There’s a particular quality to the light in Curaçao just after sunrise. The harbour in Willemstad catches it first, bouncing it off rows of Dutch colonial buildings painted in saffron, coral, and pale blue – colours that have no business looking this good before breakfast. You step out with a coffee in hand, skin still warm from yesterday’s sun, and realise you’re not sharing this with the world, but each other.
Most British honeymooners don’t end up here. They reach for Barbados, Jamaica, St Lucia, and they’re not wrong to. But Curaçao’s secret is exactly what keeps it off that first shortlist. It hasn’t been overrun. You don’t queue for a quiet beach. You don’t compete for a table with five other couples who had the same idea. Choosing Curaçao isn’t settling, it’s choosing space, rhythm, and a place that still feels like a discovery.
Picture: Awa Seaside Butler Bungalow with Private Pool at Sandals Royal Curaçao.
Yes, especially if you want a honeymoon that feels personal instead of overdone. Curaçao gives you Caribbean sunshine without the crowds, with temperatures of around 28–30°C year-round and more than 35 beaches scattered across the island’s coves and coastline. One morning you’re swimming beside sea turtles at Playa Lagun, the next you’re wandering Willemstad’s pastel-coloured waterfront with a coffee in hand. It’s the Caribbean with more character, more space, and far fewer people trying to have the exact same trip as you.
For couples who want everything taken care of without losing that sense of discovery, Sandals Royal Curaçao is the standout choice. It’s the island’s only adults-only all-inclusive resort, set across 44 acres of the Santa Barbara Plantation, with private infinity pool bungalows, complimentary scuba diving, and even a Mini Cooper included (with select rooms) so you can explore the island together. Unlike larger Caribbean honeymoon hubs, where beaches and restaurants can feel crowded during peak season, Curaçao still gives you that rare feeling that you’ve found somewhere for yourselves.
Location: Southern Caribbean, part of the ABC Islands, outside the rainy season belt
Climate: 28–30°C year-round with reliable sunshine
Best resort for honeymooners: Sandals Royal Curaçao, the only adults-only all-inclusive on the island
We had an amazing experience at Sandals Royal Curacao! The resort was incredible, so beautiful, clean, the food was outstanding, and the overall atmosphere was just perfect. The weather couldn’t be more perfect! It was the best honeymoon we could’ve asked for!
Ashley B (TripAdvisor, March 2025).
Picture: Sunbathe hand-in-hand on the beach by Sandals Royal Curaçao.
Curaçao sits quietly in the southern Caribbean, part of the ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao), just outside the rainy season belt. That geography shapes everything. The skies stay clear, the travel crowds thin out, and you’re left with an island that still feels like it has plenty to explore.
It’s small, only 444 square kilometres. You can drive around it in about an hour, but you won’t want to rush it. This is the kind of place where you turn off the main road, follow a handwritten sign to a beach you’ve never heard of, and end up staying all afternoon.
And then there’s the culture, with Dutch colonial roots, West African heritage, South American influence, and Papiamentu, the island’s soft and musical creole language. The island doesn’t try to be anything else, but a place with its own character and particular way of making you feel at home. For honeymooners, that’s exactly why it works.
Picture: Take a dip in the infinity pool at Sandals Royal Curaçao.
Honeymoon planning usually comes with one worry: what if the weather doesn’t play along? Curaçao will let you drop that thought entirely.
The island sits outside the Caribbean’s main rainy season belt, which means sunshine is the default setting. Temperatures hover around 28–30°C all year, with a breeze that keeps everything comfortable. A gift when you’re planning something this important.
• May–November (off-peak): quieter, more space, and often better value. Ideal for couples who want Curaçao to themselves for their honeymoon.
• December–April (peak): livelier atmosphere, especially from European visitors.
There is no bad time to book. You’re never booking around the weather the way you might elsewhere in the Caribbean. Pick the dates that suit you, and Curaçao will deliver.
Picture: Cas Abao Beach, Curaçao.
Curaçao doesn’t do one type of beach. It does dozens, each with its own feeling and its own reason to stay a little longer.
There are over 35 in total, giving honeymooning couples the ability to find a stretch of sand that feels kept just for them. Many are along the west coast, with cove after cove of turquoise water, surrounded by volcanic cliffs.
• Cas Abao is the place to go for soft, white sand, calm water in three shades of blue, and a beach bar that makes a Caribbean holiday in a glass (rum punch). Arrive early to experience Cas Abao at its most spectacular.
• Playa Lagun is the opposite - a narrow, sheltered cove where sea turtles drift past. Swim alongside them for a magical moment that stays with you.
• Kenepa Grandi (known locally as Grote Knip) offers the most dramatic scenery on the island, with tall cliffs, wide views, and water so vivid it barely feels real.
Some beaches you plan, others you find. And the best ones often happen when you weren’t looking.
About 27 km off the island’s south-east coast sits Klein Curaçao, a sliver of white sand surrounded by open ocean. No hotels, no roads, no distractions. Just a long white beach, an iconic abandoned pink lighthouse, and water so clear it becomes difficult to work out where the sky ends and the sea begins.
You go by catamaran. Breakfast on deck, wind in your hair, the horizon stretching wider with every mile. Then the island appears, and once you step onto the sand, everything slows.
• Snorkel straight from the beach and swim with sea turtles just off the shore
• Walk to the abandoned lighthouse, weathered and still standing
• Let the day unfold without checking the time
Book your catamaran trip for your honeymoon in advance. You don’t want to miss this.
Willemstad isn’t a capital you pass through; it’s one you roam.
Recognised by UNESCO since 1997, the city’s lined with Dutch architecture, painted in terracotta, mint, and golden yellow.
The Queen Emma Bridge is worth going out of your way to see. A floating walkway that opens for passing ships, connecting the two halves of the city across the harbour entrance. Cross it at dusk and stop halfway for the view of Handelskade, the iconic waterfront row of Dutch colonial buildings, best seen at dusk when they’re reflecting in the harbour below. One of the most romantic moments the island offers, at no cost whatsoever. From there, the Pietermaai District is where evenings unfold, with restaurants, cocktail bars, and music, all close enough to stroll.
Then there’s Landhuis Chobolobo, where Blue Curaçao is made. An experience that catches couples off guard. You walk through a 19th-century mansion, learn the story of the laraha fruit, and finish with a tasting that surprises you. It’s not just the blue variety most people know, it’s layered, citrusy, alive.
Willemstad doesn’t ask for your attention, but it holds it anyway.
Curaçao's reputation for good food tends to be underplayed in honeymoon guides, which focus on beaches and resorts and leave the island's restaurant scene as an afterthought. That is a mistake. The island's cuisine draws on Caribbean, Dutch, and South American influences in ways that make for a dining scene with real range and genuine cooking behind it.
Picture: Enjoy the sunset from your private pool at Sandals Royal Curaçao.
You start with sunset, maybe from a terrace, maybe from a boat, and then the island settles into something softer. Conversations stretch. Music drifts out into the street.
Fort Nassau is the natural starting point for a special evening. Perched on a hill above Willemstad with 360° views across the harbour and surrounding coastline. Book a table for sunset and stay through dinner. As the lights come on across the city below, the restaurant earns its reputation as one of the most desirable tables in the Caribbean.
In the Pietermaai District, Kome serves modern Caribbean cooking built around locally sourced ingredients. For a celebration dinner, such as your honeymoon, The Wine Cellar offers European-style cuisine in a quiet and classic atmosphere.
And then there are moments that feel like they were arranged just for you. A sunset sailing cruise with a glass in hand, with drinks and snacks included as the sky does what Caribbean skies do best. They leave from several points on the island and typically run for two hours. A private candlelit dinner on the beach, toes in sand, waves close enough to feel that fresh sea breeze. Arranged in advance through your resort, like Sandals Royal Curaçao, this remains one of the most straightforward ways to make a honeymoon evening feel designed specifically for you.
Picture: Experience another world underwater with Sandals Royal Curaçao.
The instinct to do nothing on a honeymoon is understandable. But Curaçao tempts you to do a little more.
• Diving: The island is considered one of the finest diving destinations in the Caribbean, with 65+ sites, warm water, and exceptional visibility.
• Snorkelling: Step straight off the beach and into another world. The underwater life is remarkable, with sea turtles, angelfish, parrotfish, and coral formations.
• Christoffel National Park: Climb to 375m for a view that stretches across the island and out to the Venezuelan coast.
Or keep it simple with a couples’ massage by the sea, a quiet swim before breakfast, or an afternoon that turns into evening without you noticing.
In Curaçao, adventure doesn’t interrupt the romance, it deepens it.
A few simple choices make the difference between a good trip and a great one:
• Book popular excursions in advance, especially Klein Curaçao.
• Hire a car for a day. The island is small, the roads are manageable, and some of the best beaches are best reached independently. Enjoy the complimentary Mini Cooper at Sandals Royal Curaçao, available when you stay in an Awa Seaside Butler Bungalow with Private Pool or Kurason Island Poolside Butler Bungalow with Patio Tranquility Soaking Tub.
• Tell your resort it’s your honeymoon before you arrive. Most properties can arrange room decorations, welcome gifts, private beach dinners, or spa credits. Small touches make a difference
• Explore Pietermaai on foot at night. Let the evening guide you.
• Currency: Antillean Guilder (ANG), but USD and cards are widely accepted.
It’s your trip, so make space for spontaneity.
Picture: Kurason Island Poolside Butler Bungalow with Patio Tranquility Soaking Tub at Sandals Royal Curaçao.
On an island like this, where you stay matters. And Sandals Royal Curaçao feels designed for exactly this chapter of your life.
Set on 44 acres within the Santa Barbara Plantation with its own private beach, it’s the only adults-only, all-inclusive resort on the island, which means everyone here is on the same wavelength.
The room categories need careful thought before booking.
Suites & Bungalows:
• Kurason Island Suites are set in a private garden around a heart-shaped pool, tucked into lush gardens, with Tranquility Soaking Tubs for Two, vaulted ceilings, and a level of seclusion that makes the rest of the resort feel far away even when it isn't.
• AWA Seaside Bungalows have private infinity pools and steps-to-sea access, making every day feel like an occasion.
The two-level infinity pool, the first of its kind in the Sandals portfolio, overlooks the coast.
There are eight restaurants, three food trucks, and 3 bars at Sandals Royal Curaçao, giving you plenty of variety, covering Central and South American cuisine, Southern Italian, a sushi bar, high quality steaks, a seafood restaurant directly on the beach, and a cheese and wine bar that comes alive in the evenings. Butler suite guests staying seven nights or more receive a $250 Dine Out Credit to enjoy their meals in Willemstad and explore the city’s restaurant scene.
Beyond food and rooms, complimentary scuba diving is included as part of the package, which is a standout inclusion on an island with more than 65 diving sites. Other water sports and land activities are also included. The complimentary Mini Cooper hire to explore the island at your own pace turns a resort stay into a full island experience, because Curaçao deserves to be explored as well as admired. The resort also offers spa experiences when it’s time to slow things down.
With 351 rooms across 24 categories and a google rating of 4.6, everything is taken care of without feeling overdone. Explore more at Sandals Resorts and discover what all-inclusive on your honeymoon really feels like.
So, how do you fly to Curaçao from the UK? You don’t need a complicated route to get here for your honeymoon. There are no direct flights, but the connection is more straightforward than it might sound.
• Flights: KLM via Amsterdam from 16 UK airports, including London Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Birmingham, Bristol, and Cardiff, meaning most British travellers can connect from a relatively local departure point.
• Journey time: approximately 11.5 hours from London Heathrow, including the Amsterdam to Curaçao leg.
• Prices: from around £582 return.
And once you land, entry requirements are straightforward for UK citizens.
• No visa required for UK travellers (stays under 6 months). Your passport simply needs to be valid for the duration of your stay.
• Complete a simple Digital Immigration Card before arrival – a short online form that takes a few minutes.
• Proof of return flight is required upon arrival.
• English is widely spoken across the island, so there should be no communication barriers.
It’s far enough to feel like you’ve gone somewhere special, but close enough to get there with ease.
Picture: Take a dip in your private pool at Sandals Royal Curaçao.
Some trips blur into a highlight reel. A beach. A dinner. A view. Curaçao doesn’t do that. It gives you moments that stay distinct. The combination of guaranteed sunshine, cultural depth, exceptional diving, beaches with character, a capital city that rewards exploration, and the ease of Sandals Royal Curaçao makes for a perfect honeymoon.
It's the morning you spent swimming with sea turtles at Playa Lagun, the evening you watched Willemstad light up from Fort Nassau, the afternoon you drove west with no particular plan and found a cove that had no one else in it.
For British honeymooners looking for a Caribbean destination that doesn’t feel pre-packaged, Curaçao is the answer you’re looking for.
Visit sandals.co.uk to book your stay at Sandals Royal Curaçao and start planning the honeymoon you'll still be talking about ten years from now.
Yes, especially for couples who want sunshine, culture, and space. It offers beaches, diving, a UNESCO capital, and a more relaxed pace than busier islands.
Any time. Temperatures stay around 28–30°C year-round, and it sits outside the rainy season belt. Off-peak season runs from May to November, offering fewer crowds and more competitive hotel pricing – a strong option for couples with flexible dates. Peak season runs from December to April, when the island is at its most lively.
Fly with KLM via Amsterdam from 16 UK airports. Total journey time from London is about 11.5 hours.
Yes, over 35. Cas Abao is considered the island's most complete beach, with white sand, excellent water clarity, and good facilities. Playa Lagun is a sheltered cove where sea turtles are a near-daily presence. Kenepa Grandi offers dramatic cliff scenery and vivid turquoise water. Klein Curaçao, an uninhabited island accessible by catamaran, is widely regarded as the finest beach day the island offers.
Absolutely. It’s often the most memorable day of the trip – quiet, remote, and simple.
Colourful, walkable, and full of character. Perfect for slow evenings and spontaneous discoveries. Most couples find Willemstad worth at least a full day of exploration.
Generally, yes. Standard travel awareness applies, as with any destination. Curaçao is consistently rated as one of the safer Caribbean destinations. Willemstad is generally considered safe to walk through during the day and evening, and resort areas are well managed.
UK citizens do not need a visa to visit Curaçao for stays of under six months. A valid passport is required for the duration of your stay only – unlike some destinations, Curaçao does not require additional validity beyond your return date. You will need to complete a Digital Immigration Card before arrival, which is a straightforward online process, and proof of a return flight is required on entry.
Curaçao works well for a wide range of couples. Those wanting an active honeymoon will find exceptional diving, snorkelling, hiking in Christoffel National Park, and excursions including the Klein Curaçao catamaran trip. Those wanting to rest completely will find excellent beaches, spa facilities, and long evenings on a terrace. The island's culture – Willemstad, the local food scene, the Blue Curaçao distillery at Landhuis Chobolobo – adds a dimension that suits couples who want their honeymoon to feel like an experience. Sandals Royal Curaçao, as the island's only adults-only all-inclusive, provides a base that works for both approaches.
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