Curacao Travel Guide

Travel in Curacao

Other Guides for Curacao

Destinations Near Curacao

Travel Guides Near Curacao

Bonaire, AN (45 mi.)
- Beach Guide
- Family Guide
Aruba (71 mi.)
- Beach Guide
- Family Guide

Caribbean Travel Countries

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Curacao Travel Tips

Choose your beach carefully. The northwestern coastline is rugged and not good for swimming, but the western coastline is sheltered with mellower waters. Locals call large beaches playas and smaller inlets bocas.
Get taxi quotes. Curaçao cabs don't have meters, so you need to get a quote from the driver before going anywhere to avoid a surprise later.
Use English or Spanish. Even though it's a Dutch island, both English and Spanish are widely spoken and understood. You'll also hear the local Papiamentu dialect—a mixture of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French, English, and Arawak Indian.
Feed sharks by hand and swim with dolphins at the Curaçao Sea Aquarium.
Curaçao Underwater Park offers a glimpse of some of the island's best preserved reefs.

Curacao Overview

Curaçao (Coo-ra-sow), together with Bonaire, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, and Saba, is in the Kingdom of the Netherlands as part of the Netherlands Antilles. Just 56km (35 miles) north of the coast of Venezuela, Curaçao, the "C" of the Caribbean's Dutch ABC (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao) islands, is the most populous of the Netherlands Antilles. Visitors come for its distinctive culture, warm people, duty-free shopping, lively casinos, and watersports. Fleets of tankers head out from its harbor to bring refined oil to all parts of the world. If you want grand high-rise resorts on spectacular beaches, head for Aruba. Curaçao has a few middle-bracket resorts on the beach, mostly along the island's southern coast, but we've always found the shopping and cultural experiences here more appealing than the beaches. Read More

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Willemstad, Curacao Travel

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Feature Articles

Wowed by Curacao
On this crazily cosmopolitan isle, you'll laze on Caribbean beaches, get lost in South Africa, have dinner in Suriname and party in Amsterdam.
The Perfect Family Vacation
Kids Sea Camps have something for everyone
Top Ten Caribbean Festivals
Colorful, crazy, and Caribbean—that about sums up these ten island festivals, where you'll want to get on your feet and party like a local.
Top Ten Places to Snorkel
Away.com Beach Experts Gary Chandler and Liza Prado share their favorite snorkel spots in the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico
May Beach Travel Guide

Trip Ideas

Lodge Kura Hulanda & Beach Club
Westpunt, Curaçao Island
Caribbean ABCs: Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao
Pristine Diving Today and Tomorrow: Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
Top 10 Reef Dives

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Attractions

Willemstad historic area

island's capital, Willemstad
harbor area
Willemstad, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles

Description: Willemstad is the capital of Curaçao and the Netherlands Antilles, and is one of the richest cities... Read More

Expert Rated & Recommended

Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue

Punda
Hanchi Snoa 29
Willemstad, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles

Description: The Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue is the oldest synagogue building and the oldest Jewish... Read More

Expert Rated & Recommended

Queen Emma Bridge

harbor
harbor
Willemstad , Curacao, Netherlands Antilles

Description: The Queen Emma Bridge connects the two sides of Willemstad, Punda and Otrabanda. The bridge, which swings open to allow ships to pass, also serves as a pedestrian walkway.... Read More

Expert Rated & Recommended

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