Curaçao for Senior Travelers

Why the island suits an unhurried trip.

Three things make Curaçao easy to take slowly. The old town is flat and compact. The island is small, so nothing is a long drive. And there is no hurricane season dictating when you can come: the published advice is that most hurricanes pass well to the north of Curaçao, which has no record of a recent major hurricane, with occasional tropical storms.

That last point is worth more to an older traveler than it sounds. Where a Caribbean trip is usually squeezed into the months outside the season, here the shoulder months are ordinary and the island is quieter in them.

Medical cover, first.

The facts are published precisely and they are the reason to read this section before booking. Curaçao has 3 local hospitals. Curaçao Medical Center is the largest hospital with an extensive emergency room and the only intensive care unit on the island. Taams Clinic and The Antillean Adventist Hospital also offer a wide range of medical services and specialists.

One intensive care unit, on one island. In an emergency the attending doctor will be able to make an informed decision on the best hospital to send you to, and the number to call is 912. Ask for an ambulance, and put the number in a phone now.

And the cover: the EHIC and GHIC is not valid in Curaçao, so adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad and repatriation are the arrangement that matters. Declare pre-existing conditions at the point of purchase, not afterwards.

Medication needs its own thought: the legal status and regulation of some medicines prescribed or bought in the UK can be different in other countries. Travel with the prescription and in the original packaging.

Vaccines want eight weeks, not eight days. The advice is to check the latest vaccine recommendations at least 8 weeks before the trip, which is a real constraint on a booking made at short notice and a reason to raise it early rather than at a pharmacy counter. The National Travel Health Network and Centre publishes its guidance for the Dutch Caribbean as a group and records a dengue risk across these islands. Its mosquito bites in daylight, so bite avoidance is a daytime habit: repellent, covered skin at dawn and dusk, and a screened or air conditioned room.

Heat, wind and pace.

The island is dry and the trade wind is nearly constant. Wind makes heat deceptive: it cools the skin while the sun keeps working, so the usual signals that it is time to stop arrive late. Plan the walking for the morning, take the middle of the day indoors or under shade, and carry water on any excursion outside town.

Mosquito precaution belongs to the daytime here, not the evening. The health source records that there is a risk of dengue on these islands and advises avoiding bites particularly during daytime hours.

Getting about without effort.

A UK photocard driving license is enough to drive here, which keeps a hire car simple, though companies often have stricter requirements, including a higher minimum age, so confirm at booking rather than at the desk. For taxis, registered taxis have number plates that start with TX, and because most taxis do not have meters you should agree the price before taking the ride.

The Queen Emma pontoon bridge is the pedestrian link across the harbor and it moves underfoot and swings open for shipping. A free ferry runs when it does. Neither is difficult; both are worth expecting.

Paperwork, done in advance.

The digital immigration card must be completed 48 hours before you arrive, including if you are only passing through. Your passport must be valid for the duration of your stay, which is a gentler rule than most in the region. And you must always carry a copy of the photo page of your passport with you: make it at home.

If you would like the pace, the transfers and the medical questions handled before you arrive, tell us what you need and we will arrange it.

Sources

• UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Curaçao travel advice, health: that in an emergency a traveler should call 912 and ask for an ambulance; that at least 8 weeks before a trip a traveler should check the latest vaccine recommendations for Curaçao; that Curaçao has 3 local hospitals, that Curaçao Medical Center is the largest with an extensive emergency room and the only intensive care unit on the island, and that Taams Clinic and The Antillean Adventist Hospital also offer a wide range of medical services and specialists; that in an emergency the attending doctor will decide which hospital is best; and that the European Health Insurance Card and Global Health Insurance Card are not valid in Curaçao, so adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds are needed to cover treatment and repatriation. Accessed 21 September 2026.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Curaçao travel advice, safety and security: that although there is no recent history of terrorism in Curaçao attacks cannot be ruled out; that petty theft and street crime are a concern and that there are violent crimes related to the illegal drugs world but the main tourist areas are generally safe; the listed precautions of avoiding isolated areas including beaches after dark, keeping valuables secure and out of sight, and being on the look-out for bag snatchers; that criminals continue to use the islands of the Dutch Caribbean to smuggle illegal drugs from South America to Europe and North America, that luggage should never be left unattended when departing the country, that a traveler should not discuss or agree to carry a package for anyone, that a body scan may be asked for at some airports and that Dutch authorities generally screen all baggage and passengers from the Dutch Caribbean; that a copy of the photo page of a passport must always be carried; that a UK photocard driving license may be used to drive in Curaçao and that a paper license may need updating or the correct version of an international driving permit; that hire car companies often have stricter requirements such as a year of driving experience and a higher minimum age; that a taxi should be checked as registered and the price agreed before the ride, that most taxis do not have meters and that registered taxis have number plates starting with TX; and that the hurricane season in the Dutch Caribbean normally runs from June to November, that most hurricanes pass well to the north of Curaçao which has no record of a recent major hurricane, and that there are occasional tropical storms. Accessed 21 September 2026.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Curaçao travel advice, entry requirements: that the authorities in Curaçao set and enforce entry rules; that a passport must be valid for the duration of the stay; that a traveler will be denied entry without a valid travel document or with a passport reported lost or stolen; that a digital immigration card must be completed 48 hours before arrival and must also be completed by anyone traveling through Curaçao; that a visitor may stay for up to 90 days in a calendar year without a visa and may request an extension beyond 90 days at immigration on showing travel insurance for the duration of the extended stay; that a certificate proving yellow fever vaccination is required to enter from a country listed as a transmission risk; and that there are strict rules about goods taken into or out of the country and anything prohibited or subject to tax or duty must be declared. Accessed 21 September 2026.
• TravelHealthPro, the National Travel Health Network and Centre: the Caribbean Islands (Netherlands) country page, which covers the Dutch Caribbean islands as a group: that there is no risk of yellow fever on these islands but there are certificate requirements; that for Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao proof of vaccination against yellow fever is required under International Health Regulations from travelers aged 9 months or over arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission and for travelers having transited for more than 12 hours through an airport of a country with risk of transmission; that there is a risk of dengue on these islands and that travelers should avoid mosquito bites particularly during daytime hours; that the Zika virus statement is given for Aruba, Bonaire and Sint Maarten; and that rabies has not been reported in this country. Accessed 21 September 2026.