dining & snorkeling in curacao
 

we are going for a week in february to curacao. we love good food but we also like to get a feeling for the place we're visiting. any suggestions from "discriminating" diners as to places to have lunch or dinner? also, any great snorkeling places from shore?

Our favorite place, which is a little expensive, is the Bisto Le Clochard which is right down by the harbor. We also liked La Pergola. They offer a good fettuccine.<BR>Any of the beaches on the west coast offer excellent snorkeling.

what type of food do the serve at<BR>Bisto Le Clochard? french?<BR>any place that was good serving local food? any favorite spot to snorkel that is not very crowded?<BR>thanks for responding!

don't know about the dining, but many of the beaches on the northwest sides are very good. Just watch for winds and current. Your best bet would be to check with some of the dive operators when you get there. You could do a shore dive with a company or get them to suggest some locations.

Bistro Le Clochard IS french, bu they serve other things as well. They do soups(French Onion, local fish), Beef Tournedos, a few different types of steak, chicken, fish, etc.<BR>You might want to try &quot;BLUES&quot; as well. Lots of fresh seafood and lamb. Save room for dessert.<BR>Lots of the beaches get somewhat crowded. If you go during the week, Knip Bay is nice.

We liked the Waterfort Boogies in Willemstad,there are 4 restaurants to choose from when you get there.As for snorkeling,we liked Daai Booi Bay,Playa Lagun,and Santa Barbara.

I have a trip on hold for 3/5 for Curacao and was really excited until I started reading these comments. Have you gone on your trip yet, how was it (beaches, diving, weather, cleanliness)I would be staying at Breezes, any feedback on that property. Help, I am getting nervous about booking now. Thanks!!

Curacao was amazing. We were there for a week in Nov '02. I've found reviews of Curacao in various places. Check out www.wheretostay.com, www.caribline.com, www.travelocity.com, and www.tripadvisor.com. Without going into too much detail, I'll address your topics (beaches, diving, weather, cleanliness). &lt;b&gt;Beaches&lt;/b&gt;: We only can comment on the beaches at the Marriott. Wonderful, wide, powdery white sand, but a little rocky in parts. The hotel had 'water socks' that patrons could use. You may want to bring your own if you plan on doing snorkeling off shore. &lt;b&gt;Diving&lt;/b&gt;: Wonderful!; we did some shore diving from the Marriott house reef, also shore diving at Porto Marie. We also did two days of boat diving with CArib Sea Sports Dive Shop (located at the Marriott) and they were wonderful. We thought Curacao diving was better than St. Lucia, Key Largo, Key West, and Cancun...and on par with Cozumel (those are the only other places we've dived). We chose Curacao because it's reknowned for its shore diving. &lt;b&gt;Weather&lt;/b&gt;: We couldn't have asked for nicer weather. In Nov, it was beautiful. It's hot during the day, but the island has the most amazing sea breezes I've ever experienced. It cooled everythign down during the day and the evening temps were just perfect. It only rained one day while we were there and it was a 10 minute light shower. &lt;b&gt;Cleanliness&lt;/b&gt;: The ride from the airport to the resort was a little disappointing (seeing the poverty), but that's how it seems to Americans on all islands. Curacao actually has thriving industry (oil and electric refineries - making energy for nearby Venezuela), so the people had jobs. They just live a lot simpler so we saw shacks and older cars, etc. but it was not run-down....just poorer than American standards. The people were very hospitable and of course, the resorts were immaculate. Willemsted, the main town, was clean and felt relatively safe when walking around in daylight. IT's a bustling town, full of people on the go, and tourists checking things out. I didn't see any crime. We took a cab to town a couple times for dinner and I wouldnt' have felt comfortable walking around town, but the restaurant district where we went to (Waterfront Arches) was well lit and bustling with tourists and locals. Seemed safe and we were NEVER hassled while in town. There is a lot of banking &amp; retail industry in town, so we say many local people in dress clothes/suits/dresses during they day.