Curaçao with children: beaches, animals and days out from Jan Thiel

Curaçao is an easy island with children. The flights from Europe are direct, the water on the south coast is calm and shallow, everyone speaks Dutch or English, the tap water is safe and nothing is more than an hour away. And at the end of the day there is a private pool and a garden to run around in. Here is what works, in our experience.

Beaches for small children

• Jan Thiel beach (10 minutes on foot): shallow, calm and with everything at hand — toilets, food, shade and ice cream.
• Mambo Beach (10 minutes): a breakwater keeps the water flat, and there is a playground and plenty of choice for lunch.
• Porto Mari (40 minutes): gentle entry, shallow water and pigs on the beach — a guaranteed hit.
• Grote Knip (1 hour 15): stunning, but the entry is steep and the sea can have waves; better for confident swimmers.

Animals

• Sea turtles at Playa Piskadó (Westpunt) and Playa Lagun: even six-year-olds with a mask can float above them in the shallows. Go in the morning, and never touch.
• Flamingos at the salt flats of Jan Kok near Sint Willibrordus, on the way to the west-coast beaches. Free, from the roadside; bring binoculars.
• Curaçao Sea Aquarium (10 minutes) at Mambo Beach: an open-water aquarium with sharks, rays and turtles, feeding sessions and the Dolphin Academy. A whole morning.
• Ostrich farm (25 minutes): a safari truck through the fields, ostrich eggs and a chance to stand on one. Combine with the aloe vera plantation next door.
• Iguanas are everywhere, including, occasionally, on the edge of our pool. They are harmless and children love them.

Days out

• Hato Caves (30 minutes): cool limestone caves with stalactites, bats and a guided tour of about 45 minutes — a good escape from the midday heat.
• Shete Boka national park (1 hour): waves crashing into blowholes and caves on the wild north coast. Short walks, dramatic, and safe behind the railings.
• Christoffel park (1 hour): the island's highest hill. The climb is for children of ten and up and must start early — the trail closes to climbers late in the morning because of the heat. The car routes through the park are good for everyone, with deer if you are lucky.
• Klein Curaçao: wonderful from about eight years old, if your children are happy on a boat for two hours. Choose a large catamaran with shade.
• Willemstad: the swinging bridge alone is worth it; add an ice cream on the Handelskade and the Kura Hulanda museum for older children.

Practical

• Travel cots and high chairs are available at the villa on request; mention it when you request your dates.
• The pool is not fenced. Children who cannot swim need an adult with them outside, as at home.
• Sun is the main hazard: UV shirts, hats, reef-safe sunscreen and the shade of the palapa between eleven and three.
• Supermarkets stock familiar Dutch and international baby food and nappies; there is a pharmacy in Jan Thiel.
• The Curaçao Medical Center in Willemstad is a modern hospital fifteen minutes away.