07 Sep Sol Food in Curacao

Beach at the Lodge at Kura Hulanda

While in Curaçao we stayed at the Lodge at Kura Hulanda–a hotel located near the west end of the island in Westpunt. We absolutely loved the hotel and the location too. The lodge is located about 30-40 minutes away from the busy town of Willemstad, so it can feel secluded and remote but is still close enough to sneak away for some shopping or nightlife if you so choose. Because of the location, though, renting a car is a huge plus if you want mobility or just want to get out and explore, and there are a lot of great beaches and hiking trails to explore in the area.

Lobby of the Lodge at Kura Hulanda

Restaurant at the Lodge at Kura Hulanda

Cliffs at the Lodge at Kura Hulanda

Beach at the Lodge at Kura Hulanda

All of the garden rooms are in separate little bungalows scattered throughout the garden area; each bungalow has 2 rooms on the ground floor and one room on the second floor with a large balcony.  The ocean view rooms looked amazing and some even had their own hot tubs outside in their private back patio area.  We scored an awesome deal for the lower level garden rooms: $560 total for 4 nights, plane tickets and a $200 restaurant voucher, and we really enjoyed everything about our stay.  The room was basic, but comfortable and a decent size with a cute little patio out front.  The deal was a part of the Curaçao Now promotion put on by the island’s tourism board–I haven’t seen the deal offered lately, but I am definitely keeping an eye open for it in the future.

Gardens at the Lodge at Kura Hulanda

Lodge Bungalows – Our room was on the back side

Our cute little patio outside the room

While there is a bar at the hotel and a couple of restaurants in the area, I have one warning for you: if you are looking for a party hotel with a crazy nightlife, this is not the place for you. But if adventure mixed with some seclusion is what you are looking for, the Lodge is a great option.

Enter at your own risk?

Of course we had to enter

Our favorite restaurant on the island by far was Sol Food–we liked it so much we had to go twice and probably would have went back for thirds if time was on our side. They are only open Friday-Sunday, but it you have a chance you really should make the effort to go! Our dive instructor told us we had to check it out as it was her and her friends favorite place on the island to relax after a long day of diving.

The first night we ate at Sol Food, we didn’t make reservations and weren’t quite sure what to think right away–the restaurant is basically located in the owners back yard, but the character of the entire place is so charming.  When we walked up we were greeted by Sunshine, who owns the restaurant with her husband David, and since we didn’t have a reservation and all the tables were booked up, we were seated at one of the two community tables for walk-ins with a few other people.  This turned out to be so much fun–throughout our evening, we ended up meeting some great people and stayed to chat for quite awhile.  When we were done paying for our meal, we chatted with Sunshine for a bit, and she gave us a packet she had made with inside tips and interesting spots around the island.  They were such gracious and welcoming hosts, and we found a great snorkeling spot from their packet!

Snorkeling

The next night we ended up making a reservation, which is a good idea if you can, so Sunshine and David can have a heads up on how many guests to plan for.  Because of our reservation, we ended up sitting at a table overlooking the ocean and sunset, and right next to our friends from the night before.  They liked it so much they had to go back again as well!  Micah and I got pizza both nights because we were craving it again after the first night, but we heard good reviews on the other dishes as well.  One other great thing about Sol Food is the prices, especially compared to the restaurants at our hotel!  The pizza was too large for Micah and I to finish and it was less than $12–I don’t know how you can beat that.  Too bad we didn’t end up taking any photos at Sol’s; I guess we were too occupied enjoying the company and food.

I would definitely recommend a stop out to the west side of the island if you get a chance.  We enjoyed this area way more than downtown, and because it catered to our adventurous needs, we don’t want to stay anywhere else next time we return to our favorite island!

Micah vs Sugar Stealer Bird