Tourist Places to Visit in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, America

Tourist Places to Visit in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, America

Curacao is an island and one of the constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean. The country of Curacao is made up of major island, Curacao and another uninhabited island, Klein Curacao. Willemstad is the capital and largest city, Netherlands Antillean guilder is the currency and Dutch, Papiamentu and English are the official languages of Curacao.

Geography of Curacao:

Curacao is placed in the southern portion of the Caribbean Sea at the coordinates of 12°11′ N 69°00′ W. It spans a total area of 444 sq. km.

History of Curacao:

There are two theories about the origin of name Curacao, one theory claims that, Curacao was derived from the Portuguese word ‘Coracao’ (heart) and another theory states that, Curacao was the name of the native community of Curacao.

Curacao was one of the five islands that form Netherlands Antilles which was dissolved on 10^th October 2010, when Curacao became the constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands along with Sint Maarten.

How to reach Curacao?

The airport of Curacao Hato International Airport is placed around 13 km away from the capital city, Willemstad. HIA operates scheduled flights from and to major North American cities including Toronto, Miami and Amsterdam in Netherlands and most of the Caribbean destinations.

Curaçao Mega Pier is the major Cruise ship landing point of the island and tourists can hire taxi, scooters, bike and car at any of the local travel agencies of Curacao. Buses are also helpful.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Curacao:

Roman Catholic forms 85% population of Curacao, followed by other communities including Hindus and Muslims. Bulawaya dance is a typical dance style and Krioyo is a major local cuisine of Curacao.

The capital city, Willemstad holds most of the major and modern shopping centers of Curacao and list of the prominent restaurants in Curacao include:

On y va picnic
Seaside Terrace
Oceans Restaurant
Old Dutch Cafe
Bistro le Clochard

Things to do in Curacao:

Diving
Snorkeling
Boat tour

Places of interest in Curacao:

Curacao Maritime Museum:

Maritime Museum of Curacao holds more than 500 years old ship models, navigation equipment and nautical charts related to Curacao’s maritime history. It also conducts guided tours every Wednesday and Saturdays afternoon. The museum is open from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM from Tuesday to Saturday.

Christoffel National Park:

Christoffel National Park is at the West Point of the island, maintained by Carmabi Foundation. It is home to the highest point in Curacao, Mount Christoffel (1292 feet) and Boca Grandi, which is an Indian cave where the Arawak Indians left many beautiful paintings.

Curacao Sea Aquarium:

Curacao Sea Aquarium is a prime attraction of Curacao offering different activities, especially the dolphin interaction. Advance booking is offered and price may vary on the activities chosen by the tourists.

Other places of interest near Curacao are listed below:

Playa Jeremi
Playa Porto Mari
Habitat Beach
Mambo Beach
Mikve’ Israel Emmanuel Synagogue
Klein Curacao
Playa Kalki
Playa Grote Kenapa
Playa Kleine Kenapa
Fort Nassau
Fort Amsterdam
Hato Caves
Shete Boka National Park
Christoffel National Park

Best time to visit Curacao:

From January to September (dry season) is the best time to visit Curacao to explore beaches and national parks.

Accommodation options in Curacao:

Curacao is an attractive island with numerous striking beaches, water sport centers and historical structures. It is also famous for its world class resorts, casinos, spas and hotels. Here is the list of major hotels and resorts in Curacao: