Curacao Travel Guide

Curacao is a beautiful and largely flat island, about 40 miles (64km) in length. The southern coastline is scattered with spectacular bays, beaches, and secluded coves, while the northern shore is more rugged, with the wind and rough surf pounding the weather-beaten terrain.

The best beaches are scattered along the southwest coast where the calm, crystal clear water creates a tropical paradise for divers, snorkellers, and swimmers. Towards the east are the largest bays, where the main port and historic capital city, Willemstad, is situated.

Curacao is an ideal holiday destination for underwater lovers, as the excellent visibility, warm water, active reef conservation, and variety of diving and snorkelling sites rank the island among the most popular dive locations in the Caribbean.

On land there are several interesting sites to visit. There are the Hato Caves and their ancient stalagmites and stalactites; the protected wildlife reserves of Christoffel Park, encompassing Mount Christoffel, which are the highest point on the destination and offer fantastic views over the island from among the park's exotic flowers, bent trees, and blue iguanas; and the dramatic caverns carved out of the limestone cliffs by the crashing waves within Shete Boka National Park.

The capital city, Willemstad, has been a major international trading centre for centuries, its society a mixture of different nationalities, races, and cultures and its shops filled with goods from around the world. Old Willemstad dates from the 18th and 19th centuries and is one of the most remarkable historic areas in the Caribbean, with charming alleys and superb Dutch colonial architecture housing restaurants, museums, shops, and hotels.

Many of the beautiful Dutch buildings have been adapted to life in a hot and breezy climate and sport Caribbean-style shutters, porches, and verandas, lending further charm to the cheerfully painted historic structures.

Whether the days are spent in sun-soaked relaxation or by taking advantage of the endless activities on offer, on land or in the water, when the sun begins to set the trend is to slip into one of the bars, where happy hour is just the beginning of the night to come.