There’s nothing quite as magical as swimming with sea turtles as they gently and gracefully glide through the sea. As I follow a friendly turtle through the crystal clear turquoise waters of the Southern Caribbean, the rest of the world slips away. But through the silence and stillness, I can faintly hear laughter from visitors on the nearby pier as their excitement ripples across the waterline.
I’m at Playa Piskado, also known as Playa Grandi, on the northwestern tip of Curaçao. It’s one of the best places to swim and snorkel with sea turtles because local fisherman feed them leftovers after they clean their fish beside the boat ramp. Passing around a tip bucket, a sun-battered Island character named Nell holds court on the wooden pier, tossing in treats so the turtles swim up to it.
After just a few minutes in the water, I count three turtles—the calm, big one I first swam with, a more cautious baby turtle, and one that’s in between the two. As I swim alongside them, it’s clear they’re not the only opportunistic fish feeders at Playa Piskado. Large pelicans also line the shoreline, wading into the shallow water to get their share of the feast. At one point, I even see a pelican try to steal a fish right out of a turtle’s mouth.
Curaçao is the first stop—and the largest island at 440 square kilometres—on our cruise ship tour of the ABC Islands. Off the north coast of South America and below the hurricane belt, the sunny and wind-swept Dutch islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao boast beautiful beaches, friendly people, and appeal to travellers from all over the world.
Curaçao’s historic capital of Willemstad, founded in 1634 by the Dutch West India Company, is a UNSECO World Heritage site, and its distinctly Dutch architecture is painted in colourful Caribbean hues.
“It’s actually a funny story,” our Holland America Line cruise and travel director, Jayme McDaniel, tells me. “A long time ago, all the buildings were white, but the governor at the time said they needed to be painted in pastels. Well, it turns out he owned the paint company.”
Whatever the reason, the colourful buildings have helped make the small city of Willemstad, once a key port in the Netherlands’ colonial empire, famous. The Queen Emma Bridge—an 850-metre pontoon bridge spanning St. Anna Bay and connecting the popular Punda and Otrobanda districts—is another highlight. Affectionately called the ‘Swinging Old Lady’, the bridge has the unique ability to swing open to let ships pass. When we first arrive, a short stroll from the cruise port that takes us past the historic Rif Fort, the bridge is open, so we jump on the free passenger ferry that shuttles people across the short distance.
After easily exploring downtown on foot and checking out a market along the water, we decide to rent a car—something Jayme recommended, which is cheaper than taking taxis. We’re in Curaçao overnight, so we still have a full day left to explore. Our next stop is Kokomo Beach, just a short jaunt from Willemstad, and along the way, we are delighted to see dozens of pink flamingos in the salt flats. Like most beaches here, Kokomo has chair and umbrella rentals, and a rustic bar we seek shelter in when a strong rainstorm rolls in. Kokomo even has a large, wooden swing in the ocean—perfect for photos, especially at sunset. Sampling some Island-made blue Curaçao liquor, we watch the storm dance across the water.
Our third and final beach adventure is at Playa Kalki, a short drive from Playa Piskado, which is the most northern beach on the Island. It has palapas for shade, comfy day bed rentals, and a restaurant perched above the beach, along with beautiful blue and turquoise tropical fish in the water.
Our next port of call is the friendly island of Aruba, where you’re greeted everywhere you go with ‘Bon Bini’, which means welcome in Papiamento. But it’s more than just a welcome—the phrase captures the warmth, hospitality, and heartbeat of the Island’s culture.
After exploring the capital of Oranjestad, which was named after the Dutch royal family (the ‘House of Orange’) and is also dotted with historic Dutch architecture including the beautiful Royal Plaza Mall, we find out the snorkelling trip we’d booked in advance to see two popular sites was cancelled right as it was supposed to begin.
With only a few hours left on the island, we decide to head to the beach, and there are lots of great options, including the popular Eagle and Palm beaches. We settle on Arashi Beach, on the northwestern tip of the wind-swept island, not far from the California Lighthouse. It was voted one of the best snorkelling spots on the Island and it did not disappoint! A coral reef runs parallel to the shoreline and is teeming with marine life. After floating through the water for most of the afternoon (which is a great way to avoid the often windy conditions that have even shaped the trees here!), we dry off on beach chairs and enjoy a local beer (okay, it was a bucket, but we weren’t driving).
The smallest and most undeveloped member of the ABCs is the tiny island of Bonaire, which has a population of just 25,000 people. But it holds a very large and special place in my heart. Hands down, it has the best snorkelling and diving due to its world-class reef system. Ringed by a 16,500-acre National Marine Park, there are 85 dive sites, and you can snorkel from the beach, which is why we always bring our own snorkelling gear.
The pace on Bonaire is also even slower than your typical ‘island time’, harkening back to a simpler time of life. As we buy sea salt harvested on Bonaire—large rocks that I’m slightly worried customs might think is something else—at a small market in the capital of Kralendijk and sample the locally-made Cadushy of Bonaire Liqueur, I know one thing for certain. I will definitely be back.
