Located in the south Caribbean Sea and about 45 miles from Venezuela, Curacao is last of the ABC islands along with Aruba and Bonaire. It falls to the north of the South American continent.
Curaçao is mostly dry and flat but the varied landforms make it an interesting island to visit. January to September is relatively dry in Curaçao. The monsoon season is from October to December with irregular rainy spells generally at night. The island receives an annual rainfall of about 22 inches.
The western part of the island has a mountainous landscape with the highest peak — Mt.Christoffel (in the Christoffel park) that is 1,239ft. In contrast, the eastern side is flat and an infertile plain.
The most populated southern part has an uneven shoreline and is made up of bays. There are many beaches with calm waters and hence serve as good diving spots. Like Bonaire, Curaçao also has fringing coral reefs that surround the island.
Curaçao is mostly dry and flat but the varied landforms make it an interesting island to visit.
January to September is relatively dry in Curaçao. The monsoon season is from October to December with irregular rainy spells generally at night. The island receives an annual rainfall of about 22 inches.
The thinly populated northern part has a rough shoreline with strong water currents and no beaches. It witnesses northeast trade winds. Fascinating limestone cliff structures sit on the volcanic rock in the northern coast. Also found in this region are Landhuizen — old plantation houses built in the 18th and 19th centuries.
In 1499, voyagers from Spain arrived in Curaçao. Then, in 1634, the Dutch seized control. Since then Curaçao has been under the influence of the Dutch, though the British did gain possession of it for a short while. It has been a part of the Netherlands Antilles since 1954. With the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in 2010, Curaçao gained control to run its own country within the Kingdom of Netherlands. Dutch is the official language, but people also speak English, Spanish and Papiamento, a creole language.
The Dutch influence is evident in the capital city of Willemstad, which houses 18th century villas. No wonder this city is a UNESCO world heritage site. Curaçao has some interesting museums, of which Curaçao Maritime Museum encompasses 500 years’ worth of naval history. The African musical influence is apparent in the popularity of the tumba drum.
The arid climate in Curaçao is the reason for cacti growing in large numbers. Hence, this plant has made its way to the Curaçao cuisine. It is used for making the soup — Kadushi (cactus), which is green in colour with a greasy texture. Another delicacy is guiambo (okra) soup, made of lady’s finger and seafood is an entrée dish.
If you happen to visit Curaçao during Christmas, be ready to be pampered with Ayaka — cornmeal dough with varied meats is wrapped up in a plantain or banana leaf to resemble a gift. It is then boiled or steamed to bring out the flavour. Curaçao’s cuisine is incomplete without a mention of its national dish — red snapper with polenta (boiled cornmeal), fried plantain and salad.
