Island Tours in Curaçao

An easy way to see the whole island in one day. The Curaçao Complete Island Tour by Yellow Adventures picks you up at your hotel in the morning and takes you from Willemstad's colorful waterfront to the hills, flamingos, plantation houses and coves of the west, and back in the afternoon. Below: what you'll see, and how it compares with other day tours.

Curaçao is small enough to see in a day, yet many visitors only get to know one corner of it: the coast near their hotel and the waterfront in Willemstad. An island tour fixes that. Between morning and mid-afternoon you see how different the two sides of the island are, from the colorful harbor city to the hills, salt flats and quiet coves of the west.

What an island tour in Curaçao covers

Curaçao is long and narrow, running from Westpunt in the northwest to Oostpunt in the southeast. Willemstad sits on the south coast, around St. Anna Bay and the natural harbor behind it, and most hotels are spread along the coast on either side of it.

East and west feel like opposites. On the city side you have Willemstad's colors, bridges and liqueur. To the west lies Banda Abou: hills, salt flats with flamingos, old plantation houses and small coves with very clear water, with the wild north coast just over the hills. The west is a fair drive from most hotels, and the sights are spread out, which is exactly where a guided tour earns its keep.

The Curaçao Complete Island Tour (Yellow Adventures)

Yellow Adventures picks you up at your hotel in the morning and brings you back in the afternoon. The tour runs daily from 9 AM to 3 PM; pickup is at most major hotels, and the time depends on where you're staying. You travel in Yellow Adventures' orange minibus. The day includes:

• Willemstad: the colorful waterfront on St. Anna Bay and the floating market in Punda.
• The liqueur factory: the photos show Landhuis Chobolobo, the yellow plantation house where Curaçao liqueur is made. The liqueur gets its flavor from the dried peel of the laraha, a bitter orange that grows on the island.
• Land houses: Curaçao's old plantation houses, or landhuizen, are scattered across the countryside. The photos show Landhuis Knip (Kenepa), with its monument to the slave revolt led by Tula, which began on the Kenepa plantation on 17 August 1795.
• A photo stop at Knip Beach: Grote Knip (Playa Kenepa Grandi) is the classic Curaçao postcard, with white sand, a turquoise bay and the hills of the west end behind it.
• The flamingo sanctuary: flamingos wading in the salt pans, one of the scenes the west is known for.
• Shete Boka National Park: the entrance is included. A path through the rocks leads to Boka Tabla, a cave where the sea breaks in with a roar.
• A lunch stop: lunch is not included, but it's a chance to try something local, such as karni stoba (a beef stew) with aros moro (rice cooked with beans).

The tour suits first-time visitors who want an overview early in their stay, travelers without a rental car, and anyone who'd like a guide to explain what they're looking at. If you only ever leave your resort once, the Curaçao Complete Island Tour is a good way to do it.

Who it isn't for

Be honest about what you want from the day. The island tour gives you many short stops rather than long ones: Knip Beach is a photo stop, not an afternoon on the sand. If your idea of a good day is hours in the water or a hike to a hilltop, one of the tours below will suit you better.

Willemstad in a nutshell

Even a short stop shows you why Willemstad is the island's showpiece. St. Anna Bay splits the old city into Punda and Otrobanda, joined by the floating Queen Emma Bridge. The Handelskade, the row of colored buildings on the Punda side, is the view on every postcard. The floating market nearby has a long connection with traders bringing produce from Venezuela, though the boats and stalls vary from day to day. If you'd like more time in town, come back another day to walk across the bridge and through the streets of Punda.

How it compares with other day tours

The island tour is broad rather than deep. If one part of the day sounds like what you really came for, there's a tour that goes further:

• Nature and views: the National Park Jeep Safari, also by Yellow Adventures, runs the same hours with the same hotel pickup, but off-road in open 4x4s. It follows the rough north shore and goes into Christoffel National Park, including the Orchid Route, which only Yellow Adventures is allowed to drive. It's for guests aged 6 and older, and not when pregnant or with back problems.
• Time in the water: the Snorkel & Beach Adventure also visits Shete Boka, then adds snorkeling where sea turtles swim beside you and an afternoon at Cas Abao, with a beach bed included.
• A day built around you: Real World Adventures' private off-road Jeep tours take only your group, with pickup where you stay, and the custom days follow your priorities.
• More history: a rum tasting in Punda or a visit to the Mongui Maduro Museum, both on our page about culture, history and rum tours.

Where the island tour goes

The tour links the island's two halves. The historic center of Willemstad is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Landhuis Chobolobo lies in greater Willemstad, a short drive from the old center. Our area guide covers Punda, Otrobanda, Pietermaai and the rest of the city.

Out west, Banda Abou and Westpunt is home to Grote Knip, Landhuis Knip and Shete Boka National Park, as well as Christoffel National Park and beaches such as Playa Piskado and Playa Forti, which are worth a return visit on your own.

Prefer to explore at your own pace? With a rental car, our self-guided route along the free beaches of Banda Abou takes in six bays from Playa Santa Cruz to Westpunt, including Kleine Knip and Grote Knip. It's a good second day once the island tour has shown you the way.

Practical tips

• Bring money for lunch, which is not included.
• Wear comfortable shoes: the path to Boka Tabla at Shete Boka goes over rocks.
• Bring a hat, sunscreen and a bottle of water; much of the west is open and dry, with little shade.
• Knip Beach is a photo stop. If swimming matters to you, plan a separate beach day, or choose the Snorkel & Beach Adventure instead.
• The pickup time depends on your hotel, so tell Yellow Adventures where you're staying when you send your request.
• Take the tour early in your stay: it helps you decide which places deserve a longer visit.

How booking works

Send your preferred date, the number of guests and your hotel. Kua Kaminda passes your request to Yellow Adventures, who confirm it. The tour's prices include 9% government tax.