Curacao Tourism

Curacao along with St. Eustatius, Bonaire, St. Maarten and Saba lie in that Kingdom of the Netherlands and are part of the Netherlands Antilles. Only 35 miles north of the Coast of Venezuela, Curacao is the ‘C’ of the Caribbean’s Dutch Islands of ABC (‘A’ being Aruba and ‘B’ being Bonaire). Tourists come for its rich culture, hospitable people, glitzy casinos, duty-free shopping and of course the world famous water sports that it has to offer.

If you are looking for glamorous high-rise resorts situated on beautiful beaches, then head for Aruba. Curacao on the other hand, has a handful of middle-bracket resorts on the beach and along the coastline, but the cultural and shopping experiences here are more appealing than the resorts and beaches. Amerigo Vespucci and Alonso de Ojeda first discovered in 1499 and exterminated or drove away all but 75 members of the original inhabitants, the peace-loving Arawak Indians.

However, years later, they in turn were driven away by the Dutch who also had to fight off a number of English and French invasion attempts. The Dutch transformed this tiny island into miniature Holland and a tropical paradise. The island was then turned into a kind of Dutch Gibraltar, fringed with stalwart forts. Strong ramparts guarded the narrow entrance of the harbor and the hilltop forts (most of which have been converted into modern-day restaurants today) protected the coastal entryways.

Up until the 20th century, Curacao was still a sleepy little island when the Royal Dutch Shell Company built one of the largest oil refineries in the world on this island. Workers from some 50 odd countries poured in to Curacao, turning it into a cosmopolitan, multicultural community.

Because of the early Dutch architecture, Curacao is still one of the most important islands in the West Indies, in terms of architecture. The island has more of a European presence and essence than perhaps any other island in the world. On leaving the capital city of Willemstad, you will enter a strange and desert-like countryside that is very similar to that of the US Southwest region. The landscape is relatively arid and is studded with spiny-leafed aloe, three-pronged cacti, and the strange-looking divi divi trees with their equally strange windblown foliage. There is a smattering of classic Dutch windmills throughout Willemstad and in some parts of the countryside.

Curacao Tourism Industry
The Tourism industry represents up to 15 percent of the GDP of Curacao. Tourism officials of Curacao credit a worldwide rediscovery of the little island’s diverse and unique attributed for its newfound fame.

The tourism industry has been actively engaged in selling and marketing the many intrinsic charms of the island of Curacao all over the world and have successfully conveyed this message about the flavor of the island in such a way that it has now begun to entice potential tourists and businesses from countries all over the globe.

The world has finally realized, or maybe remembered, that the island of Curacao is much more than just a pretty face, or a beautiful beach. Curacao is all about being a real, authentic and remarkably diverse location that is rich in history, art, sports, architecture, culture and cuisine where tourists and travelers can enrich their already colorful lives by experiencing a way of life and a place that they will never experience anywhere else on Earth.

Curacao: An Uniquely Diverse Destination
Today the cosmopolitan island of Curacao has a colorful population of more than 135,000 and includes over 55 different nationalities, which provides tourists with an inimitable multi-ethic, multi-cultural experience. The widely spoken languages on the island are Dutch, Spanish, English, and Papiamento and most of the island’s inhabitants speak all four of these languages.

Because of its close proximity to South America, there is a strong, long-standing Latin-American influence on the Curacao, especially when it comes to the cuisine and language.

The local food is known as ‘Kuminda Krioyo’, which has been derived from the Spanish words – ‘food’ and ‘Creole’, and blends the bold and vibrant ingredients and flavors that are typical of the Latin American and Caribbean cuisines.

Curacao lies outside the meteorological zone of the hurricane belt, and this guarantees minimum vacation interruption with only a 0-3 percent chance of there being a strike. The semi-arid climate of the island means that visitors will find vegetation that is atypical of the Caribbean, including thorny shrubs, various cacti, and even evergreen trees.

Hiking buffs and nature lovers can venture forth onto the highest point of the island – the 1230-foot Mount Christoffel – that lies in a wildlife park, also known as the Curacao Christoffelpark, and can be visited by car, horse, bike or foot.

Curacao is known all over the world for its coral reefs and there are more than 160 diving spots that are located mostly off the calm south coast. The most outstanding feature of diving here is the ‘blue edge’, which is a steep, cliff-like drop off the sea floor and is only a few hundred feet off the shore and this feature allows divers to reach the reefs without the need of a boat. The current-ridden and rocky northern coast of the island is best suited for professional and highly experienced divers. Fishing enthusiasts will find a number of wild fishing trips here. For aspiring golfers, you can tee-off at the championship golf course on the island. There are plenty of casinos also.

There are daily American Airlines flights connecting Miami to Curacao. Continental Airlines also provides weekly service to the island from Newark.

The phrase that we sometimes use,’ There’s something for everyone’ – well this phrase doesn’t even begin to describe Curacao. Curacao has a little for everyone – beauty, culture, a good nightlife and sports. A week is too little time to take in all the sights.