Lying off the coast of Venezuela, and part of the Dutch Antilles, Curacao is the idyllic result of a wide range of cultural inputs and influences.
After the Dutch captured the island from the Spanish in the 17th century, they set about building and naming towns, ports and forts. The capital Willemstad, Scharloo and Fort Amsterdam are unmistakable reminders of the homeland and several areas of Curacao feature on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Jews from Brazil and West African slaves have also gathered in Curacao and made their mark. The fabulous colours, verandahs and lacy woodwork are all pure Caribbean however, and so is the glorious blue sea, blue sky setting.
You can hire a bike to pedal past the mansions, plantations, cactus fields and the rugged northern coast. Lazier visitors resort to hiring jeeps. But what you'll inevitably end up doing is relaxing on one of the quiet, calm beaches of the southwest. There's something for everyone from rocky coves, to social centres packed with families at weekends, to beaches like Banda Abou offering watersports, and canoes for watery coastline safaris.
The clear sea is teeming with fish, and the water is calm enough for cautious snorkellers and beginner divers. There are plenty of reliable dive schools catering for every level of diver. The more experienced tend to head for Porto Mari with its unusual double wall of coral reef.
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