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48 INTERVAL WORLD ■ Fall 2015 IntervalWorld.com
who reinterprets traditional dishes using fresh
island ingredients and international cooking
techniques he acquired at kitchens across
Europe, including the Michelin-starred restau-
rant La Provence in Driebergen-Rijsenburg,
Netherlands. The grilled mahimahi I order comes
on a bed of pumpkin puree with beetroot,
potato confit, and a balsamic foam. It’s delicate,
flaky, and perfectly seasoned. For dessert, I treat
myself to the piña colada cheesecake with
pineapple chutney.
I spend my last day sailing on the Jonalisa,
a catamaran run by Bounty Adventures that
offers day-trips to Klein Curaçao. It takes
almost two hours to reach the tiny uninhabited
island — but it’s worth it. We spend a lazy day
on a gorgeous beach from which we snorkel past sea turtles and
colorful fish. After a barbecue lunch on the catamaran, I swim back
to the beach and claim one of the dozen or so open-air thatched
huts for a well-deserved nap in the shade. Later, I walk to the wind-
ward side, past an abandoned lighthouse just begging to be
photographed, where rusty, ancient vessels have turned the beach
into a boat graveyard. The site is at once haunting and beautiful.
Back on the main island, my visit ends much like it started, dining
on a rich and spicy beef stobá (stew) and trying to keep up with my
polyglot friends, who switch between languages as fast as they drink
potent concoctions in cheerful colors. Tanned bodies on the dance
floor sway to the rhythm of salsa and merengue, and I hear someone
at the bar ordering another Blue Curaçao martini. I get one, too. ■
Originally from Buenos Aires, Celeste Moure has written for Condé Nast
Traveler, Travel + Leisure, National Geographic Traveler, the Los Angeles
Times, The Wall Street Journal, and various other publications. She
currently lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. Follow her adventures on
Instagram and Twitter @ontippytoes.
Celeste Moure
RESORT DIRECTORY:
CLIMATE: Curaçao has
warm, sunny weather year-
round and average
temperatures in the mid-80s.
Short and sudden showers
occur during the rainy season,
October to February.
DON’T MISS: The Queen
Emma after dark. Take a stroll
across this floating wooden
pontoon bridge, aglow with
festive lights at night, and
watch as it swings open to let
ships sail through.
CURRENCY: Netherlands
Antillean guilder. U.S. dollars
are widely accepted.
SALES TAX: 6% to 9%
TIPPING: Most restaurants
include tip in the final bill. Add
an extra 5% to 10% for
exceptional service.
INTERVAL TRAVEL:
RENTAL CAR: The best way
to get around the island is with
a rental car. Taxis are quite
expensive, and rides are on a
flat-rate basis.
VISITOR INFORMATION:
Curaçao Tourist Board
+5999.434.8200
fastFACTS
Caribbean Immersion
Make an exchange or buy a Getaway at
The Getaway price is valid December 1, 2015, through February 29, 2016.
First constructed
in 1850, this
now-abandoned
lighthouse stands
sentinel over the
tiny uninhabited
isle of Klein
Curaçao.
Caracas
Aruba
Curaçao
Bonaire
Venezuela Colombia
Oranjestad
Aruba
Kralendijk
Bonaire
Shete Boka
National Park
Jan Kok
Willemstad Mambo Beach
Curaçao
Klein
Curaçao