This little Dutch island is slowly beginning to creep onto the tourist radar, and for good reason. It offers up an unbeatable mix of footprint-free beaches and pretty colonial towns. The storybook port of Willemstad leads the pack, with its candy-coloured, red-roofed houses that gild the downtown area. It’s such an impressive sight, UNESCO have even granted the town a place on its World Heritage list.
Take in Willemstad’s best bits on the trolley train tour. You’ll get to see the Pietermaai Cathedral, Queen Wilhelmina Park, and a building known as the wedding cake house due to its quirky design.
Check out the island’s largest feathered friends at the Ostrich Park. This is one of the largest ostrich farms outside Africa, and you’ll get to feed and touch the birds while you’re here.
Inject a little adrenalin into your time here by seeing the sights on a guided jet-ski trip. |
Curaçao is an island in the Caribbean, among the group known as the ABC Islands alongside Aruba and Bonaire. This trio is located nearVenezuela, and are considered to be outside the Caribbean's so-called "hurricane zone." This means that vacations to the island are rarely disrupted by such tropical storms. Curaçao is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands
One of the most notable things about the island is its culture. This Dutch island features building styles you'd find in the, but painted in beautiful pastel shades. However, the people of the island have developed a culture, and even a language, of their own. Papiamentu(also spelled Papiamento), is the island's native Creole. Papiamentu is a mixture of Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch, but with a very basic grammar. Official spelling has existed for only a few years.
Curacao has a tropical savannah climate, with little rain and warm temperatures throughout the year. Travelers will enjoy the low humidity and frequent breezes penetrating the heat of the day.
The native language of Curaçao is Papiamentu, which is a richly unique mixture of African languages and Portuguese, Spanish, with some influences from Amerindian languages, English, and Dutch. Most people from the island speak this language in addition to Dutch, English, and Spanish. Almost everyone speaks English. A few people also speak French, Portuguese or German.
What to see
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Museum Kura Hulanda, Willemstad. Phone: +5999 434 7765 Open Daily from 10:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. This anthropological museum chronicles the African slave trade as well as the cultures of Curacao. Entry: $9
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Postal Museum, Willemstad.
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Maritime Museum Willemstad. Phone: +5999 465-2327. Open Tu-Sa 9AM-4PM.
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Queen Emma Bridge (a.k.a "The Swinging Old Lady"), Willemstad. A floating pontoon bridge that links the "Punda" (Point Side) and the "Otrobanda" (Other Side) of the Willemstad across the Sint Annabaai Channel. You get to see the bridge open and close to away marine traffic into St. Anna Bay. (In the event the bridge is open for a prolonged time, there is a ferry service across the channel as well.)
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Queen Juliana Bridge, Willemstad. At 185 feet, this is highest bridge in the Caribbean (and one of the tallest bridges in the world.) The bridge overlooks St. Anna Bay as well as Willemstad. Note: The observation platform has been closed to pedestrian traffic.
What to do
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Christoffel National Park, West Point , Phone: +(5999)/864-0363, A national park that is run by the by the Carmabi Foundation. Christoffel National Park is home to Boca Grandi, Indian caves where you can see paintings left by the Arawak Indians and Mount Christoffel. (At 1292 feet high, Mount Christoffel is the highest point in Curacao.)
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Shete Boka National Park, West Point, Phone +(5999)/864-0444, A national park also run by the by the Carmabi Foundation, Shete Boka is home to the "7 boca's" including Boca Tabla and Boca Pistol (also known as "The Shooting Pistol") In season, some of the boca's serve as sea turtle breeding grounds.
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Curacao Sea Aquarium, Bapor Kibra Z/N, Phone: +(5999)/461-6666, Home of the Dolphin Academy. This is one of the most popular attractions in Curacao. If you wish to do a Dolphin activity book as early as possible! $entry price (depends on activity you choose BUT paying for an activity (such as something at the Dolphin Academy) gets you entry to all of the Aquarium.
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Hato Caves, F.D. Rooseveltweg Z/N, Phone: +(5999)/868-0379. Open 7 days a week, with tours 2 times a day. Coral and limestone caves that was carved out below the sea and born when the sea level dropped. There are beautiful stalactite and stalagmite formations as well as water pools and a waterfall. The cave is also home to a colony long nose fruit bats. (Because of the colony, photography is limited and not allowed in certain chambers.)
Snorkeling and Diving at Curacao's Marine Park The complete southwestern side of Curacao is one large coral reef and marine park. In the north you can dive at the Banda Abou National Park, in the center at the Central Curacao Underwater Park and in the south at the Curacau Underwater Park. Curacao offers plenty of dive sites, from easy shore dives, pristine coral bay dives to sheer drop-offs especially in the southeast.
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Curacao Ostrich & Game Farm, Santa Catharina. Phone: +(5999)/747-2777. The Curacao Ostrich Farm is one of the biggest Ostrich farms outside Africa. The tour takes you around the ostrich pens and incubator. Meat from this farm is shipped to Aruba (Ostrich is a red meat, which is high in protein and low in fat.)
Fort Amsterdam, Punda Side, Willemstad. The seat of the Netherlands Antilles, Fort Amsterdam sits at the mouth of the harbor at the end of the Sint Annabaai Channel on the point. The complex has restaurants, shops as well as the Governors Palace.
Fort Nassau, Willemstad. Fort Nassau was built on the hill to defend both St. Anna Bay as well as part of the city of Willemstad. The fort is open for tours and there is also a restaurant that overlooks the bay.
The Floating Market, Punda Side, Willemstad. The "floating market" is actually a mini boat fleet that comes in from Venezuela and sells ultra fresh fish and fruit at the best prices. You'll find it roughly one block north of the Queen Juliana Bridge on the east side of the harbor mouth.
Amazonia The Lost Cultures (Guided 1 hour tour), Santa Catharina 66 (Right in front of Koral Tabak in L'Aldea), ☎ +599-9-7477422, 9 am till 4.30 pm. A guided one hour tour with more than 100 exotic reptiles, amphibians, small mammals and big birds surrounded by acient cultures's ruins, temples and piramide. Tour hours .9 am - 10.30 am. - 01.30 pm. 3 pm. -04.30 pm. $10 and $20.
Klein Curacao, (Only accesible by ferry). This small deserted island 15 miles off the coast boasts Curacao's longest and most pristine white sand beach. You'll never see water any clearer and get to snorkel with sea turtles! The island is only accesible by ferry or boat for day trips. Numerous companies leave several times per week for day trips. Most packages include food. Mermaid Boat trips is the only company with beach chairs and huts to relax on the island as well as having large boat (to prevent sea sickness!). Well worth it and highly recommended.$USD100.
Made in Curacao, Curacao, To do Made in Curacao, visit the site and find local producers. Find, feel, small, taste and experience the local culture. www.iammadein.com/curacao
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