curacao resorts - anyone been to these?

[cxg31s]

Your choice of hotel will really depend on what you're looking for in a vacation. If you want lots of people, lots of action, lots of activities and being close to town, then Marriott or Hilton would be a good choice. I don't know where Papagayo is, so I can't comment on that.

I stayed at Sunset Waters in June/July and am returning this Saturday! It's a small place, very quiet, very nice beach and a great shallow house reef which is good for snorkeling or shore diving. It's all-inclusive which means food AND drinks, and they usually run pretty good price specials. Jim and Gaynor, the onsite management, are terrific people and will bend over backwards to accommodate your requests. They're still working on remodeling the place as it laid empty for a while, but the rooms are clean and redecorated. The food is good and varied and Jim plans special things for his guests--like a fireworks show July 2 (Curacao's flag day) and he's planning a Thanksgiving dinner next Thursday. The resort is 30 minutes from town, but the shuttle is always available either free or for a nominal fee. I'll be happy to answer any other questions you have about the place.

Good luck in your decision!

 

[Pvandenb]

www.curacao-actief.com here is all the information about bay's beaches and divelocations.

Greetz

Peter

 

[smokey braden]

cxg31s,
you go girl!!!!!
please tell everyone at the resort and dive shop i said hey
upon y'alls return post a report so i can turn all green with envy
smokey

 

[cxg31s]

cxg31s,
you go girl!!!!!
please tell everyone at the resort and dive shop i said hey
upon y'alls return post a report so i can turn all green with envy
smokey

You got it, Smokey! But if you're going to turn green with envy, I should probably tell you I'm headed to Provo in January. *evil grin*

 

[chuck e]

I just returned from Sunset Waters and can attest to all the positive comments posted. While there we had a storm one day with a good deal of waves and wind. Since we couldn't shore dive that aft, we visited the other resorts instead. The Marriott and Hilton were pretty beat up by waves, both are large resorts located close to Willemstad. Habitat does have a nice pool, but no beach, and their dock was damaged by waves. They then moored their boats at Sunset Waters whose dock is in a protected bay. If you want an uncrowded resort with great facilities and a very friendly atmosphere, Sunset Waters is hard to beat, at least in this hemisphere.

 

[Allspread Grapealo]

I just returned from Sunset Waters and can attest to all the positive comments posted. While there we had a storm one day with a good deal of waves and wind. Since we couldn't shore dive that aft, we visited the other resorts instead. The Marriott and Hilton were pretty beat up by waves, both are large resorts located close to Willemstad. Habitat does have a nice pool, but no beach, and their dock was damaged by waves. They then moored their boats at Sunset Waters whose dock is in a protected bay. If you want an uncrowded resort with great facilities and a very friendly atmosphere, Sunset Waters is hard to beat, at least in this hemisphere.

Agreed on Sunset Waters - I'm a little puzzled by the comment someone made above about it being a long walk to the beach (??!?) - yeah, it's got to be AT LEAST 100 yards away from the rooms !

I was there in 2002 - returning to Sunset Waters on Friday 11/26 for another 7 day stay. Very much looking forward to doing a whole lot of NOTHING (I don't dive, just snorkel, eat and RELAX).

 

[cxg31s]

Agreed on Sunset Waters - I'm a little puzzled by the comment someone made above about it being a long walk to the beach (??!?) - yeah, it's got to be AT LEAST 100 yards away from the rooms !

I was there in 2002 - returning to Sunset Waters on Friday 11/26 for another 7 day stay. Very much looking forward to doing a whole lot of NOTHING (I don't dive, just snorkel, eat and RELAX).

I was confused about that statement, too--long walk to the beach from WHERE? You go down a hill from your room and there's the beach!

Looks like we'll overlap just a bit--my group will be there Sat Nov 20-Sat Nov 27.

 

[smokey braden]

it should also mentioned that the pool at sunset is in good shape and well maintained.
it has a shallow section just for small children and it's own swim up bar (ai) for moms, dads, guests and divers taken their surface interval

 

[Ondeen]

I'm glad to read that someone finds AllWest a good choice. We selected that location because they do have decent apartments at a reasonable cost. Management has been really patient in answering my myriad of questions. Even "Cost U Less" grocery store management has been helpful.

Three of the best beaches on the island are at the west end. The various beaches can be found by doing a websearch.

About snorkeling: I take my diving seriously but I'm serious about snorkeling as well. It's much like another layer of the rain forest. I'm not satisfied to just see part of it.

One lesson I learned long ago about snorkeling: don't ask if snorkeling is possible but ask if good snorkeling is available. One can snorkel almost anywhere there is water, but that doesn't mean the snorkeling is really good.

Finally, consider Bequia in the Grenadines for another snorkeling vacation. I've visited 20 islands or so and Bequia is definitely one of the prettiest both above and below the water. We stayed at Kingsville Apartments and found them quite adequate.

 

[sharon]

Hello Aquafinna, Have you been to AllWest or planning to travel there soon? We love AllWest, but then again, we like to be away from the crowds and enjoy fantastic diving at a fantastic price. Shorediving is great along the westend of Curacao. You can get detailed info regarding the sites from Shorediving.com, there is also a drive/dive map available at the dive shop. AllWest also has a great dive boat. It is such a laided back place. Hope you have a great trip. If you need anymore info please don't hesitate to contact us.

I'm glad to read that someone finds AllWest a good choice. We selected that location because they do have decent apartments at a reasonable cost. Management has been really patient in answering my myriad of questions. Even "Cost U Less" grocery store management has been helpful.

Three of the best beaches on the island are at the west end. The various beaches can be found by doing a websearch.

About snorkeling: I take my diving seriously but I'm serious about snorkeling as well. It's much like another layer of the rain forest. I'm not satisfied to just see part of it.

One lesson I learned long ago about snorkeling: don't ask if snorkeling is possible but ask if good snorkeling is available. One can snorkel almost anywhere there is water, but that doesn't mean the snorkeling is really good.

Finally, consider Bequia in the Grenadines for another snorkeling vacation. I've visited 20 islands or so and Bequia is definitely one of the prettiest both above and below the water. We stayed at Kingsville Apartments and found them quite adequate.