Have you heard of the ABC islands? If you haven’t, no worries. I had not heard of them until three years ago. I was at my front desk job at a hotel checking in a guest, I love meeting people so I asked the purpose for their visit .

The lady tells me she’s going on a cruise. I’m like “oh, how awesome I’ve never been on one. What islands will you be visiting?” She tells me “We are visiting the ABC islands and a few other islands.” I was like “what are the ABC islands?!”

Turns out, they are Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. They are the western of Leeward Antilles and close to Venezuela in the Caribbean sea. They are part of the Netherlands, however Aruba and Curacao are autonomous while Bonaire is a “municipality” 

In 2018, I visited Aruba with Javi and my parents. Then in 2019, Javi and I visited Curacao. We haven’t made plans on when to visit Bonaire, perhaps next year since this seems to be an annual thing? Anyways, here is my mini guide if you plan on visiting Curacao.

WHERE WE ATE IN CURAÇAO

#1 – La Boheme – This amazing frozen cappuccino was beyond amazing. We were originally looking for McDonald’s to get a frappe. Thankfully, we ran into this cute little place first. The first picture was our eat in creation, the second is the to go version of it. Both equally delicious. And worth the $5 USD

#2– Carrefour Market- Everytime we hit the supermarket we made sure to leave with a piece of the most perfect carrot cake I’ve ever had, and trust me I’ve had my share of good carrot cakes since it is my favorite. Not to mention for only $2.85 USD it definitely beats Publix cake. Sorry not sorry.

 #3 -Plein Café Wilhelmina- Cheese balls appetizer. I promise they tasted as good as they look. So much flavor for about $3.43 USD.

#4 -Plein Café Wilhelmina- Karni Stoba. This was the most tender and flavorful beef ever. The fries were the right amount of crunchy and the mixed salad really balanced the entire dish. Priced at $8.14 USD.

#5 -Plein Café Wilhelmina- Keshi Yena. Antillean dish made out of cheese, stuffed with chicken, bell pepper, onion, plums and capers served with white rice. Priced at $7.49 USD.

#6 -Plein Café Wilhelmina- Constantijn. 
The only pasta dish we had and so glad we did. This was originally a vegetarian dish, but we added some chicken.

#7 -El Gordo Grill Restaurants- Just a few doors down from the coffee shop, we came across this open air BBQ stop with live music during the day. I can still remember the amazing smell, the line and how good this was. For roughly $7 USD we got a medium plate to share which included rice, beans, chicken, potato salad and sweet plantains.

#8 -The Round Market- Stewed goat with rice and peas. We got this from one of the little spots in the market and then right across got the Parchita juice (passionfruit). The juice was about $1.50 USD and the meal about $8 uSD which we on we again shared since the plan was to go on a food tour of our own lol.

#9 – A Bakery- I can’t remember the name of the bakery, but it was located right across the Round Market. We had a dutch version of a croqueta, a chicken empanada and the best donut. All of this came to about $5 USD.

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WHERE WE STAYED IN CURAÇAO

We used http://airbnb.com to find this amazing place! It is part of 860 UNESCO World Heritage monuments in Willemstad. The apartment came fully equipped, with a full bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and even a walk in closet! Amenities included free wifi, a pool area, bar, free parking on premises and an amazing staff who was ready to answer all questions at all times.

We landed around 10pm on Saturday. We were about a 4 minute drive from the place when we encountered the main streets were all closed due to a huge party on the streets. The staff went above and beyond by getting in a car, asking us our location and escorting us all the way to the property. As someone who works in the hospitality industry, I aim to provide this type of excellent service.

Our four night stay came to a total of $211 USD. Honestly, such a great price for such a gem. It was like having a hotel and a private apartment experience in one. I highly recommend this place for anyone visiting Curaçao. Especially with how perfect the location is. Less than a five minute walk to the Queen Emma Bridge and the most photographed spot on the island.

Any first time @airbnb users? Click the link for a $35 off code for your first stay!

TRANSPORTATION

We chose to rent a car to be able to go around the island as we pleased. I’m normally all for public transportation when traveling but after doing some research, I found that it was not very consistent and renting a car would be our best option. There was traffic on the night that we arrived due to some celebrations going on near our airbnb but other than that it was very easy and safe to drive around.

WHAT TO DO

To be honest, we mostly ate, drank and lounged around the beautiful beaches. But some things you can do include a visit to Curacao Sea Aquarium, guided tour of Hato Caves, a day trip to Kleine Knip for some snorkeling, as well as diving around the island.

I hope you find this post helpful when planning you next visit to the island!