Curaçao Anniversary Trip: 8 Unforgettable Days in Westpunt

Bob and I don’t splurge often. For more than a year, we talked about celebrating my 60th birthday in July and our 35th anniversary in December with one big trip. Even in August, the destination still hung in the air.

A few pieces were settled. The timing had to land at the end of September or early October. Warm weather topped the list. Beyond that, it came down to hiking in Utah or scuba diving somewhere a hurricane wasn’t likely to sideswipe us. Roatán and Curaçao made the final cut, and the cost made the decision for us.

Five Hours of Doing What We Love Best

On most trips, we try to squeeze in everything and do all of it together. This time, Bob and I tried something different. Four of the mornings, each of us got five hours to do what we love best.

Bob headed out on the dive boat with Go West Diving.

I opened my laptop on the patio.

My fingers couldn’t keep up with the words swimming in my head. I started a new scuba romance and wrote scenes straight from what I had just experienced underwater.

Afternoons and evenings belonged together. That balance made the week work beautifully.

Home Base in Westpunt

We stayed in Westpunt, a quiet corner on the island’s western tip, in a simple apartment-style rental connected with our dive shop. It faced west, toward the sunsets I love most. Breakfast and lunch were simple fair I didn’t mind preparing, especially when enjoyed on the patio overlooking the water. Most nearby restaurants closed by 5 p.m., so we cooked in several nights too.

The beauty of going in the off season and away from the tourist area? We didn’t have to compete with loud music over the sound of the ocean. And, there wasn’t any traffic after dark, mostly because nothing stayed open past 8. Sleep came easy, and for once, we truly relaxed.

Our 5:30 Date with the Turtles

Every evening at 5:30, we slipped into the water from the small coral covered beach below our balcony to visit the turtles. Their dark shapes drifted through the clear water, visible before we ever pulled on our fins.

The turtles had turned a fishermen’s mooring into their own cleaning station. They wedged between the anchor ropes and rubbed their necks and shells back and forth. The first time, one looked stuck. Nope. Those ropes made the perfect back scratcher, and the turtles knew it.

One evening as a turtle came to the surface for air, he gave me a good once over then turned away as if not impressed and headed back down. I reached out and scratched that turtle’s shell. It felt soft and mossy under my fingers. He slowed and lingered, and I’m convinced he enjoyed it as much as I did.

Shore Dives and Surprises Below

I don’t care to dive from a boat, so I left those to Bob and made two shore dives with him in the afternoons. Schools of fish swirled around me. An eel peeked out, a flounder hid in the sand, and bright fish darted in and out of the most unusual coral. Someone also planted fun finds on the bottom, including King Triton’s trident, a saxophone, and several statues.

Christoffel National Park

We skipped the climb up Mount Christoffel, the island’s highest peak, and drove around it instead. Ocean views opened up on every side.

Next, the Plantation – Boka Grandi trail led us down to the sea.

A tour of the old plantation followed and gave us a real taste of island life in the early 1800s.

Down a Dirt Road

The most amazing stops waited at the end of a bumpy dirt road. Un Boka, a secluded beach, holds fossilized coral the size of tree trunks.

Nearby, the smaller of two blowholes at Boka Champana sent sea spray shooting into the air. Photos can’t fully capture either place, but I tried. The uniqueness of the coastline along with being the only people around, was truly amazing.

Traffic Jams, Island Style

More than once, a herd of goats claimed the road, and we stopped to let them pass. An iguana got the same courtesy.

Then one night, our headlights caught a very large, very angry crab. He raised his claws, ready to battle our 4WD truck. Bob climbed out to snap a picture, and that crab held his ground. When they finally move, they move fast!

Down at the water, fishermen netted their catch, mended and dried their nets, and scrubbed down their boats. I told that story a few weeks ago when I shared about Trusting God’s Provision.

Birds became part of our daily routine. Papaya on the patio brought the regulars. Venezuelan troupials, bright orange-yellow with black heads, perched within arm’s reach. Tiny bananaquits followed. Locals call them barika hel, which means “yellow belly” in Papiamentu, and their curved beaks are made for sipping nectar. A pigeon or two joined the party.

One day, a yellow oriole showed up. He matched the troupials in size and color, but his head was solid yellow. Next to his black-capped cousins, he looked like he forgot part of his uniform. Their songs filled every meal.

With so few lights around us, the night sky came alive. One clear night, Venus and Mercury showed up plainly, and an app on Bob’s phone confirmed which was which.

A Day in Willemstad

Our first day took us to the capital, Willemstad. We crossed the Queen Emma Bridge, a floating pedestrian bridge that swings open to let ships through. It is the world’s only pontoon bridge.

Next came Mikvé Israel-Emanuel, the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the Western Hemisphere.

Colorful Dutch architecture lined the waterfront.

On the drive back, a local grocery store helped us stock up for the week. The fresh bread amazed us, and so did the variety of canned meats. Curaçao is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and that European influence shows up all over the shelves.

What We Ate

I’m an adventurous eater. If the locals eat it, I’m trying it. Over the week, we ate several kinds of fish, shrimp, iguana, goat, yucca, polenta several ways, rice and beans, and plantains. Ripe plantains accompanied almost every meal. I could eat those until I burst.

Iguana tastes like any other white meat. The difference is the bones, especially when you pick up a piece and find a folded little arm with the talons still attached.

The goat came from Jaanchie’s Restaurant, Curacao’s oldest restaurant, where we ate twice. The first time, we shared an early dinner with a couple we met. The second time, it was just the two of us on a night they stayed open later. Both times, the birds stole the show. Troupials, bananaquits, little black grackles, and pigeons hopped within an arm’s length of our plates, and their songs rang so loud we could barely hear each other.

Then there was the peanut soup. A Swiss chef known as “Taco” runs the local Cactus Cafe.

His specialties were barracuda and a West African peanut and banana soup that was out of this world. He walked us through how he worked to get his version just right, then handed us the recipe. Here it is, so you can try it at home.

A Business Class Surprise

American Airlines spoiled us with business class upgrades on three legs of the trip. The flight from Curaçao to Miami had only one open seat. The gate agent asked which of us wanted it. Bob didn’t hesitate. “It’s her birthday and anniversary celebration, so she gets it.”

About ten minutes later, the agent returned. “Don’t board. Stay right here until the end. I may have another seat.”

Sure enough, she found one. A kind passenger swapped with us so we could sit together. A real meal and room to stretch our legs (especially needed with Bob’s 6’4” frame) made a sweet end to the week.

The Perfect Layover

Our Miami layover gave us time with my husband’s dad, Bob, and his stepmom, Ellen. We landed at 5:30 p.m., not hungry, so we stayed up and chatted (over Chunky Monkey, of course) while the guys, both Clemson grads, watched the Clemson game. The next day, coffee on their enclosed patio came with birds, squirrels, lizards, and plenty of catching up. Before our flight, a late Cuban lunch sent us off. Cuban is my favorite cuisine, so I couldn’t have planned a better finish.

Every Night, a Sunset

I have many fond memories of our trip, and I’m so thankful I experienced it all with my husband. After nearly thirty-five years of marriage, that’s what I’ll carry home from Curaçao. Yes, I enjoyed the quiet mornings where we each enjoyed doing what we love and even more so the afternoons and evenings together…and a turtle at 5:30, waiting by the ropes…but the sunsets were exceptional, whether from the water, the beach, or the balcony.