Travel guide · Colourful houses, turquoise coves and diving

Travelling to Curaçao

Name: Keshi yená
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Curaçao
Ingredients: 400 g Gouda or Edam cheese, sliced; 400 g cooked shredded chicken; 1 onion, 1 pepper and 2 garlic cloves; 2 tomatoes; 2 tablespoons of raisins; 10 stuffed olives; 1 tablespoon of capers; 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and 1 of ketchup; Hot chilli to taste

The colourful houses of Willemstad, more than thirty coves of turquoise water and some of the best diving in the Caribbean. We tell you when to go, what to see and what to eat.

Updated 18 October 2026 · How we make our guides

Best time: from January to May
Where to eat: a truk’i pan (food truck) or a snèk

Photo: Martin Falbisoner · CC BY-SA 4.0

Curaçao in 30 seconds

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Curaçao are from January to May. If you can, avoid from August to October (hurricane season).
To eat like a local: a truk’i pan (food truck) or a snèk. Don’t leave without trying: Keshi yená, Stoba, Funchi.

Curaçao in November

You can go, with a few caveats: hurricane season, short rains. Book with free cancellation, take out travel insurance that covers weather events and check the National Hurricane Center’s forecasts a few days before you go.

November
Hurricane season

Hurricanes can form from June to November; August, September and October are the riskiest months. There are almost always days of heavy rain and humid heat.

What to do: Book with free cancellation, take out travel insurance that covers weather events and check the National Hurricane Center’s forecasts a few days before you go.
November
Short rains

Between October and December there are a few heavy but brief showers; the rest of the year is dry.

What to do: You can go without any problem; the showers pass quickly.

More destinations for November

When to travel to Curaçao

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Curaçao are from January to May. If you can, avoid from August to October (hurricane season).

Jan no warnings
Feb no warnings
Mar no warnings
Apr no warnings
May no warnings
Jun with warnings
Jul with warnings
Aug with strong warnings
Sep with strong warnings
Oct with strong warnings
Nov with warnings
Dec with warnings

More destinations for those dates: where to travel in January · where to travel in February · where to travel in March · where to travel in April

from June to November
Hurricane season

Hurricanes can form from June to November; August, September and October are the riskiest months. There are almost always days of heavy rain and humid heat.

What to do: Book with free cancellation, take out travel insurance that covers weather events and check the National Hurricane Center’s forecasts a few days before you go.

Best time: December to April
from October to December
Short rains

Between October and December there are a few heavy but brief showers; the rest of the year is dry.

What to do: You can go without any problem; the showers pass quickly.

What to see in Curaçao

The cities and areas most worth your time, with their highlights. Open each one for all the places, where to stay and its day trips.

Willemstad

The capital of colourful houses on both sides of St Anna Bay, a World Heritage Site.
- Handelskade
- Queen Emma Bridge
- Pietermaai
- Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue
Willemstad guide
Westpunt

The western tip of the island, with the prettiest coves and Christoffel National Park.
- Grote Knip
- Playa Lagun
- Playa Forti
- Christoffel Park
Westpunt guide
Klein Curaçao

An uninhabited islet with a lighthouse and a white-sand beach, a couple of hours away by boat.
- White-sand beach
- Pink lighthouse
- Snorkelling with turtles
- Shipwreck
Klein Curaçao guide

Day trips and activities

What’s most worth booking from each city. We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

Some links are affiliate links: if you book through them, Bagintravel may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

What to eat in Curaçao

To eat like a local: a truk’i pan (food truck) or a snèk, and order keshi yená or stoba. And don’t leave without trying:

Keshi yená
Cheese stuffed with spiced meat, baked.
Stoba
A spiced goat or beef stew.
Funchi
Cornmeal polenta, as a side.
Pastechi
Fried pasties filled with meat or cheese.
Fried fish
At the beach shacks in Westpunt.
Sopi di yuana
Iguana soup, for the brave.

The typical dish of Curaçao, at home

Keshi yená

A ball of Edam cheese filled with spiced chicken, raisins and olives, baked until it melts. It was born when enslaved people made use of the rinds of the Dutch cheese their masters threw away.

Serves 4
1 h 15 min

Ingredients

400 g Gouda or Edam cheese, sliced
400 g cooked shredded chicken
1 onion, 1 pepper and 2 garlic cloves
2 tomatoes
2 tablespoons of raisins
10 stuffed olives
1 tablespoon of capers
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and 1 of ketchup
Hot chilli to taste

How to make it at home

Fry the onion, pepper and garlic, add the tomato and then the chicken.
Stir in the raisins, olives, capers, sauces and chilli, and cook for 10 minutes.
Line four ovenproof bowls with slices of cheese, letting them hang over the edge.
Fill with the chicken and close with the overhanging slices and a few more.
Bake at 180 °C for about 25 minutes, until the cheese has melted and turned golden. Turn out and serve.

The trick: With bread or funchi to scoop up the melted cheese.

Curious facts about Curaçao

What guidebooks don’t tell you and will help you understand the country better.

Its capital, Willemstad, is a World Heritage Site for its colourful houses.
It’s said the façades were painted in colours because white gave the governor headaches.
People speak Papiamentu, a Creole language with a lot of Spanish and Portuguese in it.
Blue curaçao liqueur is made from the peel of a bitter orange that grows on the island.
The Queen Emma Bridge floats and swings open to let ships through.
It lies outside the hurricane belt, although storms sometimes reach it.

Traditions of Curaçao

Customs and celebrations that will help you experience the country like a local.

February Carnival
Parades and the burning of King Momo.
Tumba
The island’s Caribbean music.
Easter Monday Seú
A harvest festival.
2 July Flag Day
The island’s celebration.

What not to do in Curaçao

First-trip mistakes that are easy to avoid.

Don’t touch the coral or the turtles.
Don’t leave valuables in the car at the beaches.
Don’t underestimate the sun: there’s always a breeze, and it’s deceptive.
Don’t miss the floating bridge swinging open.
Remember that you drive on the right and there are few signposts inland.
Don’t step on sea urchins when you get into the water in the rocky coves.

Before you go

Entry requirements depend on your passport and change: always check them with official sources before travelling.

Entering the country
Visas, electronic authorisations and health requirements for Curaçao depend on your nationality. Check your government’s official travel advice and the embassy before you book.
UK: foreign travel advice (GOV.UK) US: travel advisories (travel.state.gov)

Frequently asked questions about Curaçao

What people search for most before travelling to Curaçao.

What’s the best time to travel to Curaçao?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Curaçao are from January to May. If you can, avoid from August to October (hurricane season).

What to see in Curaçao in a week?

The essentials of Curaçao: Willemstad, Westpunt and Klein Curaçao. How many places fit into your days, and in what order, depends on your dates and how you get around: the Bagintravel app plans your trip day by day in a minute.

What to eat in Curaçao?

Keshi yená, Stoba, Funchi, Pastechi, Fried fish, Sopi di yuana. To eat like a local: a truk’i pan (food truck) or a snèk.

What is the typical dish of Curaçao?

Keshi yená. A ball of Edam cheese filled with spiced chicken, raisins and olives, baked until it melts. It was born when enslaved people made use of the rinds of the Dutch cheese their masters threw away.

What should you not do in Curaçao?

Don’t touch the coral or the turtles. Don’t leave valuables in the car at the beaches. Don’t underestimate the sun: there’s always a breeze, and it’s deceptive.

Is it worth travelling to Curaçao in November?

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Guide reviewed 18 October 2026. Seasonal data, places and areas: the same ones the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.

Photos: cover, Martin Falbisoner (CC BY-SA 4.0). Willemstad, Coolcaesar (CC BY 4.0). Westpunt, Bas Leenders (CC BY-SA 2.0). Klein Curaçao, Dronepicr (CC BY 3.0).