CURACAO

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Curaçao, it's justifiably famous for a fine liqueur made from sweetened orange peels and for its sunny climate and secluded beaches, but Curaçao (CURE-a-sow) has another claim to fame:  it's well outside of the hurricane belt.  In fact, the last hurricane to hit this part of the Caribbean head on was in 1877.  Except for a brief rainy period in November and December, you're pretty much guaranteed picture-perfect weather.  It goes nicely with the picture-perfect natural and man-made beauty of this small but surprisingly sophisticated island.

Curaçao's strategic position at the base of the Caribbean, just off the northern edge of Venezuela, has made it an important commercial crossroads and connected it with several people you studied in World History class.  Amerigo Vespucci, Simon Bolivar and Captain Bligh from Mutiny on the Bounty fame are all part of Curaçao's colorful past.

Let's not forget Peter Stuyvesant, who became governor of Curaçao in 1642, eight years after the Dutch West Indies Company claimed the island.  Stuyvesant left Curaçao in 1647 to become Governor of New Amsterdam, a/k/a New York City.  Meanwhile, Curaçao became a Dutch commercial center, which it remains today.

The island's rich and diverse history explains its international flavor and mixture of Old and New World charm.  The native language, Papiamentu, is a creole mixture of Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, English, French, African, and some Arawak Indian.  Here you'll find an astonishing array of 300- year-old architecture, from the low-rise merchant houses made of brightly-colored coral in the island's capital of Willemstad to jewel-like mansions nestled on hills throughout the countryside.

But it's the sun and natural beauty that bring people here today. Well, that and the duty-free shopping. And the casinos and internationally-renowned food.  Did we mention that Curaçao houses the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the Americas?  And the most comprehensive slave history museum in the Caribbean?  And the world's largest floating pedestrian bridge?  And the Amstel Brewery?

Curacao Map