Day 23 Tuesday April 15
Fly. COPA. EZE-CUR via Panama @02:20-12:10. Bus from airport into city 1.5 hours (2$ vs $40). Met a Chilean fellow who travels just like me (sort of) and we walked the 10 minutes from the bus depot to the hostel – The Ritz Hostel & Resort.
ON Ritz. One bunk bed per room, I was alone for the first two nights and had a mate for the last. US$30/night x 3 nights. Fair restaurant. Great bathrooms, sitting areas, kitchen, and wonderful sculpture.
Airports: Curaçao (CUR)
NETHERLANDS – CURACAO
Curaçao is an island in the Caribbean, among the group known as the ABC Islands alongside Aruba and Bonaire. This trio is located near Venezuela, and is considered to be outside the Caribbean’s so-called “hurricane zone”; vacations to the island are rarely disrupted by tropical storms.
One of the most notable things about the island is its unique culture. The architecture is distinctively Dutch, but with the houses painted in beautiful pastel shades. Visitors often see it as a colourful, tropical version of Amsterdam. The local language is a creole called Papiamentu
Capital: Willemstad
Currency: Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG)
Population: 160,300 (2017)
Country Code: +5999
WILLEMSTAD
HISTORIC AREA OF WILLEMSTAD, INNER CITY AND HARBOUR, CURACAO WHS
Fort Amsterdam (Curaçao). A tiny fort on the point of the east side of the river. Closed for many years. Appears to have been incorporated into a large hotel with is likewise closed.
Queen Emma Bridge. A long floating bridge over the wide river. Often opens to let ships pass, then there is a ferry.
Day 24 Wed April 16
We went out to Mambo Beach, mostly a single large resort and small beaches behind a breakwater. Known for its nightlife and partying. Need to go all the way to the west end to snorkel. But don’t know if I can even rent a snorkel. My friend just wanted to sit on the beach, so I left and hitchhiked to
Landhuis Chobolobo, a distillery producing orange liquor (Senior 1896). Jews from Amsterdam came in 1679 and built the synagogue in 1732. Distilled from sugar cane and then flavoured – chocolate, tamarind, coffee and rum raisin.
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral. An RC church, 3-nave, no chapels, the W of the Cross is lovely, elaborate oil paintings. Gilt altar and Jesus on a cross.
Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue. The oldest synagogue in the Americas. Large white stone building with a typical austere interior. 10,000
Kura Halanda. An area first settled by a few houses in 1707, it was a busy residential neighbourhood in 1825. When the bridge was built in 1970, many moved out and became a den for drugs and prostitution. It was purchased and completely renovated into a lovely, quaint neighbourhood with galleries, restaurants and many businesses.
The Curacao Museum. History from the Awawak to present, models, maps, history of wars and the main Dutch occupation. A long walk west of downtown on a hot day. $10
Desenkadena Unchained (Tula Monument). Tribute to the Martyrs) 1795 is a small white column ending in a fist holding a broken chain. Much more prominent is a great modern bronze of a dancing woman, and 2 very muscular men, one hammering a huge spike into a block.
Day 25 Thur April 17
My plan was to take a bus to Klein Knip Beach, but it didn’t turn out that way. The bus leaves Otrabanda station, takes the north route to Westpunt, but only goes as far as Playa Forti and turns around to completely skip the southwest side of the island.
I decided to get off at the plantation museum, see them and get the next bus back to Willemstad.
Manor Savonet. A plantation house part of the Shete Boka National Park. Exhibits about plantation workers during slavery, and the owners – antiques, tools, photos, and the Awawak.
Plantations in West Curaçao (17/08/2011). Tentative WHS:
Shete Boka NP
I then got the next bus back to Willemstad (about every hour)
Maritime Museum. Gives the best history of the island over 3500 years. Privateers, slaves, trade, development of harbour, Queen Emma Bridge, Defence Force, and Coast Guard. The best may be the model of the Shell Oil Refinery. $10
INFORMATION
Climate. Curaçao is warm and sunny throughout the year. The average temperature is about 27° C (81° F). Trade winds with a cooling effect blow constantly from the east. The rainy season is between October and February. Showers during the rainy season occur mostly at night and are usually short. Total annual rainfall is around 570 mm (22 inches).
The island lies outside of the hurricane belt and a hurricane has not made landfall in Curaçao since the United States National Hurricane Center started tracking hurricanes. Prehurricane tropical storms occasionally affect Curaçao; the last one to do so was Tomas in 2010.
Language
The native language, Papiamentu, is a mixture of Portuguese, Spanish (90%) and Dutch (10%), but with a very basic grammar and a limited vocabulary. Most people from the island also speak Dutch, English, and Spanish.
GET AROUND
By Car. If you are involved in an accident, local laws prohibit moving your car. You’ll need to dial 199 for road service. If you stay outside of Willemstad, renting a car might be a good option as the taxi fares can be quite expensive and public transport is not very reliable.
Taxi. US$ 40 from the airport, 50 on holidays.
By bus. There are two types of buses on the island, BUS. and Konvoi. Two bus stations in Willemstad – Otrobanda Station, located across the street from the Rif Fort (services the west) and Punda Station (serves the eastern island and the airport). The destinations do not typically overlap, so a 10-15 minute walk between stations may be necessary for cross-island trips.
SEE
Watamulu, the “lungs of the island”: Between Nordpunt and Westpunt hollow rocks and corals spit out water with every wave. An impressive sight and a must see when in the area. Note that one either needs a car or has to hike from Westpunt.
Christoffel National Park, West Point. Home to Boca Grandi, Indian caves where you can see paintings by the Arawak Indians and Mount Christoffel. (At 1292 feet high, Mount Christoffel is the highest point in Curaçao.)
Shete Boka National Park, West Point. Home to the “7 boca’s” including Boca Tabla and Boca Pistol (also known as “The Shooting Pistol”) In season, some of the boca’s serve as sea turtle breeding grounds.
Hato Caves, ☏ +5999 868-0379. F.D. Rooseveltweg Z/N. Open 7 days a week, with tours 2 times a day. Coral and limestone caves that were carved out below the sea and born when the sea level dropped. There are beautiful stalactite and stalagmite formations as well as water pools and a waterfall. The cave is also home to a colony of long-nosed fruit bats. (Because of the colony, photography is limited and not allowed in certain chambers.)
Snorkeling and Diving at Curaçao’s Marine Park. The complete southwestern side of Curaçao is one large coral reef and marine park. In the north you can dive at the Banda Abou National Park, in the center at the Central Curaçao Underwater Park and in the south at the Curacau Underwater Park. Curaçao offers plenty of dive sites, from easy shore dives, pristine coral bay dives, to sheer drop-offs, especially in the southeast.
BEACHES
Curaçao’s public beaches are concentrated on the southern coast, especially the western side. Find these from Rif St. Marie up to Westpunt.
Lots of land on the eastern coast is privately owned and access is prohibited; exploration of these areas is not encouraged, as private security services patrol most of the area and are known not to take intrusions lightly.
Playa Kalki is at the far west end of the island, past the town of Westpunt. Restaurant and Ocean Encounters West, a full-service dive shop.
Playa Grote Kenapa (Big Knip) is a large sand beach west of the town of Lagun.
Playa Kleine Kenapa, (Little Knip) is also past Lagun. Secluded with plenty of shade trees. Bar/restaurant sporadic.
Playa Jeremi is a small, secluded beach slightly north of Lagun. There are no facilities here.
Playa Lagun, is secluded near Lagun. It is a small sandy beach on a rectangular-shaped bay with tall cliffs on each side. The waters adjacent to the cliffs are an excellent place for snorkelling. Both sides of the bay along the cliffs are teeming with a wide variety of marine life and corals.
Playa Porto Mari is a large beach with a full-service restaurant, and a complete dive shop including fresh water showers and restrooms operated by Porto Mari Sports
Cas Abao is a beach on a plantation. It is a long, stretched sandy beach with lots of facilities including huts, beach chairs, a restaurant, fresh water showers and bathrooms.
Daaibooi Baai is near Habitat in Rif st. Marie. Limited facilities. Huts, restrooms, grill area. Beautiful protected cove with calm waters. Avg depth: 20m
Pirate Bay. Is located on the Piscadera Bay, a short drive a few miles west of downtown Willemstad near The Marriott and Hilton hotels. It has many beach amenities including showers/bathrooms, Hook’s dive center and an excellent full service restaurant.
Habitat Beach is located in Rif St. Marie on the SW coast. It is Curaçao’s Newest beach and has a full-service Dive Operator, DiveVersity, Habitat Dive Hotel, Oceans Restaurant, and is in the gated community of Coral Estate.
Kontiki Beach is about a ten-minute drive east of downtown Willemstad near Breezes hotel. Kontiki is a full-service beach offering watersports, shops, beach bar and a restaurant. It is also serviced by Ocean Encounters dive center. It can get very crowded.
MONEY
Exchange rates for Netherlands Antilles Guilder or florin, denoted by the symbol “ƒ” or “NAf” is the official currency, but the euro and U.S. dollar are readily accepted.
Automatic teller machines are widely available throughout the island, and many machines will dispense guilders and the U.S. dollar. Currency can generally be exchanged at local hotels, casinos and places of business. The exchange rate is generally pegged at about 1.77 NAf to the USD and stable. Major credit cards are accepted nearly everywhere on the island. Gas on the other hand requires cash (USD or NAf).
