Curaçao is an island located in the Caribbean Sea and belongs to the Leeward Antilles. Since October 10, 2010, Curaçaoan independent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, where the colonial history with the Netherlands is clearly noticeable. For example, the official language is still Dutch, King Willem-Alexander is still the head of state and there is a fairly large Dutch community that lives on Curaçao. The tourism, which is a reasonable source of income for the country, also largely consists of Dutch people who come to spend their holidays on Curaçao. They come for the relaxed atmosphere and the wonderful tropical climate where there is plenty of room for sun and the temperature never falls below 22-23 degrees at night.. During the day it is tropical warm with maximum temperatures of about 28 to 33 degrees. Perfect weather for those who want to celebrate a holiday in the sun. It is not for nothing that KLM and TUI bring thousands of tourists from the Netherlands to Curaçao every year. Especially during the school holidays, Curaçao is a hugely popular holiday destination because of the sun security. Check topmbadirectory for how to get to Curaçao.
Curacao ‘s Top 10 Things to Do
#1. Beaches Anyone who goes on holiday to Curaçao almost always does so because of the tropical weather and the wonderful beaches. The beaches of Curaçao are among the best on the Leeward Islands. In total, Curaçao has more than thirty official beaches, almost all of which are located on the sheltered southern coast of the island. You have to pay an entrance fee for a reasonable part of the beaches. Unfortunately, that is part of Curaçao. Fortunately, there are still a number of beautiful sandy beaches that are open to the public. Grote Knip is a very good example of this. This white sandy beach with bright blue sea looks like it came straight out of a travel brochure. Another great public beach is Playa Lagun. This bay is not only ideal for swimmers and sunbathers. It is also one of the better places to snorkel in Curacao.
#2. Willemstad Willemstad is the capital of Curaçao. Most of the shops and restaurants can be found in this historic city. The center is split in two by the Sint Annabaai. The Punda district is located on the east side and the Otrabanda district on the west side. Otrabanda literally means ‘the other shore’. It is therefore, seen from Punda, on the other side of St. Anna Bay. From here you have a beautiful view over the colored houses on the Handelskade on the Sint Annabaai. Otrabanda is connected to the Punda district via the Koningin Julianabrug and the Koningin Emmabrug. When the pontoon bridge is open, you can travel for free with the ferry between both sides of Willemstad.
Punda is the most visited district of Willemstad. A beautiful part of Punda is the Handelskade, where the beautifully colored houses form a beautiful composition. This is Caribbean through and through! It is not for nothing that this part of Willemstad is captured so much by photographers. The yellow-white Penha building, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, is very beautiful. Punda is seen as the center of the city because of the many shops, the covered market and the presence of government buildings.
Willemstad has a number of museums that are worth a visit. For example, the Maritime Museum. This fascinating maritime museum takes you on a journey of discovery through the maritime history of Curaçao. Included is a cruise in the harbor of Curaçao with a ‘water taxi’. There is also talk about the oil industry and there is even a working miniature of the oil refinery.
#3. Plantation houses Former owners of plantations where agriculture, livestock or ships were cared for often built a Dutch-style house on top of a hill. This main house was occupied by the owner and his family. It was built on a hill so that there was a good overview of the plantation and one could have a good look at the neighbors or other plantation houses. A well-known plantation house is the 18th century Brievengat in the Brievengat district. Other country houses that can be visited are Landhuis Santa Martha, Landhuis Jan Kok, Landhuis Doktertuin and Landhuis Ascension.
Landhuis Daniël is nowadays a restaurant that is frequently visited by people who drive between the west and east of Curaçao. The well-known Blue Curaçao liqueur is distilled in country house Chobolobo. There is a small museum located in the mansion.
#4. Christoffel Park
A lot of flora and fauna can be found in this largest national park of Curaçao. There are about eight hiking trails with the choice of easy or challenging hiking. You can also experience a safari or book excursions. By visiting Plantation Savonet you will learn more about the history and culture of the island. In total there are eight walking routes and four car routes through the park. Those who are in good shape can walk to the 371 meter high top of the Christoffelberg. Due to the tropical climate, it is better to do this hike as early in the day as possible.
#5. Swimming with wild sea turtles As far as we’re concerned, sea turtles are among the most amazing animals swimming around in the waters around Curacao. The way these beautiful creatures move is fascinating, especially if you have the chance to experience this from the water yourself. Observing swimming sea turtles has almost a therapeutic effect. You will completely relax if you are snorkeling or swimming near these animals. Not too close of course. You don’t want to startle the animals or otherwise disturb them with your presence. The best place to swim with sea turtles is at Playa Grandi. This beach is located in the west of Curaçao and is also called Playa Piskado because of the fishermen. You can often see the turtles swimming from the pier. This chance is especially high when fishermen are cleaning their freshly caught fish and throwing the fish waste into the sea. This acts as bait for the sea turtles and larger fish. Other good places to visitsea turtles can be spotted at Playa Lagun (especially later in the afternoon) and around the island of Klein Curaçao.
#6. To dive Curaçao is well known for its excellent diving locations. Of course you can jump into the water anywhere in Curaçao, but there are still some super spots that you should not miss. Playa Kalki in the west is also called ‘Alice in Wonderland’, old tugboat Tugboat on the southeast side of Caracas Bay, sunken ship Superior Producer at Double Reef and Porto Marie/The Valley where small nurse sharks occur.
#7. Hato Caves The Hato Caves offer a lot of history on an area of approximately 4900 m² with stalactite caves and water features. The faint murals, some of which are 1,500 years old, date from the time when Native Americans lived there. Later on, it was mainly slaves who hid there, in order to escape the slave traders. With a guide you can admire many of these caves and hear all the stories and myths. You will probably also see some iguanas and bats.
#8. Rif Fort The Rif Fort was formerly used as a watchtower to protect the harbor. Nowadays you will find the most luxurious shops of Curaçao in and around this historic Rif Fort. Old and new go well together here. It is also wonderful to enjoy a nice drink on a terrace in a beautiful setting. You will also find art galleries and local products here.
#9. Klein Curacao Few know that Curaçao does not consist of one island, but of two islands. In addition to the main island of Curaçao, there is a second island: Klein Curaçao. It is located about 10 kilometers southeast of the large island of Curacao. You can therefore only get there by boat, where you are dependent on organized boat trips. There are no regular ferry services between Curaçao and Klein Curaçao. How long the crossing takes depends on the type of boat. With a so-called powerboat you are at sea for more than 45 minutes before you reach Klein Curaçao. With a catamaran the journey takes about an hour and 45 minutes.
The island of Klein Curaçao is really small: the total area is less than two square kilometers. The island is uninhabited and, except for the characteristic lighthouse, virtually undeveloped. There are some roofs where you can shelter from the bright sun. Klein Curaçao is a great place to relax, swim and snorkel. There is a good chance that you can spot sea turtles in the wild here.
#10. Ostrich Farm Ostriches are special animals. It is the heaviest and largest living bird species in the world. Their natural habitat can be found on the continent of Africa. Because these animals thrive in a warm (semi-)arid climate, they are also easy to keep on an island such as Curaçao. Here they live in captivity. They do that at the Ostrich Farm. Here the animals are bred for various purposes. This ostrich farm is worth a visit for tourists because of the guided tours that are held there. They do that by safari truck. While driving over the farm, the guide tells everything about the ostriches, such as about the intelligence of these birds. On the way there is a stop where you can feed the animals and at the end of the tour you can experience how strong these huge eggs are by standing on an ostrich egg. In the accompanying restaurant Zambezi you can eat ostrich meat and ostrich eggs, for example in the form of an omelette.
