
Street Food at the eponymous
hotel (see above) offers a range of
food styles in an outdoor market
environment: upscale street food,
ED SALVATO
plant-based delights, and a variety
of dishes involving the invasive but
delicious lionfi sh.
While sightseeing downtown,
carve out an hour for lunch at
Plasa Bieu, an authentic local food
hall located in the heart of Punda
offering a wide variety of local dishes.
Try bonchi kòra (red bean bean
soup) and funchi (fried polenta). In
the vibrant ex-pat popular Pietermaai
area BijBlauw offers sophisticated
Dutch takes on local cuisine.
It’s pricey, and you’ll mostly
fi nd other North American and
European patrons, but the outdoor
beachside setting is gorgeous.
At the other end of the price and
sophistication scale, one of the most
highly recommended food experiences
is Kas di Piskado Purunchi, an example
of what locals call a fi sh shack,
a casual indoor/outdoor restaurant
perched on an inlet just outside of
Willemstad en route to the airport.
There’s usually just one daily option
comprised of fresh fried fi sh served
with fresh salad, fried banana, and
avocado and krioyo sauce.
SEE/DO
First things fi rst, soak up the
rich, complicated history (involving
the slave trade) of Curaçao and its
friendly vibe, sparkling water views,
eye-popping colors, and abundant
art with Step-by-Step Curaçao,
offering a two-hour city tour on
electric-powered step-on, seatless
bikes with fat tires that can easily
power up the occasional steep hills
for $30/person. This tour covers
the major sites, including the 1888
fl oating Queen Emma Bridge, the
sand-fl oored, 17th-century Mikvé
Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, the
architecture and plazas of Willemstad,
local neighborhoods, and numerous
stops to ogle artwork and
sample local snacks.
The best place to taste authentic
Blue Curaçao liqueur is the Curaçao
Liqueur Distillery at Landhuis
Chobolobo, offering a fun,
fast-paced tour tracking the history
of the island through this potent
azure liqueur in a distinctive
bumpy glass bottle. The tours include
samples and the opportunity
to enjoy or even mix Blue Curaçaobased
cocktails.
Klein Curaçao
Curaçao’s fl ag includes two
stars. One is for Klein (or little) Curaçao,
an uninhabited island eight
miles off the southeast coast with
an abandoned lighthouse, several
shipwrecks, and the longest and
whitest sand beach in the country.
It’s a two-hour catamaran tour
with the expert seafarers of Blue
Finn and features an appetizing
all-you-can eat lunch, cocktails,
music, and some narration.
Go West
Rent a car from your hotel to
visit Westpunt, the rural, western
part of the island, home to Curaçao’s
most beautiful beaches,
a sprawling national park, and
plantation houses — beautiful but
stark reminders of slavery. First,
head to Shete Boka National Park,
adjacent to Christoffel National
Park, home of the highest peak on
the island. The park covers more
than six miles of the north coast of
the island, featuring rocky waves
and 10 small bays where three
species of sea turtles are known
to lay eggs, as well as the famous
Boka Tabla cave.
Conclude your exploration of the
west with a relaxing afternoon on
the beach at Playa Kenepa Grandi
located on the far west side where
you’ll fi nd the vibrant, crystal-clear
blue-green water and the pristine
white sand beaches of your Caribbean
fantasies.
JANUARY 13 - January 26, 2 18 022 | GayCityNews.com
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