caribbean
WILLEMSTAD, CURAÇAO The first thing you might notice on arrival into Curaçao, an island nation located around 40 miles off the northern coastline of Venezuela, is the floating Queen Emma Bridge, which separates two districts and opens to let ships through.
Curaçao’ s capital, Willemstad, has much to intrigue visitors, from the old town’ s pastel-coloured buildings to the waterfront lined with merchant’ s houses. Remnants of a colonial past can be spotted throughout the city and most attractions are easily walkable from the two cruise terminals. Alternatively, the novelty trolley train stops at all the key landmarks.
Alongside its museums, which tell the story of Curaçao, its history and its people, the island offers a diverse culinary scene, drawing influences from Africa, Spain, the Netherlands and Venezuela. Popular choices include karni stoba( beef stew) and Dutch pancakes— not forgetting the island’ s heady signature spirit blue curaçao, made from the laraha citrus fruit. Sample it at Landhuis Chobolobo, a distillery housed in a 19th-century mansion.
Beaches are a big draw: the best include Cas Abao Beach, which is blessed with warm waters, bleached-white sands and a coral reef, and Knippa Beach, said to be one of Curaçao’ s most exquisite stretches of coastline with clear, turquoise water and fascinating biodiversity.
Take a drive around the island and you might spot lagoons studded with flamingos, striking plantation houses and tropical seascapes with rocky inlets. Alternatively, get your steps in with a nature walk on the western side of the island, starting at the fishing village of Boca Samí. Trace the shoreline through untouched hills and coral pathways before cooling off at Kokomo Beach, a snorkellers’ paradise.
Clockwise from top left: Visitors enjoy a sunny day in Pietermaai, Curaçao; Seaquarium Beach, Curaçao; multicoloured buildings along Willemstad embankment, Curaçao; an outdoor swimming pool at Mambo Beach Club in Willemstad, Curaçao
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