Welcome to the
beautiful island of Curacao

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhO1_KHQqOw

Overview

Curacao is a colourful and lively island. It has a lot of attractions and UNESCO world heritage sites. It is a flat island that stretches 40 miles southeast to northwest. This island is beautiful and is filled with a lot of activities for adults and children. They also have year round weather that is warm so it can be visited at anytime. Curacao is a part of the ABC group called Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. It is also the largest island in the Dutch Caribbean group.

Entry/Exit Requirements

Canadians must have a passport to travel to Curacao. The passport must be valid three months beyond the date of departure.

No visa is required unless the visitor wants to stay more than 30 days then it is required.

Permanent Residents of Canada must travel with their Permanent Residence card and passport must be valid from their country of origin.

Things to know

It is prohibited to export seashells and corals.

A person can only purchase $600 worth of duty free merchandise.

An international driving permit is required to drive in the country.

Purchase insurance when riding motorboats or other vehicles.

No cell phones are allowed while driving.

Always have a form of identification on you at all times.

Weather and climate

This island is located in the tropics north of the equator. The climate year round is sunny and the rainy seasons are from October to February. Showers are at night and for the day time it is mostly sunny.

Language

The two main languages spoken in Curacao are Dutch which is the official language and Papiamentu which is the most common. English and Spanish is also widely spoken.

Road Travel

All of the main roads are in good conditions but signs are rare. Driving is on the right hand side of the road and turning right on red lights is prohibited. All taxes have meters with fixed rates and also they have badges and labels to identify themselves.

Culture

Curacao is an island that has over 50 nationalities. There are 150,000 inhabitants with afro-Caribbean making up majority of the population. Historic slave trade is a rich cultural heritage in Curacao which is greatly embraced by locals and visitors. Dutch is the official language but English and Spanish are widely spoken. There is also a Creole blend of African, Spanish Portuguese, Dutch, French, English and Arawak Indian.

Food

The food is different and very delicious in Curacao. There is the mouth watering Bami that is a combination of long noodles, vegetables and meat. Another famous dish is Yuana which is stewed iguana. There are also festive dishes such as KeshiYena also known as stuffed cheese which is Curacao most famous dish.

Fun Activities

Substation Curacao

This is known as the world famous mini submarine. It brings passengers to deep levels where no one has ever been before. This unique sub-marine is called Curasub. It leaves the island and descends four times a day from Bapor Kibra. This sub-marine is also used for scientific marine research. The tour last for one hour and fifteen minutes and also the price includes a USB stick with photos taken underwater.

Cycling and Mountain Biking

Curacao is a great place for a wonderful mountain biking experience. They have four different types of trails to suit everyone. They are called Jan Theil Trail, Christoffel Trail, Boca St Michiel Trail and St Joris Baai. All of these trails have different stops to distinctive places.

Attractions

Hato Caves

The history of the caves is given by tour guides. On these tours they will point out any specific shapes and they give stories about what happen in the caves with slaves in the past. These caves are different from any other caves in the world. It was also used as a hiding place and homes for slaves.

Curacao Winery

There are different programs and also wine tastings each day. Dutch wine will be served from the winery. At the end of 2015 Curacao expected their first wine before they were serving wine from the Netherlands.

Nightlife

Most of the fun and activities are located at hotels and resorts. On specific days they have different nightlife performances.

Sundays- The night out on Curacao Beach Mambo Beach

Friday night – Mostly at mambo beach and Jan Theil Beach

Saturday night – Mambo Beach, Cinco and De Nachtwacht