Visit Curaçao, The Most Colorful Island You Never Knew Existed

Have you ever visited a destination that was on your bucket-list? It's surreal when it happens, when dream meets reality. Sometimes the fantasy is better than the actuality. This was NOT the case when I finally visited (one of) the travel locations on my bucket-list : Curaçao.

Curaçao is a part of the ABC islands, which are located off the tip of Venezuela. This area is often overlooked despite being a great year-round destination. Its warm and sunny weather makes it a great place to stay, no matter the month. The people on the island are very kind and welcoming. Meeting the locals was one of the highlights of my experience. It is an autonomous country within the Netherlands Kingdom, and is the perfect place to visit for all kinds of travelers: families, solo, couples...Curaçao has something for everyone.

Keep reading to find out what to do, where to eat, and where to play, during your stay in Curaçao.

A LITTLE HISTORY (JUST A LITTLE):

Curaçao is one of the islands that make up the ABC Islands. The other islands are Aruba and Bonaire. The native language spoken is Papiamentu, and is a beautiful mix of Spanish, English, French, Portuguese and Dutch. That's just one of the reasons why Curaçao is such a unique place.

You will hear the word Dushi a lot during your stay, and trust me- you will go home forever using this local Papiamentu expression for years to come. Dushi has a lot of meanings, but it mostly means nice, good and sweet. You can use it to describe a delicious meal, or a loved one. This is my new favorite word!

I'm sure you heard of the famous liqueur: Blue Curaçao. The water in Curaçao and the famous liqueur of the same name are both vibrant and blue, and a must-have added to tropical cocktails (more about those cocktails later).

HOW TO GET AROUND:

Travelers who want to get the full city experience can now get around Willemstad on the handy TukTuks, which are equipped with colorful bikes. These motorized vehicles can be hired by tourists and can provide helpful information about the area and its attractions. We spent the day in one, provided by Curtuktuk and we were able to cover so much ground, and see parts of the city that were hidden and tourist-free as well the major tourist attractions.

COLORFUL STREET ART:

Candy-colored buildings and wall murals adorn the beautiful streets of Curaçao. Photos on Pinterest of these works of art are what made Curaçao bucket-list worthy for me. It's so strange that now, I have those photos, except I am the one smiling, looking off into the distance, and enjoying life in them. Our guide told us that the locals paint their homes a different color every year, because they want their homes to match their happiness, their bright inner lights. I found this to be so enchanting. Willemstad is a compact city with tons of twists and turns and something new and interesting to look at in every corner.

Francis Sling is an artist who lives in Curaçao. His colorful and impressive paintings have caught the attention of tourists, magazines, and mine! Sling is an artist from Otrobanda who has been getting recognition internationally, as his work has been featured in numerous festivals and exhibitions.

Sling’s work is very bright, yet has a lot of sadness to it. His style is very different from that of other artists, as he uses acrylics on canvas or wood. He enjoys creating pieces that are both unique and beautiful.

I had the pleasure of meeting Francis in his studio, and from the art I noticed, he enjoys capturing the essence of his subject or model, and he does it with every stroke.

With his transparent and honest style, Sling makes art that is real, raw, and expressive.