Bonbini, Beinvenidos, Welcome. Just those warm words of greeting reflect the diversity of the 55 nationalities that make up this wondrous and almost magical Caribbean Vacation Destination!

The Dutch Caribbean is one of my favorite areas to travel into. People always ask me why I enjoy going to a desert type island with outback terrain and cactus that run to the sea. Well the first reason is the mix of people that makes Curacao not just a Caribbean resort destination but a global community. Curacao is like a pepperpot stew mixed with spices and herbs that reflect in her fantastic cuisine. How many places in the world can you walk down streets dating back to the 1600’s and sample food from all over the world in picturesque sidewalk cafes, hidden little eatery’s tucked in pastel colored buildings, or sit on the ramparts of a 17th century walled fort and eat Indonesian food, Brazilian treats, Texas BBQ, Caribbean dishes and Dutch ice cream as you watch a desert-type of sunset! You know the New Mexico high desert purple and pinks- one huge difference the sunsets here sink below the Caribbean sea before being replaced with heavenly constellations.

The Carnival on Curacao is an electric multi-cultural rainbow of excitement!
The Carnival of Brazil has its samba, New Orleans Mardi Gras is jazz, Trinidad its calypso, but Curacao Carnival has its TUMBA! And the people pull out all the stops to make their carnival one of the most unique and spectacular in the Caribbean. It all starts in early January with a special music festival held to choose the Tumba (song) for the Carnival. The winning singer is named Tumba King or Queen for the Carnival festivities!

The island comes alive preparing all the floats, costumes that will be used in the “Grand Marcha” as well as working on their dance routines.

The carnival is not just for humans- two weeks before the main carnival there is the march of the horses and the children are honored by their own Carnival Grand March complete with Tumba champions, costumes and festivities. And then at last- usually in Feb- the entire population and people from around the world join in all the spectacle and excitement and energy that make up Curacao’s contribution to Carnival!

The City of Willemstad looks like a mirage of Amsterdam floating on a desert sea!
A visitor of the 21 century to the pastel colored city of Willemstad will be looking at many of the same waterfront buildings and forts that were in place in the 16th and 17th century. The city is so historic and blessed with colorful and unique architecture that UNESCO designated the entire city as a world heritage site!

Curacao Hotels and Resorts-

Curacao is a unique Caribbean Vacation Destination and it has a diverse range of hotels, resorts and villas. For Caribbean Luxury Hotels and popularly known resorts you will enjoy the Curacao Marriott Beach & Emerald Casino, The Curacao Hilton, The Holiday Beach Hotel & Casino, The Plaza Hotel & Casino and the Super Clubs Breezes Beach Resort. (Formally known as the Princess Beach)

Let me also recommend some of the following to give you the taste and flair of Curacao that you may not be aware of:
The Avila Beach Hotel- Dutch Colonial Style Mansion dating back to the 18th Century. Family run for generations. This is a perfect for Honeymoons or romantic getaways.
The Hotel Kura Hulands is a Luxury Boutique Hotel built inside a beautiful village complex. The Curacao Manor Beach Hotel is an All-inclusive Luxury Hotel with its own private beach.

Do you want to spend the night in an aquarium or swim with dolphins!
Curacao is rated in the top 3 Caribbean shore dive destinations. And there are some incredible water adventures and unique Caribbean dive hotels waiting for you on Curacao. Stay at the Sea Aquarium Resort Villas and you will be located on your own island, surrounded by white sand beaches with free access to the Sea Aquarium located next door! One of my favorite dive hotels is the Lion’s Dive & Beach Resort located on the longest beach on Curacao.

The Lion’s Dive Resort has a PADI 5 Star Dive Center, charming guest rooms and a pool and terraced bar area known locally as one of the best places to watch those incredible sunsets! And for that luxury spa and dive resorts then you will want to check out the world famous Habitat Curacao complete with junior suites, villas & complete dive and spa packages! You can do unlimited shore dives from Habitat Curacao as well as night dives on the reefs right out in front of this beautiful resort.

You can’t really go wrong with any of the hotel accommodations that you choose and you can’t go wrong with any of the dive spots on Curacao.

The Sea Aquarium offers you a chance to attend the Dolphin Academy where you choose to interact with the Dolphins from several programs- Dolphin Encounters, Swimming with Dolphins and Diving with Dolphins.

Have you ever petted a stingray or wanted to feed a shark by hand? Well you can with another unique program offered at the Sea Aquarium. You are allowed to dive the aquarium itself and pet and touch a variety of wild sea creatures and feed many of them from a bucket. You feed the sharks through tiny holes in the plexi-glass. This is an experience that you and your family won’t soon forget!

Beaches are one of the best kept secrets on Curacao. And the best ones are not found in the typical long beaches found on some islands but rather in small intimate bay inlets known as “Bocas” in the local papiamento language.

There are 38 main beaches located on the island with the most popular located on the west end of Curacao and at Sea Aquarium Beach. The north and east end has wilder surf and more undertow but the beauty of the “Bocas” is that they are blessed with clear waters and calm seas- safer for the family outing!

But Curacao also has a wild or adventure side to her. You can spend the day fishing or exploring the above ground caves. You can mountain bike or take a canoe safari snorkel trip. Windsurfers can rip across the waters due to the brisk trade winds. Birdwatchers and hikers can trek into the national park and climb to the highest point of 1,237 foot. Mt. Christoffel. And perhaps some horseback riding or a jeep safari might be what you are looking for.

At the end of the day remember to find that scenic vista where you can soak up the magnificent sunset. And you will reflect on the beauty of the this Caribbean desert oasis, her colorful reefs, her mountains, historic city, ancient forts and international cuisine. But I bet at some point you will smile and think about her friendly and diverse people that welcomed you to this Caribbean island with a Dutch flavor and a Caribbean Soul!