Curaçao

Curaçao

Curaçao is an autonomous area and today belongs to the Netherlands Antilles which in turn belongs to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Dutch is the official language, but many residents also speak the island's own language, Papiamento. In addition, both English and Spanish work perfectly in most places on the island. Here in the southern part of the Caribbean you will find very good diving and the marine life is rich. The diving is easy and you can dive directly from land or do day trips by boat.
 
Curaçao has a lot to offer on land as well. There are plenty of restaurants here and it's fun to go shopping or rent a car and drive around the island. Here are magical white beaches, great shopping, entertaining nightlife and many cultural treasures. For example, the capital Willemstad is now on UNESCO's list of places to be protected and preserved as part of the world heritage. The island also has a dark history as it was for a time the slave center of the Caribbean. This is well documented in the world famous, fascinating and moving museum Kurá Hulanda which is well worth a visit.

The diving

Diving here is very popular and attracts enthusiasts from all over the world. The marine life is typically Caribbean with plenty of fish and there are also some wrecks here. Barracudas, stingrays, squid, turtles, various crustaceans are common here. Sometimes dolphins or eagle rays pass by out of the blue. Curaçao has something for all divers whether you are a beginner or a seasoned diver and the diving is very similar to that around its sister island Bonaire which is also well known among divers. The best dive sites are to the west of the island and a majority of the dive sites are close to land, making diving easily accessible. The diving is normally easy so even for beginners this is a perfect destination. Curaçao is perfect to combine with Bonaire for a diving trip. If you want a few days with nice all-inclusive, Aruba is the place to go.