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My take on renting a car would be to do it:
Staying at Lion's Dive you're quite a bit east of downtown. So if the non-divers wanted to go shopping, they'd have to take a bus or taxi back to the heart of the shopping district - around the harbor/cruise dock. (the brightly colored buildings you see in the pictures) I'm guessing a cab is $10-15 each way minimum from there.
Food options once you leave the immediate area around Lions Dive/Sea Aquarium are close by but farther than I'd want to walk in July. Go to the Rib Factory, it's worth the drive.
Also Tugboat - a good dive nearby - is a 10 minute drive the other way. For shore diving I'm guessing the DiveBus would pick you up at Lions Dive if asked, they're just the other side of Breezes so fairly close. So you'd have transportation to some of the better shore dives.
Doing any dives at Varsenbaai, Habitat, Sunset Waters, Porto Mari - all the really good West dives, you'll want a vehicle. I'd even drive out to OEWest and dive Playa Kalki/Alice in Wonderland on your schedule. We had a really pleasant two dives/lunch there. If you can get a ride from OE to OEWest for Watamula or Mushroom Forest, I'd do that, they're both boat dives only.
Don't even think about a cab from Lion's Dive to OEWest (Kura Hulanda). That must be over $100 Roundtrip or more. LD is in East Willemsted, OEWest is as far west as you can go and still be on the same island. It's probably 30 miles or more one way..
If the non-divers want to play on the beach while you're diving, plan a day trip to Porto Mari or Sunset Waters. SW had one of the nicer beaches I saw, including a small breakwater protected lagoon good for small kids. You'll be wading through it to dive there. Varsenbaai's not bad either but smaller, just a snackshop and small beach. If the non-divers snorkel, there were turtles feeding in about 6' of water just east (south?) of the dock. The owner said they're always there. Last year there were seahorses living a meter up the wall (40') from the 2nd ball mooring also. Ask him to point them out.
What's not immediately apparent is that most of the diveresorts on the west side of Curacao are a fair distance off the main road and there's no improved connecting roads in most places. It's a lot different than Bonaire.
So you spend 10-15 minutes driving from one, back out to the main road, and then onto the next. Assuming you have a good navigator, there's almost no street signs once you leave the main road anywhere out west.
We drove all over Curacao during our week of diving. It would've been impossible without vehicles. Most of the divesites on the west side have improved facilities and tank rentals but not all do. Take your own air to Varsenbaai also, when we were there they had serious cleanliness issues.
And no facilities at all at Playa Jeremi so bring eveyrthing you'll need. Otoh there's a good rental shop at both Playa Lagun and Porto Mari. Bring small change in guilders also, most sites have improved facilities on the beach and charge a small usage fee. SW even charges to use the beach but if you rent tanks from the diveshop, they'll waive it.
btw, Habitat is through the housing development gate...
my .02
Staying at Lion's Dive you're quite a bit east of downtown. So if the non-divers wanted to go shopping, they'd have to take a bus or taxi back to the heart of the shopping district - around the harbor/cruise dock. (the brightly colored buildings you see in the pictures) I'm guessing a cab is $10-15 each way minimum from there.
Food options once you leave the immediate area around Lions Dive/Sea Aquarium are close by but farther than I'd want to walk in July. Go to the Rib Factory, it's worth the drive.
Also Tugboat - a good dive nearby - is a 10 minute drive the other way. For shore diving I'm guessing the DiveBus would pick you up at Lions Dive if asked, they're just the other side of Breezes so fairly close. So you'd have transportation to some of the better shore dives.
Doing any dives at Varsenbaai, Habitat, Sunset Waters, Porto Mari - all the really good West dives, you'll want a vehicle. I'd even drive out to OEWest and dive Playa Kalki/Alice in Wonderland on your schedule. We had a really pleasant two dives/lunch there. If you can get a ride from OE to OEWest for Watamula or Mushroom Forest, I'd do that, they're both boat dives only.
Don't even think about a cab from Lion's Dive to OEWest (Kura Hulanda). That must be over $100 Roundtrip or more. LD is in East Willemsted, OEWest is as far west as you can go and still be on the same island. It's probably 30 miles or more one way..
If the non-divers want to play on the beach while you're diving, plan a day trip to Porto Mari or Sunset Waters. SW had one of the nicer beaches I saw, including a small breakwater protected lagoon good for small kids. You'll be wading through it to dive there. Varsenbaai's not bad either but smaller, just a snackshop and small beach. If the non-divers snorkel, there were turtles feeding in about 6' of water just east (south?) of the dock. The owner said they're always there. Last year there were seahorses living a meter up the wall (40') from the 2nd ball mooring also. Ask him to point them out.
What's not immediately apparent is that most of the diveresorts on the west side of Curacao are a fair distance off the main road and there's no improved connecting roads in most places. It's a lot different than Bonaire.
So you spend 10-15 minutes driving from one, back out to the main road, and then onto the next. Assuming you have a good navigator, there's almost no street signs once you leave the main road anywhere out west.
We drove all over Curacao during our week of diving. It would've been impossible without vehicles. Most of the divesites on the west side have improved facilities and tank rentals but not all do. Take your own air to Varsenbaai also, when we were there they had serious cleanliness issues.
And no facilities at all at Playa Jeremi so bring eveyrthing you'll need. Otoh there's a good rental shop at both Playa Lagun and Porto Mari. Bring small change in guilders also, most sites have improved facilities on the beach and charge a small usage fee. SW even charges to use the beach but if you rent tanks from the diveshop, they'll waive it.
btw, Habitat is through the housing development gate...
my .02
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