Amstel Bright in hand, you stand with one foot on the dance floor, the other on the sand. Hipster electronica issues from hidden speakers, mixing with peppery Dominican merengue and bass-heavy dancehall. Tall, blonde Dutch mingle with American divers and laid-back locals. Shoes, shirt and attitude are all optional.
This is the Curaçaoan bar scene. And we wouldn't exactly call it nightlife: just like in Holland or on any normal tropical island, the party starts not when the sun goes down, but whenever you feel like having that first beer of the day.
For a cool cocktail and spectacular sunset, jazz fans should stop in at the Blues Bar at the Avila Hotel at 130 Penstraat in Willemstad (Tel: 461-4377 / Website: AvilaHotel.com.).
Located at the end of the pier this is the jazz spot in Curaçao. Watch Blues Bar video.
The epicenter of Curaçao's nightlife is Sea Aquarium Beach, a protected bay where sun loungers lie scattered on the white sand in front of a string of airy, colorful beach bars. Most famous is glossy, Euro-styled Mambo Beach, known for its Friday "Fish Market" dinner, Tuesday Dinner & a Movie, and jam-packed on weekends. Next-door, Wet & Wild is a friendly, locally owned spot where windsurfers, students, locals and tourists congregate in the early afternoon and chill through the late night. Friday night, live music brings crowds to neighboring joint Kontiki Beach. The newest addition is Hemingway's: a chilled-out beach bar with gorgeous sunset views.
Less-peopled but equally picturesque is Zanzibar on Jan Thiel Beach, a favorite of East-siders and Dutch sun worshippers.
Dutch students and interns have pegged Cinco as their hot-spot-of-the-moment, and although locals find the place a bit loud and crowded, tourists enjoy the rambunctious, youthful vibe. Drunken excess goes to extremes on board the Mi Dushi, a weekly boat party where in-the-know islanders bring their visiting buddies to get trashed and happy.
For anytime drinking and snacking, locals recommend Intermezzo, a tiny tapas spot with three tables outside and a handful more inside. Smack-dab on the Otrobanda waterfront is landmark Gouveneur de Rouville, a two-story waterfront pub known for its rum selection and relaxed outdoor patio. Neighboring Zanta gets loud and lively with live music Fridays. De Heeren opens in time to give early risers their morning coffee jolt, stays busy through the business lunch rush, serves up wine-by-the-glass to well-heeled islanders during Happy Hour, and gets packed by 10 p.m. with party-goers of every age.
The cocktail crowd has lately begun to gravitate toward the Avalon's new martini bar, where post-work mixed drinks are served with flair in a sleek, sophisticated setting. On Friday nights, they move over to the equally posh Emerald Lounge at the Marriott, where weekly salsa nights bring out the island's best dancers. Sip mojitos till you're ready to match their razzle-dazzle moves.
Go to Piscadera Bay on Wednesdays to catch more live bands at tiny Hook's Hut. Or, if you really want to get local flavor, check out the new-ish Façade, which brings in local acts Wednesday through Friday.
Gay travelers will find gay-friendly establishments, happy hours and events around the island at Lyric's Gay Café-Willemstad, Café De Heeren-Zuikertuintje, Cinco Curaçao-Parera (near the Marine base), TuTu Tango Bar-Willemstad, Zanta Beach Bar-Bapor Kibra, Mambo Beach-Bapor Kibra (Seaquarium area), Wet and Wild Beach Club - Bapor Kibra.
Of course, no Curaçao vacation is quite complete until you've tested your luck at the tables and the slots. The live game selection includes live three-card stud, blackjack and roulette. There's sports betting at terminals, plus video blackjack, Hold 'em and bingo. Alcohol is allowed on the casino floor, and just like everywhere else in Curaçao, the legal drinking age is 18. There are small casinos all over the island; two of the biggest and most modern are the Marriott's Emerald Casino and Curaçao Casino at the Hilton.
Sundown Sizzle: Where to Gamble
Airport Casino
Hotel Holland & Casino
Tel: 888-1945
Americana Casino
Howard Johnson Curaçao
Plaza & Casino
Tel: 462-7800
Antillean Casino Corp. Holiday Beach Hotel & Casino
Tel: 462-5425
Awasa Otrobanda Casino
Otrobanda Hotel & Casino
Tel: 462-7058
Amstel Bright in hand, you stand with one foot on the dance floor, the other on the sand. Hipster electronica issues from hidden speakers, mixing with peppery Dominican merengue and bass-heavy dancehall. Tall, blonde Dutch mingle with American divers and laid-back locals. Shoes, shirt and attitude are all optional.
Dutch students and interns have pegged Cinco as their hot-spot-of-the-moment, and although locals find the place a bit loud and crowded, tourists enjoy the rambunctious, youthful vibe. Drunken excess goes to extremes on board the Mi Dushi, a weekly boat party where in-the-know islanders bring their visiting buddies to get trashed and happy. 
