- long, sheltered beach
- snorkeling right at the resort; scuba daily shore dives
- kids club, kiddie pool and restaurant
- cultural gem Willemstad town is nearby
- good price point
Breezes Curacao Resort, Spa & Casino: background
Curacao is 2-1/2 hours from Miami, in the "Dutch Caribbean" with Aruba and Bonaire, and out of the hurricane zone. The resort is just 15 minutes away is Willemstad, a rainbow- colored mini-Amsterdam with a world-class museum.
Breezes has a 1500-foot stretch of beach, sheltered by a breakwater. Guests can snorkel right at the property; some visitors find this a highlight of the trip.
Meanwhile, scuba is included: a great feature, as at most all inclusive resorts scuba is an extra, with additional charges. Guests age 12 and up can get instruction and do shore dives.
Beach: always read recent visitor comments for current conditions at any resort. When I visited this resort, the sand on the beach was fine and white. But at this time of writing, guests report that the sand is rough, and recommend bringing aqua shoes. Conditions do change over time!
Activities
The long protected beach is good for wading, swimming, beginner wind-surfing, and kayaking, and you can snorkel right off-shore. Even young kids can watch fishies inside the breakwater; teens and grown-ups can take an escorted outing on the far side. See more about water activities.
Breezes Curacao also offers a daily scuba shore-dive as part of the all-inclusive price. Kids as young as 12 can take a morning's instruction and then dive daily.
Land fun includes trapeze (with instruction) and a rock-climbing wall. Kids also enjoy a pool with a fountain and a low waterfall; there's table games and arcade games, too.
The daily schedule at Breezes Curacao might include: tennis clinics, bike trips, beach volleyball, lessons in papiamentu (local language), bachata dance classes, trampoline and juggling clinics, trapeze lessons, and nightly entertainment. Grown-up fun also include spa, casino, disco, salsa dancing.
Activities
Breezes Curacao: Kids' Zone
Families usually stay in a special section of the resort. In this area, the Kids' Club is located by this kiddie pool; nearby is the beachside Carousel Grill, and beyond is a playground. Activities include pool games, mini circus clinics, arts and crafts. Kids can have dinner at the Carousel Grill and be entertained until 9 p.m.* The resort has a small teen center too.
Breezes Curacao: Meals
Jimmy's Buffet offers good eats and kid-friendly choices, such a sandwich section with good ol' p-b and jam, and an ice-cream stand. And the Beach Grill serves kids' meals at lunch and dinner-time.
Breezes Curacao also has two fine-dining restaurants: the Italian Pastafari serves all the fresh mozzarella and antipasta you could want. The Japanese Munahana Restaurant has a lovely open-air setting, and teppenyaki cooked at your "table"*.
Rooms
The "tower" has rooms that are spacious and airy, with good-sized balconies; certain other rooms draw complaints... Read visitor comments for up-to-date tips about which parts of the resort are best
Breezes Curacao: Price
Breezes Curacao has a good price point and frequently has promotions; price can drop below $100/night, much less for kids.
Outings: Willemstad
Breezes Curacao is a 10-minute ride from the wonderful town of Willemstad: a free shuttle makes a daily trip; inexpensive public transit is also do-able. Parts of this World Heritage site look like an Amsterdam canal street painted with your kids' crayolas...
Willemstad is also home to a stunning museum, the Kula Huranda. See more about Willemstad.
Other Outings
From Breezes Curacao, you can book outings such as City Tour, Beach Tour, Hato Caves and Ostrich Farm, Sunset Cruises, snorkeling trips.
A ten-minute walk away is the Curacao Sea Aquarium, with sharks, sea turtles, flamingos, sea lions, dolphins. Guests can snorkel or do a one-tank dive on the reef just a stone's throw from the entrance to the Sea Aquarium.
* Always check resort web site and recent visitor comments, for updates!
As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary accommodation for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.
