Picolo recommends · Hotel near Willemstad, Curaçao
The Kontiki
Sand straight from the garden to the water, two beach bars and the beach clubs of Mambo Beach close enough to join the crowd when you feel like it.
Your first steps of the day are on sand. The Kontiki lies directly on the beach east of Willemstad, with a garden behind the parasols, two beach bars and three restaurants, so you rarely need to leave.
When you do, the beach clubs and restaurants around Mambo Beach are just along the shore, and they keep the area busy after dark. The old town is a short taxi ride away for a morning in Punda.
Picolo’s verdict
Why we chose The Kontiki
We picked it for travellers who want to walk from the room straight onto the sand, with a bit of life around them in the evening. It is relaxed rather than formal, with enough choice for dinner that a week passes without a single taxi.
This is not the place for silence. Music and voices from the nearby beach clubs can carry at night. If you want calm evenings or a city base you can explore on foot, choose a hotel in Willemstad itself.
What you get
- Directly on the beach
- Two beach bars
- Three restaurants
- Garden behind the beach
- Massages on the beach
A day at The Kontiki
- Morning
- A swim before the parasols go up.
- Midday
- Lunch with your feet in the sand at a beach bar.
- Afternoon
- A boat trip to Klein Curaçao, an uninhabited islet with white sand and an old lighthouse.
- Evening
- Drinks at the beach clubs along Mambo Beach.
Location
Willemstad, Curaçao
Open in MapsQuestions about The Kontiki
Is The Kontiki right on the beach?
Yes. The hotel is directly on the beach east of Willemstad, with parasols, two beach bars and massages on the sand.
Is The Kontiki close to Mambo Beach?
Yes. You can stroll along the shore to the clubs and places to eat at Mambo Beach, which gives the area plenty of life in the evening.
Is The Kontiki a quiet hotel?
Not especially. Nearby beach clubs can be heard at night. Light sleepers or anyone wanting a calm retreat might prefer an adults-only hotel instead.
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Updated 6 Nov 2026All articles
How Picolo chooses
Our editors pick every hotel themselves, and most of them we have stayed at. No hotel can pay to be included or ranked higher. When you book through our links, Hotels.com pays Picolo a small commission. It never changes the price you pay, and it never decides what we write.
