What to Do in Curaçao When It Rains: A Real Plan B

Rain on Curaçao is rarely a serious affair. The island sits in the southern Caribbean, outside the hurricane belt, and its showers, concentrated mostly from October to December, tend to fall late at night or early in the morning before handing the sky back to the sun, and the trade winds dry the terraces in no time. We go through the seasons in detail in our guide When to visit Curaçao. Still, a squall can linger for an hour or two. Rather than waiting it out on the villa sofa, take it as an invitation: the island keeps a genuine indoor repertoire, from caves to museum courtyards.

Go underground at the Hato Caves

When it rains outside, the simplest move is to go where weather does not exist. North of the airport, the Hato Caves can only be visited with a guide, on tours of about 45 minutes that wind past stalactites, stalagmites and a colony of bats settled in one of the deepest chambers. The walkways are lit and fitted with railings, which makes this an easy outing with children, and a natural ventilation shaft keeps the rock pleasantly cool whatever the sky is doing. Note that photography is not allowed in the bat chamber, to leave the colony in peace, and save the outdoor petroglyph trail, carved by the Caquetio people some 1,500 years ago, for when the clouds break.

Kura Hulanda, the museum that stays with you

In Otrobanda, the Kura Hulanda museum occupies restored eighteenth and nineteenth century houses set around inner courtyards, on the very site where slave ships once moored. The exhibition traces the transatlantic slave trade, including a reconstruction of a ship's hold you walk through, alongside a substantial collection of African art gathered by the museum's founder, who opened it in 1999. Allow a good hour and a half, and come early: cruise groups tend to arrive late in the morning. It is a dense, sobering visit, well suited to an overcast day when you have the headspace it deserves.

The aquarium and the children's museum, family safe bets

At Bapor Kibra, next to Mambo Beach, the Sea Aquarium runs on an open circuit: seawater is pumped continuously into the tanks where sharks, turtles and rays circle. Feedings and presentations at set times give the visit its rhythm, rain or shine, and the neighbouring Dolphin Academy adds programmes of its own. If the sun comes back early, Mambo Beach is a few minutes away on foot. With younger children, head for the Children's Museum near Zuikertuintje Mall: seventeen zones to touch and tinker with, a good part of them in air-conditioned rooms, designed for ages 1 to 10. Book a time slot online and check the schedule, as the museum closes on some Mondays and Tuesdays.

Chobolobo, Curaçao liqueur at home

Landhuis Chobolobo, a nineteenth century mansion on the eastern edge of Willemstad, has housed the Senior & Co distillery since 1947. This is where the genuine Curaçao liqueur is made from the laraha, a bitter local orange, following a family recipe that goes back to 1896. Guided tours run Monday to Friday at set times, tasting included, from around 20 US dollars, with a cocktail workshop for those who want to go further, and they are given in English, Dutch, Spanish and Papiamentu. Book ahead by WhatsApp or email, and leave a little room in your suitcase for the shop.

Coffee under the arches of the Rif Fort

Back to Otrobanda to finish. The Rif Fort, a nineteenth century fort with thick coral stone walls, guards the harbour entrance across from Punda. Its courtyard now shelters cafés, restaurants and boutiques, and the adjoining Renaissance Mall extends the stroll under cover: settle under the arches with a coffee and watch the ships slide into the bay while the shower does its work. It will not take long. On Curaçao the rain leaves as quickly as it arrived, and the only question left is which beach gets your afternoon.