By: Nancy Esteves

The island of Curaçao, located in the southern Caribbean near the coast of Venezuela is a great place

for a Caribbean vacation for the whole family. Accommodations are plentiful—from beach front to

city front and from all price ranges. Here you can discover a diverse culture and colorful architecture

very different from other Caribbean islands– a charming Dutch and Caribbean fusion that is most

definitely off the beaten path.

There are about 35 beautiful beaches on Curaçao. Many are private and rustic with impressive

crystal-clear waters and others typical Caribbean white sandy beaches, but there’s more beyond the

beaches. You’ll find plenty of action for nature lovers –from aquatic adventures, submarine rides,

diving, swimming with dolphins, and venturing along trails and even rustic caves to discover. You will

also find numerous museums, forts, plantations, vineyards and even a medicinal herbs botanical

garden—but most importantly, the lovely, friendly people to make you feel at home.

Here are some definitely different things to do during your visit:

Hato Caves: Perfect for little explorers, Hato Caves provide a 200,000 years old history lesson open for

exploration. The entire family will enjoy the cool temperatures while taking an intimate look at the nature,

history and culture of Curaçao.

CurAloe Plantation: Cultivating more than 100,000 specimens in the most sustainable way possible,

CurAloe  produces luxurious products to soothe your burns and condition your skin. The family can tour the

plantation and learn about the Aloe plant and its harvest for product manufacturing.

Shete Boka: Adjoining Christoffel park, this area spans more than 10 kilometers of the north coast. The

coast’s limestone has been carved out by the spectacular crashing waves to create underground caverns,

some of which are open for public exploration. 

Curaçao Winery: Located near Hato International Airport, Curaçao recently opened the island’s first-ever

winery and vineyard.  Run by the Visscher family, the vineyard has over 2,000 plants on two acres of land,

which will eventually be expanded to 25 acres.  The wine will be harvested from the island’s soil and will be

available to bottle and sell next year.  In the meantime, visitors can enjoy tastings and special events at the

winery, open every day from 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. with happy hour Fridays at 5:00 p.m. 

Klein Curaçao: is a small island that lies 15 miles off the southeast point of Curaçao. These days the

island is an uninhabited, but in the past fisherman and farmers lived there. Dive operators and charter

boats are available to take guests out to the oversized volcanic rock for beach parties, cookouts, and

diving.

Old Quarry Golf Course Curacao at Santa Barbara Beach Resort & Golf Resort:

Rated as one of Golfweek’s Best Courses in the Caribbean & Mexico

Designed by Pete Dye and opened in April 2010, Old Quarry Golf Course takes on the shape of the

naturally contoured site overlooking the Caribbean Sea and the sheltered bay known as Spanish Water.

Measuring 6,920 yards from the championship tees, the Curacao golf course is complemented by an 8,000

square-foot clubhouse featuring a fully stocked golf shop.

Join us every month for updates and features on Caribbean travel, in our Hola Caribe Travel Guide.

Bon Voyage! And Bon Bini!