Low-Profile Island Has Plenty to Offer Travelers

I knew the Caribbean destination to which I was flying is unfamiliar to many people from the United States, but the cabin attendant’s announcement still surprised me. Reading a list of connecting flights from Miami as we prepared to land there, she came to Curaçao, stumbled over its pronunciation then admitted, “I don’t know how to say the name of that island.”

Maybe the challenging pronunciation of its name (cure-a-sow) is a turn-off to some. But the relative trickle of vacationers from the United States who join those in the know there from Europe and South America are richly rewarded.

Curaçao combines an intriguing history, some of the best shopping, diving and snorkeling in the Caribbean, and an architectural gem of a mini-city that combines European and tropical touches. Adding to the list is an enticing choice of outdoor activities, a sprinkling of casinos for those who like to test their luck, and extremely friendly and welcoming people.

There also are factors that make it an easy place to visit. Most people speak English, the U.S. dollar is accepted, and prices are reasonable compared with more pricy Caribbean destinations.

I’ll grant that Curaçao lacks the large number of outstanding beaches found on some Caribbean islands, but there are 38 that vary from broad stretches of white sand to tiny swatches perched in little coves beneath craggy cliffs. And after all, how many beaches does one really need during a stay of a week or two?

Curaçao’s history and culture are closely entwined with what today is the Netherlands. After the Caiquetios, a tribe of Arawak Indians who lived there as long as 6,000 years ago, the next inhabitants were Spanish explorers who arrived in 1499. Finding no gold or other treasure, they included Curaçao on Spain’s list of islas inutiles (“useless islands”).

The Dutch, attracted by Curaçao’s deep-water port, captured the island in the early 17th century and made it a colony of the Dutch West India Company. That launched Curaçao’s long tradition as a trading center, including slave trade that helped make it one of the most prosperous islands in the Caribbean.

Trade also was responsible for attracting immigrants from around the world, creating the ethnic melting pot that today includes people representing more than 50 nationalities. While Dutch is the official means of communication, Spanish and English are widely spoken. Island residents also converse in Papiamento, a colorful mixture of Dutch, Spanish, African and other dialects.

Early Dutch settlers built stately plantation homes and used slave labor to grow sugarcane, corn and indigo. Some of these landhuizen (land houses), which date back to the mid-17th century, have been restored and today serve as restaurants, galleries and museums. It’s well worth a visit to at least one to recapture that period of the island’s past.

To delve more deeply into the island’s history, Willemstad, the storybook capital of the island, should be your starting point. Architecture is the city’s primary claim to fame. It boasts a delightful tropical adaptation of 17th-century Dutch design adorned with fanciful gables, arcades and columns. Buildings are painted in a virtual fruit-salad of pastel colors including peach, raspberry, mango and grape, both purple and green.

Willemstad is best seen on foot. The two main neighborhoods, Punda and Otrabanda (“the other side”), are linked by the Queen Emma Bridge, one of three spans named after Dutch monarchs. Because the pontoon bridge swings open to allow ships to pass, it’s affectionately nicknamed “the swinging Queen.” The other two are the Queen Juliana and Queen Wilhelmina bridges.

A colorful Floating Market consists of small wooden boats from that dock along a small canal. Their crews sell fresh fish, fruits, vegetables and handicrafts from stands erected on the sidewalk adjacent to their vessels.

Of greater historic interest is Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, which was built in 1732 and lays claim to the honor of oldest synagogue in continuous use in the Western Hemisphere. The sand that covers the floor is said to symbolize the wandering of Israelites in the desert during the Exodus, and to recall that way of muffling sounds during the Inquisition period when Jewish people had to worship secretly. A museum in the courtyard displays scrolls, bibles and other religious objects.

It is one of several museums that, while small, are little gems in terms of their collections. The Curaçao Museum provides an overview of the island’s lifestyles and customs. Exhibits range from geological history and the first Indian inhabitants to the arrival of Europeans.

The Maritime Museum traces more than 500 years of seagoing history of Curaçao. On display are authentic nautical charts, original maps from as long ago as 1666, navigation equipment and a number of highly detailed ship models.

Especially intriguing to me was a book with this hand-written notation from 1713: “We will not be making a profit this year. Curaçao has had to pay the French privateer Jacques Cassard 115,000 pesos to leave the island.”

The pièce de résistance is the Kura Hulanda Museum, a splendid collection that would be at home in any major city. One focus of its somewhat eclectic collection is the history of slavery, including slave trade, Africans in Latin and North America, and Abolition. Especially moving is the full-size recreation of the hold of the kind of ship in which captured slaves were transported to the New World in greatly overcrowded and appalling conditions. Among other exhibits are pre-Columbian gold and 4,500-year-old bronzes and ceramics from the Middle East.

It doesn’t take long after leaving Willemstad to encounter a very different environment. In contrast to the multicolored hues of the city, much of the surrounding landscape is barren and dry, the victim of sparse rainfall. Undulating hills are blanketed by rock outcrops and cactus that grow as tall as trees. In a few places, the terrain more closely resembles a moonscape than a Caribbean island.

One place to enjoy this setting is Christoffel Park, an expanse that was created by joining together three former plantations and which is laced by inviting hiking trails. I chose to skip the heart-pounding climb to the top of 1,230-foot Mount Christoffel and opted instead for the tranquil setting of more level terrain, serenaded by birds and joined by countless small lizards and an occasional iguana that slithered across the path.

That hike was followed by a refreshing dip in the sea. The beach from which I swam was pleasant enough and, unlike many on other Caribbean islands, virtually deserted. Maybe, I concluded, there’s something good to be said for Curaçao’s low profile as an inviting Caribbean vacation destination as yet unknown to many vacationers from the United States.

For further information about Curaçao, call 800-328-7222 or visit www.curacao.com.

Victor Block is an established, award-winning travel journalist whose work has appeared in a variety of major outlets for over a quarter-century. His specialties include off-beat travel, overseas destinations and seniors travel. He augments basic information with an introduction to the people, culture and essence of places he visits. He currently focuses on newspaper travel features. He is based in Washington, D.C., and can be reached at shayphred@aol.com.

Photography Courtesy of Curaçao Tourism Board