En Español

Bars and Lounges

By Jennifer van der Kwast

Tour the hot spots for happy hour, techno, jazz, dance, and crowds

Sunday happy hour at the sandy bar-mecca of Seaquarium Beach is an institution — an immutable fact of life — rendering other bars ghost towns. The party kicks off in Mambo at 5 p.m., followed by Hemingway's, then hits its stride when DJ Boogieman spins dance hits at Wet & Wild Beach Club. If you stumble off the boardwalk, just order another Amstel Bright and follow the crowds. If the techno bass stops rattling your molars, you've strayed too far.

For jazz instead of techno, wine instead of beer, and patrons who keep their shirts on, hit the Blues Bar & Restaurant on the Avila Beach Hotel pier. Witness spectacular sunsets framed by thatch.

Or skip the pretty views and dive straight into the nightlife. Cinco may have ceded its number-one-hot-spot status to newcomer Club Cartouche. To mingle with beautiful hipsters, venture to perennial favorites De Heeren and Asia de Cuba at Zuikertuintje. When maraca-shaking Guayabera-wearing Julio performs with his band, Cuban Express, at De Heeren each Thursday, devoted fans spill onto the street. Julio faces stiff competition from pretty, young, Cuban Tamara, who performs Friday night at Asia de Cuba, a stone's throw away.

Check the K-Pasa guide for up-to-date listings, www.k-pasa.com.

Casinos

By Jennifer van der Kwast

Search for Lady Luck in hot spots on the beach and further inland

Try your luck at one of Curacao's many casinos which run the gamut from large, new and glitzy to small and intimate venues. You'll enjoy an evening (or afternoon) on the town playing the slots — most venues have hundreds of them, plus, Black Jack, Poker or try your hand at Roulette. The casinos are open well into the wee hours — so visit after dinner for drinks and play the night away.

If calling from the USA, first dial 011 - 599 9 + local number below.

Sundown Sizzle: Where to Gamble Airport Casino Hotel Holland & Casino F. D. Rooseveltweg 524 Just two minutes from the airport. Tel: 888-1945 Howard Johnson Curaçao Plaza Hotel & Casino Brionplein z/n Otrobanda Willemstad Open daily 1:00pm - 4:00 am Tel: 462-7800 Veneto Casino at The Holiday Beach Resort Pater Euwensweg #31 Willemstad Tel: 462-5400 Casino Awasa Sports & Race Book Otrobanda Hotel & Casino Breedestraat, Willemstad Tel: 462-7400 Curaçao Casino Hilton Curaçao Tel: 462-5000 Open daily 10:00am-3:00am John F. Kennedy Boulevard Piscadera Bay, Curaçao Tel: 462-8800 Emerald Casino Curaçao Marriott Resort & Emerald Casino Tel: 736-8800 The Gentlemen's Club Le Mirage Casino Seru Fortunaweg z/n Willemstad Tel: 869-2155 Tel: 868-1170 Hill Ross Casino Trupial Inn Hotel & Casino Tel: 737-8200 Image courtesy of Hilton Curacao Plaza Royal Casino Plaza Hotel Curaçao Resort & Casino Plaza Piar z/n Willemstad Tel: 461-2500 Princess Casino Breezes Curaçao Resort, Spa & Casino Tel: 736-7888 Toll free from USA: 1-877-BREEZES Carnaval Casino Curacao Renaissance Curaçao Resort & Casino The newest casino on the island. Baden Powellweg 1 Willemstad Tel: 435-5000 San Marco Downtown Casino San Marco Hotel Recently renovated. Intimate casino. Columbusstraat 7 Willemstad Tel: 461-2988 Hotel Kura Hulanda Spa and Casino Surrounded by gardens and works of art. Langestraat 8 Willemstad Tel: 434-7700 Toll free from USA: 1-877-264-3106