What can you walk to from the pier?

[holdon216]

Will be in port next July on The Freedom. We are there 2pm to 11pm. What is within walking distance of the pier? Is there a nice beach nearby? Seems to be a port that is hard to find much info on. Some of the posts are years old. I wish they would dump the old ones. Prices and things do change over the years. :eek:

[mrspjotter]

We were there in February and after spending the morning at Sea Aquarium beach we walked into Willemstad in the afternoon - it is a must - there is a beautiful fort area that you walk through with designer shops and boutiques and some lovely looking (and smelling restaurants!) I think you can walk up onto the fort and get a great view of the town/port area.

 

We then walked towards the Queen Emma floating bridge and past all the vendors with their stalls selling some beautiful things, had a walk around the town and then spent a some time in the Iguana Cafe on the side of the seaway having a late lunch and watching the bridge and the world go by.

 

This was my husbands favourite port out of the all the places we went to on our 2 week cruise :D

[sail7seas]

There are two docking areas and you can walk to shops and restaurants from both.

 

[holdon216]

How was the Sea Aquarium beach? Is it within walking distance from the pier. Is there actually an Aquarium there. I am getting :confused: We will be on The Carnival Freedom. Anyone know where that docks?

[Dushi]

The larger ships usually dock at the megapier near the Renaissance Resort Hotel which has a man-made "beach" with trucked in sand. It's for hotel guests only.

 

The closest beach is at the Marriott but it is not the beautiful stretch of paradise that one would expect. It's a few miles away. The beach in the other direction (Mambo, Seaquarium, Bikini Beach, Lion's Dive - all on the same stretch of sand) also requires a drive but there are more amenities there in the form of restaurants, water sports activities, etc.

 

Yes - there is an aquarium there. It is not the same caliber as the one in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, Monterrey, Seattle, Maui, Honolulu, Chicago or Boston (what can I say, I like aquariums) - but it's something to pass the time. The Seaquarium offers interactive dolphin swims and you can feed their sharks through holes in the plexiglass.

[mrspjotter]

We were on Azura so docked at the Megapier so the route I gave was for ships docking there.

 

Our trip to the Sea Aquarium and Mambo Beach was with P&O and was a boat ride out to the aquarium so I can't comment on taxi's etc.

 

We left hubby and mother-in-law on the beach at Mambo and the kids and I went to the aquarium - the beach was very crowded and man-made as are most in Curacao.

 

I don't know what your other islands are but if you have plenty of other beach days on your cruise then I would do something else in Curacao as I wouldn't go back there for the beaches!

[holdon216]

I have seen some pics of beaches in Curacao and they look like lots of bleached white coral. Not sand. Would like to do an hour or 2 on the beach. Just to unwind. Then maybe check out the Blue Curacao Factory and the shops. Is there a beach close enough to the pier to walk to? And then possibly just walk the town and Fort?

If we were to take a taxi to the Blue Curacao Factory... how do we get back? TY all.

[curacao]

I have seen some pics of beaches in Curacao and they look like lots of bleached white coral. Not sand. Would like to do an hour or 2 on the beach. Just to unwind. Then maybe check out the Blue Curacao Factory and the shops. Is there a beach close enough to the pier to walk to? And then possibly just walk the town and Fort?

If we were to take a taxi to the Blue Curacao Factory... how do we get back? TY all.

 

There is a beach close by the MegaPier. Just to the left about 4-5 blocks. it is the Holiday Beach area. Get off the ship, walk to the main street and turn left. Denny's restaurant is in the same area. They do have a dive shop, bar and restaurant, casino and shower and restrooms. When I was there just last month, there was still no charge. But I did eat there and I did indulge in the peach daiquiries.

 

never went to the liquour factory as I do not like that type of alcohol. Taxi to get there if you go.

[Lsimon]

Most beaches are a taxi ride away. Shopping and some restuarants are within walking distance, but we prefer going to a beach restuarant via taxi.

 

Holiday beach might be Ok but it doesn't look too appealing from the ship. There are some photos of it in my photos from 2010 along with photos from our trip to Porto Marie beach. You can see the difference:

http://simon-pics.smugmug.com/Cruises/Caribbean-March-15-2010/Curacao-and-Playa-Porto-Mari/11693566_BRKPr#825044918_JAsze

[Isa65]

the beach was very crowded and man-made as are most in Curacao.

 

I don't know what your other islands are but if you have plenty of other beach days on your cruise then I would do something else in Curacao as I wouldn't go back there for the beaches!

 

Fortunately this is not true. The best beaches on the island are located on the Western part and are certainly NOT man-made.

 

We do invite everyone to come here and enjoy the beaches, but are also proud that there is so much else to do than just visit the beach.

[mrspjotter]

Isa65 - thanks for correcting me - maybe I misunderstood the guide on the Pelican Boat tour who took us out to the Sea Aquarium pier, he said that Curacao doesn't have any or very little sand so it is all imported from Aruba, I just took this to mean that all the beaches were manmade - what are the beaches on the west coast of the island like?

[Isa65]

The beaches on the Western side are beautiful. We don't have one long stretched beach like Aruba, but rather a collection of bays.

 

I'll see if I have pictures from our beachdays, but here is a link:

 

http://www.curacao-travelguide.com/beaches/north.html#knip

 

 

[holdon216]

We will not be in port till 2pm. And we depart at 11pm. Would like to do a "pretty beach" not to far from the port. For about 2 hours. We would taxi there if not to expensive. Then maybe taxi to the Blue Curacao Factory from there then back to town, to shop :) Is this doable and what beach "not to far" would you suggest? Thanks

[Isa65]

Looking at your timeframe, I would do the Blue Curacao Factory first and then go to a nearby beach. The Mambo/Cabana/Seaquarium beach area is close by (about 10 minutes by taxi) and they're fairly nice with facilities.

 

Bare in mind that all stores downtown Willemstad close at 6 p.m....

[holdon216]

Isa, "ALL" the store's in Willimstad close at 6pm even when a cruise ship is there till 11pm? Yikes... gotta shop fast if that is the case.

[Isa65]

The shops in the Riffort Village (next to the pier) might stay open longer, but in the main streets of downtown it will be hard to find open stores after 6.30 p.m.

 

Is there anything specific you'll be shopping for?

[cruiseapril]

As mentioned, the beaches on the Western side of Curacao are very nice. One of our favorites is Blue Bay where the swimming and snorkeling are good and the resort has all amenities.

 

There is plenty to do in Willemstad after shops close. We like Fort Nassau and the Avila Hotel for drinks and snacks.

 

You need to take a taxi to these, but they are worthwhile.

 

Also plenty of restaurants to walk to from the pier.

[camofwilliamsburg]

We will only be in port from 7 am to 1 pm on Grand Princess. Would love to get to a beach but will have to leave very early to get back to the ship by 12:15 the latest. Love beaches, is it worth going? Should we just walk to the beach mentioned by Holiday Beach? Or should we go to Kon Tiki which we heard was very nice. Pls give us any info you can . Thanks.

[Lsimon]

We will only be in port from 7 am to 1 pm on Grand Princess. Would love to get to a beach but will have to leave very early to get back to the ship by 12:15 the latest. Love beaches, is it worth going? Should we just walk to the beach mentioned by Holiday Beach? Or should we go to Kon Tiki which we heard was very nice. Pls give us any info you can . Thanks.

 

We usually go to Porto Mari but that might be a bit of a drive for an early departure. I'd go to Kon Tiki - it looks very nice and isn't too far. We went there once on a day we were not swimming just for lunch and wish we'd prepared for a beach day. I've seen Holiday Beach from the ship and while some say it is Ok it really didn't appeal to me. You can also ask the taxi dispatcher or the info booth as you get off the ship (if there is one) and they'll give you a recommendation for a few hours.

 

Photo of Holiday Beach taken from ship (also pics from Porto Mari later in photo gallery):http://simon-pics.smugmug.com/Cruises/Caribbean-March-15-2010/Curacao-and-Playa-Porto-Mari/11693566_skZ2vF#825044918_JAsze

 

 

Photo of Kon Tiki from 2007:http://simon-pics.smugmug.com/Cruises/Galaxy-S-Caribbean-Feb-2007/Aruba-Curacao-and-Grenada/2513897_Vn7FB9#132018468_WWwBJ

[lobstertail]

I understand there are 2 Marriotts in Curacao. What's the difference between the two and which one is closest to the pier. Hoping for a day pass at one or the other. Is one connected to the Rennaisance Casino?

[Isa65]

There is only 1 Marriott on the island. Renaissance Hotel is part of the Marriott family, but has its own identity. The Renaissance is a very near the pier (you will have to pass the hotel to walk into town), but does not have a beach.

 

The Marriott is about 8 minutes away by taxi and does have a beach.

[curacaoqueen]

I understand there are 2 Marriotts in Curacao. What's the difference between the two and which one is closest to the pier. Hoping for a day pass at one or the other. Is one connected to the Rennaisance Casino?

The Renassiance is in town,both have casinos, The marriott resort is a cab ride away, nice beach and pool with swim up bar. Not sure which one offers a day pass.

[lovecruzing]

Does anyone know what it would costs for a family of 4, 2 adults and 2 kids to go to Cas Abao beach? Trying to decide whether to go to Cas Abos (which looks really really nice but I have a feeling it might be costly to get there) and Kontiki Beach, which seems closer to the cruise pier.

[Lsimon]

Does anyone know what it would costs for a family of 4, 2 adults and 2 kids to go to Cas Abao beach? Trying to decide whether to go to Cas Abos (which looks really really nice but I have a feeling it might be costly to get there) and Kontiki Beach, which seems closer to the cruise pier.

 

I'd do a search on Cos Abao or post a question on the main forum asking taxi rates to Cas Abao - that's likely to get more response than a question buried inside a thread about walking around the pier area.

 

I think I read someplace that cost to Cos Abao was the same as to Porto Mari but I'm not positive about that - never went to Cos Abao. But we have gone to Porto Mari frequently and the fare is $10/pp each way with a cab minimum of $40 each way.

[RumpunchGirl]

Isa65 (or anyone else) - we are interested in snorkling right from the beach. We were actually thinking about the area near the Sea Aquarium but I'm wondering if there is a better area for good snorkling from the beach? We would like a few amenities and need to rent snorkle gear. We are in port (Willemstad) next Feb. 3rd from 9 am until 5 pm. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated!

 

Thanks!

Teri:D