 Substation Curacao -
The Substation on Curacao is one of the best and most unique attractions on the island and is a must on your things to do in Curacao list. The Substation was built in 2003 and has been attracting tourists ever since as this attraction is perfect to experience the incredible underwater scenes without going scuba diving. The Substation allows passengers to travel below the water to witness the beautiful marine life, wrecks and coral. The submarine can descend as far as 1000 meters, which is much deeper than a diving expedition, so the sea life will be more spectacular. All passengers are weighed before entering the submarine and the weight of the sub added or subtracted so that the buoyancy is perfect. Passengers are able to breathe the air naturally while in the submarine and there is no pressure from the sea, this eliminates the risk of decompression sickness. The Submarine is based on the Aquarius undersea sub, more than 30 years old and all of the systems were certified by Germanischer Lloyd meeting the highest safety standards.
The Dolphin Academy -
The Dolphin Academy is another Curacao to do attraction as visitors can come to the center to observe and interact with dolphins in the two indoor pools and also in open sea. The Dolphins in the center are east coast bottlenose dolphins and live in shallow watered bays but are commonly known as offshore bottlenose dolphins as they are often seen in waters around Curacao. Other types of dolphins which can be seen in the area are the Spinner dolphin and striped dolphin. There are 14 dolphins in the center and each has its own history. There are different activities that can be carried out by visitors, including one called Dolphin Encounter which is where people can get on the water with the dolphins and hug them while learning all about them with the maximum amount of people participating in the activity being 6. Everyone will have the opportunity to learn, examine and explore the anatomy of the dolphins with the experience lasting 15-20 minutes and is unforgettable for all visitors to the island. Swimming with dolphins is another activity available to the visitor center which allows any person who participates to interact with dolphins and takes about 30 minutes, participants must be competent swimmers and they will receive training before entering the water. Dolphin snorkeling and diving in open water is more is for the more adventurous visitor and is a great way to experience the dolphins up close in their natural habitat to learn more about them. The dolphins will swim with you and allow you to hold onto their dorsal fin pulling you along. While under the water you can watch the dolphins playing with fish around them and you will also be surrounded by beautiful coral which makes the experience even more special.
Willemstad
Originally Willemstad was founded as Santa Ana by the Spanish in the 1500s and was renamed in the 17th century by Dutch traders who found the natural harbor a perfect hideaway along the Spanish Main. Willemstad's historic pastel colored, red-roofed town houses and natural harbor are on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Willemstad is a great place to visit or stay when on your Curacao vacations with the history and sights to see.
Saint Anna Bay runs through the heart of Willemstad. This narrow span belies its natural depth, which is sufficient to allow even cruise ships to berth directly in town. Two bridges span the bay: the pedestrian-only Queen Emma Bridge, a pontoon bridge that floats on the water and opens about every half-hour to allow boats to pass by, and the more modern 50m-high (164-ft.) Queen Juliana Bridge, which has a four lane modern highway and is high enough to allow even the most ostentatious mega-cruise ships to sail below.
Orientation - Downtown Willemstad has two central districts on either bank of the bay. Punda ("The Point" in Papiamentu) is the name given to the eastern side, noted for its Dutch colonial architecture that lines the front street, Handelskade. This is the oldest part of town and was the original Dutch settlement where ship merchants built structures that served a dual purpose, with shop and warehouse on the ground floor and residence above. Shaded porches and galleries offered protection from the sun, and ample windows on all stories cooled interiors with cross breezes from the trade winds. Tile floors were also designed to cool rooms off.
The western side of town is called Otrobanda ("The Other Bank" in Papiamentu) and is marked by the historic Rif Fort. Built to protect the mouth of the bay, the fort was run by the U.S. Army during World War II. Nazi submarines were kept out by a large chain-link net that was drawn across the harbor. Now the fort houses a variety of high end retail shops and restaurants and is home to the posh Renaissance Curacao Resort and Casino, a definite must on your Curacao to do list.
Guided Tours
- There is a 75 minute trolley tour available taking you to the city's places of interest. The cars of the trolley are open sided and operated by a tiny pink "locomotive," the service provides several trips each week. You can board the trolley at Fort Amsterdam near the Queen Emma Bridge and cost is $25 for adults and $20 for children aged 2 to 12. Call ahead for availability (tel. 599/9-461-0011).
- Walking tours of the city are available also and are an enjoyable alternative if the trolley is not in operation on the day you are in the city.
- Contact Jopi Hart on (tel. 599/9-767-3798) or Eveline van Arkel (tel. 599/9-747-4349) for an historic walk around Otrobanda.
- For a tour around Punda to see all of the towns beautiful architecture call Anko van der Woude (tel. 599/9-461-3554).
- Gigi Scheper (tel. 599/9-697-0290) runs 3 hour tours around Willemstad focusing on the Jewish heritage of that part of the island, the price for this is $55 per person and the tour includes trips to the Jewish cemetery, the liquor distillery and more.
Sights on your tour - You will find that Otrobanda has the latter stage of the architectures and with a more prominent Spanish influence. Otrobanda is known to be the place where all types of people who were not welcome in Punda would go. There are narrow winding streets and alleys with a mixture of architectural and cultural styles. The buildings are all low profiled and built so a view of the harbor was possible in case of attack. Some of this architectural "nonstyle" can be seen in the maze connected to the Hotel Kurá Hulanda ("Holland Yard" in Papiamentu) complex. In 1888 the Queen Emma Bridge was built and after this many rich merchants purchased land on the Otrobanda side and built luxury lavish mansions. Many of the mansions were left for years in disrepair but have now been restored to their former beauty as this has also become a tourist destination over the years for peole on their Curacao vacation.
The statue of Pedro Luis Brion sits at the end of the pontoon bridge dominating the square known as Brionplein. Pedro Luis Brion was born in Curacao in 1782 and became the best known war hero and favorite son. He was an admiral serving under Simon Bolivarand and fought for the independence of Venezuela and Colombia.
Fort Amsterdam is the home of the Governor's Palace and the 1769 Dutch Reformed Church which guarded the waterfront. The church still has a British cannonball embedded in it and arches leading to the front.
The Floating Market - If you take a walk to the north end of Handleskade, just a few minutes from the pontoon bridge, you will see the floating market with many schooners tied up along the canal. The boats came to the island from Venezuela and Colombia amongst other West Indian islands to sell tropical fruits and vegetables as well as handicrafts. Those who are frequent visitors to the island will see that the faded wooden tarps which once provided shade have now been replaced by modern colorful sunshades.
Jewish Influence on Curacao
At the corner of Columbusstraat and Hanchi di Snoa near to Fort Amsterdam, you will find the Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue (tel. 599/9-461-1067) dating from 1732 and is the New World's oldest Jewish Synagogue. The first Jewish settlers were led to the island in 1651 by Joaño d'Illan, this was almost half a century after their dismissal from Portugal by the inquisition. When entering the Sanctuary you will notice sand on the floor which is due to a Portuguese Sephardic custom, it is there to represent the desert where Israelites camped when the Jewish passed from slavery to freedom. It is also said to be a reminder of the custom of quieting footsteps with sand so that they could hide from the Germans during World War II. There is a Holy Ark on the east was which 5m (16ft) high and definitely a highlight, also a raised banca (balustraded dais) canopied in mahogany on the north wall.
Next door to the Synagogue is the Jewish Cultural Historical Museum, Kuiperstraat 26-28 (tel. 599/9-461-1633), this occupies two buildings dating from 1728. There are many ritual and cultural items on display, many dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, but are still used by the congregation. The synagogue and museum are open Monday through Friday from 9am to 4:30pm and closed on High Holidays. Services are Friday at 6:30pm and Saturday at 10am. Admission to both the museum and synagogue is $6, children 12 and under enter free.
Museum Kura Hulanda, Kipstraat 9 (tel. 599/9-434-7765) is one of the most interesting, unusual and largest museums in the Caribbean. The museum is housed in once dilapidated 19th century buildings with exhibits in the museum reflecting the passion of Jacob Gelt Dekker. After making his fortune when he was younger, he quickly collected an assortment of prehistoric, historic and cultural artifacts from the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas. This collection includes a life size reconstruction of a slave ship which once would have sailed from the Ivory Coast as well as fossils, wood masks, fertility dolls, stone sculptures, and musical instruments. There are guided tours available and although they may start slow and unfocussed they do quickly become fascinating as the slave trade history is explained. With its recreation are actual slave quarters which have scores of rusted shackles, chains, and other forms of restraint on show, there are even white KKK hoods and cloaks which are always quite disturbing for visitors. On Wednesday evenings a live reenactment of slave trading and subsequent rebellion takes place. Then opening hours are daily 10am to 5pm, and the entrance fee is $9 for adults, $7 for students, and $6 for children and seniors.
West of Willemstad
If you are keen on walking then West of Willemstad you can walk the distance inland or take a short cab ride from the Queen Emma Bridge to the Curacao Museum, Van Leeuwenhoekstraat (tel. 599/9-462-3873; www.curacaomuseum.an). The Museum was built in 1853 by the Royal Dutch Army Corps of Engineers and was once a military quarantine hospital. The building has been restored and now has paintings, art objects, and antique furniture as part of its collection. Also there is a large collection of Amerindian indigenous artifacts. The opening times are Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, and Sunday from 10am to 4pm. Admission is $4.50 for adults, $2.50 for children 11 and under.
Another interesting museum worth a visit is the Maritime Museum, Van De Brandhof Straat 7 (tel. 599/9-465-2327; www.curacaomaritime.com) it is situated in the historic Scharloo district near the old harbor of Santa Anna Bay with 40 permanent displays that show Curacao’s history. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for children 12 to 16, and free for children 11 and under. Hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 4pm.
The Beth Haim Cemetery is another place of interest as it is the oldest burial site still in use in the Western Hemisphere. It is situated on Schottegatweg West, Northwest of Willemstad. Consecrated before 1659, the 1.2-hectare (3-acre) site has 2,500 graves, some with exceptional tombstones.
National Parks
The Chistoffel National Park is a 45 minute drive from Willemstad towards the western tip of the island, it is a 4,500-acre park with cacti, bromeliads, and orchids. The Dutch Leeward's highest point is also in the park - Saint Christoffelberg (369m/1,211 ft.). You can see donkeys, wild goats, iguanas, Curaçao deer and many species of birds also thrive in the arid countryside with cliffs decorated with historic Arawak paintings. The one way trail roads which are 32km (20 miles) long pass the highlights of the island, however the rough terrain roads can make for the shortest trail (8km/5 miles) a 40 minute drive. There are hiking trails for tourists to enjoy including a 2-hour climb to the summit of Saint Christoffelberg. The park is open Monday to Saturday from 7:30am to 4pm and Sunday from 6am to 3pm, it is advisable to go early before it gets too hot. The entrance fee is $10 and this includes admission to the one room museum which has various whale skeletons currently. (tel. 599/9-864-0363).
Next door, the park has opened the National Park Shete Boka (Seven Inlets National Park; tel. 599/9-864-0363). This is a turtle sanctuary in a cave with pounding waves off the rough north coast. Admission is $3 per person.
If you want to learn more about nature, conservation, and history in Curacao, nature explorations suitable for the whole family are available, such as deer spotting, a pickup truck safari, or a day hike up the mountain. Visit the website for more information - Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity Foundation's, www.carmabi.org.
North & East of Willemstad
Just northeast of the capital is Fort Nassau which was completed in 1797 and christened Fort Republic. It was built high on a hill overlooking the harbor entrance to Saint Anna Bay in the North as a second line of defense and was fortified in case the waterfront gave way.
There is of course the famous Curacao Liqueur Distillery in Landhuis Chobolobo, Saliña Arriba (tel. 599/9-461-3526; www.curacaoliqueur.com), it operates in a 17th century landhuis (villa) where Curacao's famous liqueur is made. The drink is distilled from dried Curaçao orange peel and mixed with herbs and spices. The tour is available Monday to Friday from 8am to noon and 1 to 5pm and at the end visitors receive a free shot of the liqueur. Some variations of the drink have recently been introduced, flavors like chocolate, coffee, and rum raisin, however the original orange flavor (regardless of the color) remains a favorite. The orange peel is also used to make another completely different product, a cooling spray called Alcoldo Glacial. Te spray soothes hot skin and also acts as a repellant against insects. The Spray is said to have many curative properties. This one place all tourist will want to go during their Curacao vacation and even locals like to visit often!
The Curacao Ostrich Farm (tel. 599/9-747-2777; www.ostrichfarm.net) is a great place for the whole family. It is an open sided safari style tour bus leaving each hour so that visitors can see the birds up close. The bird's ages range from new chicks to fully grown adults and as you go around the farm on the tour it is possible to feed, pet and even ride the ostrich. This may make visitors think twice before trying the ostrich meat served in the restaurant nearby. The farm is one of the largest breeding facilities for these huge birds outside of Africa and is open Tuesday to Sunday 9am to 5pm.
For those who believe in the curative properties of aloe, a visit to the Aloe Vera Plantation (tel. 599/9-767-5577; www.aloecuracao.com) may be the perfect day out. It is not a surprise that all guided tours describe the process of production from the plantation to the shelf in the factory gift shop. The plantation is open Monday through Friday 8am to 4pm and Saturday 8am to noon. Admission is free, but you may be inclined to purchase an aloe product although there is little if any sales pressure from the staff.
As you can see, Cauraco is drenched in history keeping you completely busy during your Curacao vacation with things to do. From swimming with dolphins to riding an ostrich, it is amazaing all of the things to do on Curacao you can enjoy, not only to occupy your time but also creating many lasting memories.
|
Current Open Houses:
Follow us on Twitter
Were on Facebook
RSS Feeds: