Your home away from home by Sandrijn
Top locations
‘My’ holiday villas on Curacao are all located in prime locations
Think of Jan Thiel, Mambo Beach, Blue Bay Beach & Golf Resort, Vista Royal, Boca Gentil, Cas Abou, Coral Estate.
Some villas are located right near the sea. I can imagine that you would love to spend your holiday there!
All villas are a short distance from one or more beaches of Curacao!
The Swimming Pool!
When I’m on holiday, I prefer to start the day with a few laps in the swimming pool of the holiday villa that I rent.
When everyone is still sleeping and before I drink my first cappuccino, I swim my laps. Waking up wonderfully, my muscles flexible, my head clear, ready for the day.
All holiday homes that I ”have” on Curaçao have a swimming pool.
One pool is large, the other one smaller.
Jet stream or bubbles, magnesium or chlorine.
Most swimming pools are private and belong to the holiday villa you rent. If you rent a luxury apartment at Blue Bay or Boca Gentil, for example, the swimming pool is for shared use.
All pools are cleaned at least once a week.
Rates
With year-round sunshine and summery temperatures, Curaçao doesn’t have an off-season.
The calendar year is divided into three seasons when it comes to the rental rates of the holiday villas on Curaçao.
Mid-season covers the weeks outside the Dutch school holidays.
High season encompasses the Dutch school holidays, except for Christmas break.
Peak season is during Christmas break. During this time, homeowners rent out their gems for a minimum period of 14 days.
Here are a few examples:
An Ibiza-style vacation villa costs €320 per night in mid-season, for four people. For each additional person (up to a maximum of eight people), it’s an extra €20 per night. In high season, it’s €435 per night, and during Christmas break, it’s €875 per night.
For a brand-new penthouse with a private pool, it’s €375 per night in mid-season, for up to 10 people. High season is €595, and peak season is €1,000 per night.
A vacation villa with a private beach and pool on a gated resort in Jan Thiel is €550 per night in mid-season, €700 in high season, and €1,200 during Christmas break.
In addition to the nightly rental rate, there’s always a local tax of 7%, possible interim cleaning, final cleaning, and sometimes water and/or energy consumption costs.
Plus, a security deposit, which will be refunded to your account within a week of your return. If the amount returned is less, you’ll know the reason in advance. For example, if there are charges for electricity or if damage occurred. A good travel insurance is always a smart choice!
Interested in a quote?
I’ll provide a clear breakdown of the costs. No need to compare apples to oranges when choosing the perfect vacation villa in Curaçao – I make it transparent and straightforward.
Practical details
SSome things are just useful to know.
The Time
If it is summer time in the Netherlands, then it is 6 hours earlier on Curacao (so 4:00 PM in the Netherlands is 10:00 AM on Curacao). Because Curacao does not observe winter time, there is a time difference of only 5 hours during winter time (so 4:00 PM in the Netherlands is 11:00 AM on Curacao).
It gets dark relatively early in Curacao. Every day between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM the sun sets into the sea and every morning between 6:00 AM and 7:00 AM the sun rises again. On Curacao you will usually eat in the dark in the evening.
Money
On Curacao you pay with the Antillean Guilder, abbreviated as ANG or NAF. The rate fluctuates a bit, because it is linked to the US Dollar. As an indication, you can assume that NAF 1.85 is approximately € 1.00.
You can also use the US Dollar as a means of payment at many (tourist) locations. Because the Antillean Guilder currency is too small for credit card companies to work with, the amount will be converted to US Dollar when paying with your credit card. ING’s VPAY does not yet work everywhere on the island and Amex is not accepted everywhere. Get a Maestro card and change the settings to worldwide.
You can withdraw money ‘from the wall’ in plenty of places on Curaçao. This also applies for the airport at the rear of it and at Zanzibar on Jan Thiel. You pay extra costs for paying with a Dutch bank card. These costs apply per transaction, regardless of how much you withdraw. It is cheaper to pay 1x NAF 600 than 2x NAF 300. In some places you will find a ‘drive-through pin’, a kind of McDrive but with an ATM. You drive your car directly in front of the ATM and can withdraw your money directly from the car.
In shops and restaurants on Curaçao you can pay by card at the cash register almost everywhere. I always only have a few NAF with me, just in case. Also useful are ”the helping hands” at, for example, the gas station or at supermarkets where you are helped with your groceries.
Anti-sunscreen and mosquito repellent
Curaçao is located near the equator. Sun burning lurks, even when there are clouds. Have you thought about sunscreen yet? And aftersun? A UV shirt (or suit) is very useful for children. Also remember your sunglasses, a cap or sun hat and, just to be on the safe side, bring a thin shirt with long sleeves.
In Curaçao you will undoubtedly be bothered by mosquitoes. Some periods more than others, but there are certainly mosquitoes on Curaçao. These mosquitoes mainly target tourists because they have thinner skin than the tanned skin of the local population.
Insect repellent with Deet in it works best, we have found out. Spray as soon as the sun starts to set. From that moment on the mosquitoes are active. Make sure to wash your hands well after using the spray.
Creams with SPF and mosquito repellent are available at supermarkets and Botikas (pharmacies).