Left photo by iStockphoto. Right photo by Pierre Arsenault Left photo by Karin Claus. Right photo by Sasha

The waters of beautiful Playa PortoMari contain a rare double coral reef.

As of October 2010, the Netherlands Antilles as a political entity has been dissolved and Curaçao is now a country in its own right.

Truki pan means literally “bread truck”; these trucks-turned-food-stands open up late and stay open even later for fast, local food and drinks.

The majority of vendors in Willemstad’s colorful floating market are from Venezuela and Colombia and live on their boats until they run out of goods to sell.

The oldest synagogue in continuous use in the Western hemisphere is the Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, founded in 1651 right here in Willemstad.

Did You Know?

The wilds of Christoffel Park are one of the few spots in the Caribbean where you can see the elusive white-tailed deer.

Curaçao International Raceway, built to curb illegal drag racing in the streets, now hosts some of the most exciting race events in the Caribbean.

You can make special arrangements through the Maritime Museum to take a historical guided harbor tour via water taxi.

The popular rhythmic tambú dancing you see throughout Curaçao’s carnival was once forbidden by the Catholic Church.

Curaçao’s drinking water comes from desalinized seawater and is clear and delicious and perfectly safe to drink.

Willemstad was first named Santa Ana by the Spaniards, but the Dutch changed it to honor King Willem. The bay, St. Annabaai, retains the original name.

During World War II, the US Army, which had command of Rif Fort, strung a large chain across the opening of the harbor to keep Nazi submarines out.

The US National slavery museum in Virginia used Curaçao’s Museum Kura Hulanda as a blueprint.

The 1769 Dutch Reformed Church at Fort Amsterdam still has a British cannonball embedded in its façade.

Boka means inlet, and wild and picturesque National Park Shete Boka has seven (shete) of them.

Many Curaçao resorts boast infinity pools, but the Renaissance has a one-of-kind infinity beach.

The Curaçao Sea Aquarium is the largest aquarium in the Caribbean and all of the water hosting its inhabitants is pure, non-chlorinated, natural seawater.

The first cruise ship to visit Curaçao was the Prinzessin Victoria Luise in 1901; it was also the world’s very first cruise ship.

During September and October divers can often observe the colorful annual coral spawning that looks like underwater fireworks.

Klein means “little” and Klein Curaçao is a little uninhabited sister island with fabulous beaches and snorkeling.

Curaçao’s national dish is called keshi yena, which means “stuffed cheese”, and it consists of meat, vegetables, seasonings, raisins, and more, stuffed into the shell of a Gouda cheese.

Curaçao’s houses and buildings often need restoration due to something called “wall cancer” where the salt water used in their construction actually eats away at the cement.

Famous revolutionary Simón Bolívar took refuge on Curaçao and his sisters lived in the Avila Hotel’s Octagon building, which is now a museum in his honor. K

61Nights

Interlude

60 Nights

Interlude