Blue Bay Curaçao Golf & Beach Resort

Blue Bay Curaçao is a five-star golf and beach resort at Landhuis Blaauw in Willemstad, on the south coast of the island. Instead of hotel rooms, you book an apartment or villa from the Blue Bay Collection, each staffed like a hotel with a concierge and daily housekeeping. The mood is calm and residential, and it suits golfers, divers, families and anyone who wants space rather than a busy resort floor.

Nine collections make up the accommodation. The Ridge and the Shore sit on the beach, and the Shore adds penthouses with views over the sea and the golf course. The Garden puts villas and apartments around a pool, a short walk from the sand. The Breeze looks onto lakes and fairways, and the Jazmyn offers three- and four-bedroom residences. Greenview and the Ivy face the fairways, and the Ivy includes a green fee.

William Roquemore designed the 18-hole course, which suits beginners and low handicappers alike. Two clay courts and several hard courts are free around the clock, floodlit for evening play, with rackets from the Golf Pro Shop. The house reefs, the Wall and the Garden, lie off the beach, and the Dive and Beach Store arranges PADI courses, boat dives, kayaks, catamarans and deep-sea fishing.

Pools come with your chosen accommodation. The Ridge and the Jazmyn villas have private pools. The Shore has an infinity pool facing the sea. The Garden, Greenview and the Ivy each share a pool, with a sun terrace at Greenview. Blue Bay Fit Studio occupies the historic Blue Bay Landhuis and runs Pilates, yoga and total body classes, with Dance Mix, Hip Hop and Modern Jazz for children.

Six places to eat and drink are spread across the resort. Brass Boer serves beach food by day and contemporary Caribbean dishes in the evening. Coast and Bayside both open at breakfast and run until 10 pm, and Lemongrass sits on the terrace of the plantation house overlooking the fairways. Tribu handles pizza, pastries and ice cream, and Blend brings snacks and cocktails to your lounge chair.

Brass Boer Beach opens daily from 10 am to 6 pm, with lunch from noon to 4 pm. You can reserve a palapa, a hammock over the water, or a beach bed, with towels, fruit, coffee, and water included. Tribu sits just outside the gates for pizza and ice cream. Willemstad is the address itself, so the capital's shops and restaurants are close at hand.