Why you should visit Curacao

[ruso]

Curacao is a small piece of land between Aruba and Bonaire, 65 km off the coast of Venezuela. Its beaches are sprinkled on the shore in homeopathic doses - small and away from the center.

And, although the most populous part of the island lacks resorts with full infrastructure, a different story is in the island center with has everything from cool hostels to super exclusive resorts. The island also hosts interesting cultural events, unlike other Caribbean sites. Most of them are in Willemstad – the "Amsterdam of the tropics".

Away from the Caribbean hurricane route, Curacao is one of the most captivating destinations in the Caribbean. With sharp blue and very clear water beaches, the island is small (you can cross from east to west in two hours), with comfortable, super wide beaches, no huge resorts or restaurants with questionable American flavors. It has bars and bistros at the center of Willemstad, boutique hotels, beautiful landscapes and Dutch architecture with Caribbean colors.

A good reason to travel there is because it is cheaper than many other Caribbean islands. There are good boutique hotels with double room rates for 50- $ 70. To eat, you spend between $ 15 and $ 25. To enter the beach (the best ones have an entrance fee), average $ 2-US $ 5 per person.

Be aware that its high season is between December and April, when prices become more expensive. Then, airline tickets and accommodation prices fall. To get an idea, in peak seasons hotels can be up to 30% more expensive.

Once on the island, you will need a car to comfortably get around. Public transport does not reach all beaches, and paying taxi fares will become more expensive. The most beautiful and wild beaches are in Westpunt (far west): Canepa Grandi, Cas Abao, Jeremy and Porto Marie. For Cas Abao and Porto Marie you need to pay admission: $ 6 per car in Cas Abao, and $ 2.50 per person in Porto Marie. Both beaches have restaurants. Canapa and Jeremy don´t have, so you may want to take a snack to spend the day.

On the east of the island, you can find Mambo Beach Complex, where the sea aquarium is located. It is an artificial beach, not very interesting compared to Jan Theil, which is a beautiful, natural beach. In addition to the blue sea, Jan Theil has many cool bars and restaurants with sun loungers, hammocks and gazebos.

This is where the Ávila and Papagayo hotels are located, great accommodation options for those who want to stay on a real beach. Because this is a great place, and with a good restaurant, it is worth spending the whole day here.

Klein Curacao is where you can find the most crystalline sea in Curacao. It is 90 minutes away from Curacao. Once there, there are no hotels or restaurants. You will only find sea, sand, a lighthouse and turtles. The journey is by boat, and lasts all day.

Another great spot is the Blue Room, which is a cave in the ocean, which you can only reach it by boat. After diving into the cave, the boat heads to Piskadó Beach, which is not beautiful, but it is full of turtles.

The island has had a mixture of influences due to its past: Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish and African have left their mark here. Perhaps the greatest evidence of this diversity is the Papiamento language, which is the most widely language spoken on the island, which brings together a small portion of each language. It is worth noting that all children at school speak at least 4 languages.

Willemstad is the capital of Curacao, and is divided into Punda and Otrobanda (and the district of Pietermai is very close to Willemstad). Punda and Otrobanda are connected by a mobile bridge. The Punda side is where the Fort Reef and the Renaissance Hotel are located.

Next to Otrobanda there is the waterfront and many shops, as well as the food and fruit market. It’s a great place for an afternoon walk here, except on Sunday because everything is closed.

In conclusion, swimming in crystal clear water (you can see fish between your legs) is the best reason to visit the island. What are you waiting for?