Renting a car on Curaçao: what to know before you book

Curaçao is 444 square kilometres and public transport amounts to buses that do not go to the beaches you want. One taxi from Mambo Beach to Grote Knip and back costs more than a day of car rental. So: rent a car.

Which car

For the south coast, Willemstad and most beaches, an ordinary small car is enough. Everything you read in our articles about Grote Knip, Porto Mari, Willemstad and the salt pans is reachable on asphalt.

If you want Shete Boka beyond Boka Tabla, or Boka Patrick, the road turns to gravel and in places to ruts. A higher car or a pickup genuinely helps there. It is not about four wheel drive, it is about ground clearance.

Driving here

Drive on the right. Road signs follow the Dutch pattern. What differs:

• Speed bumps are everywhere and sometimes unmarked. Go slower through villages than you think you need to.
• Goats stand in the road and will not move. They belong to somebody, so hitting one is a problem.
• Rain is rare but heavy, and the road turns slick immediately because months of oil are sitting on it. Wait ten minutes.
• Fuel is pumped by an attendant, not by you. Say how much you want and pay afterwards.
• Parking in Punda is paid and tight. Otrobanda is easier.

Practical, at the counter

Bring your national licence, which is valid. Check whether the insurance carries an excess and how large it is, because that varies a lot between companies. When you collect the car, photograph every existing mark, including the wheels and the windscreen.

We work with Tropic Drive, who are based on the island and can deliver to the resort. That saves the trip to an airport desk after a long flight.