Curaçao

A colorful Dutch Caribbean port city with a World Heritage old town and floating bridge, plus dozens of beach coves and world-class shore diving around the island.

Curaçao lies in the southern Caribbean, about 65 km north of Venezuela, and is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The island is about 60 km long, and the historic area and harbor of its capital, Willemstad, were inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1997. Willemstad is split in two by St. Anna Bay: on the east bank, Punda has the colorful facades of the Handelskade, the synagogue and Fort Amsterdam, while Pietermaai and Scharloo are neighborhoods of restored old mansions; on the west bank, Otrobanda has Rif Fort and the Kura Hulanda Museum, and the Queen Emma Bridge, a floating pontoon bridge, links the two sides. In the southeast, Mambo Beach, Jan Thiel and Spanish Water are resort areas, and the Sea Aquarium, ostrich farm and Blue Curaçao liqueur distillery are good for families. The western side of the island, Banda Abou, has dozens of coves such as Cas Abao, Grote Knip, Playa Lagun and Playa Piscado, with superb shore diving and turtle snorkeling, and its northwest tip is home to Christoffel and Shete Boka national parks. From the southeastern harbors, boats run to uninhabited Klein Curaçao. Curaçao lies south of the hurricane belt and is hot and dry year-round, cooled by the trade winds; Jan–Apr is the most comfortable time. The city is walkable, but buses on the island are scarce, so renting a car is recommended; the western tip is about an hour's drive from town. Plan on 4–6 days. The Netherlands Antillean guilder and US dollar are both accepted, and some beaches charge an entry fee. The sun is fierce, so protect yourself with reef-safe sunscreen.

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