 I
just can’t help humming “Follow the
yellow brick road…” as I fin my way around the
mushroom coral forest of the west end. The aptly
named lobed star coral heads look like they
could’ve flowed from the pen of a fantasy
landscape artist. After about 15 minutes of
threading through the “shrooms,” I enter a
gigantic soft coral region. It’s as if some
underwater gardener arbitrarily drew a line and
said, “OK, on this side of the mushroom coral
we’ll put an expansive delicate coral garden —
now over here we’ll do…” Such is the way of
Curacao. There are many divergent habitats, both
underwater and topside, that often are found
within a whisper of each other.
Historical Perspective
Curacao (pronounced cure-a-sow) is in the
southwest Caribbean less than 50 miles from the
coast of Venezuela — at a latitude that offers
natural protection from hurricanes. It measures
about 40 miles (64 km) in length, about five miles
(eight km) in width, and is quite hilly. Mount
Christoffel, part of the Christoffel National Park,
boasts an elevation of nearly 1,300 feet. With an
annual rainfall of only about 20 inches (51 cm),
it’s a true “desert island” in an oasis of beautiful
blue water. Cactus and other thorny vegetation rule
the open spaces. Living among the prickly branches
are a number of endemic reptiles, birds, bats, feral
pigs, donkeys, and a few small white-tailed deer.
Although evidence exists of human inhabitants as
far back as 2500 B.C., it was around the early
seventh century when migrant Indians from South
America made their way to the arid shores of Curacao
that started the population in earnest. Caiquetios
Indians, part of the peaceful people known as
Arawaks, earned a living through hunting, fishing,
agriculture, and trading with each other. For
hundreds of years these citizens chronicled their
life with cave drawings. Many can still be seen in
the northern caverns of the island. One of
Christopher Columbus’s officers by the name of Ojeda
is credited with “discovering” Curacao in 1499. Even
though the lack of gold and the arid climate failed
to excite the Spaniards, the docile Caiquetios made
easy prey for slave hunting raids and by the early
1500s most of the natives had been captured.
In 1634, a Dutchman by the name of Johan van
Walbeeck wrested Curacao from the Spanish and with
the exception of a few years under British rule in
the early 19th century the Dutch maintained control
from then on. The island’s deep port provided safe
anchorage for ships, allowing the potential for
significant commerce. Raw materials from South
America could be exchanged for European finished
goods. In addition, plantations were set up and salt
production became a chief export. Due to the dry
climate, the plantations met with only moderate
success but within a few years, primarily under the
rule of Pieter Stuyvesant, Curacao developed slave
trading as the major “export.” By the late 1700s
Curacao had become one of the largest African slave
detention centers in the Caribbean. In 1795 a huge
rebellion of more than a thousand slaves lasted
several weeks. This uprising sent waves of
discontent that quickly reached the shores of other
islands. Nevertheless, it wasn’t until 1863 that
slavery officially ended. A superb museum called the
Kura Hulanda now chronicles this dark period of
history.
Shell Oil built a refinery just before WWI and
by the 1930s a significant economic boom was in full
swing. In 1954 the Netherlands Antilles (Bonaire,
Curacao, Saba, St. Eustatius, Aruba,
and St. Maarten) became a self-governing
entity as part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands,
with Curacao hosting the capitol. From WWII till the
1970s oil and offshore finance ruled the island’s
economy. After the oil crisis of the ’70s, Curacao’s
boom collapsed and the island fell on hard times.
The Shell Oil refinery ceased operation in 1985.
Today the government has reopened the refinery and
leases it to a Venezuelan company. Between the oil
refining, offshore banking, and a burgeoning tourism
industry, Curacao’s economy has by and large
recovered.
The unique culture of Curacao is a concoction of
many diverse groups of people including Latin
American, West Indian, African, Jewish, and, of
course, Dutch. Since immigrants from every corner of
the globe now call Curacao home, this lively mix of
people on a relatively small island has produced a
very colorful society. With such an eclectic bunch
it is not surprising that there are a multitude of
languages spoken including a local dialect called
Papiamento. It’s a lyrical blend of several
languages. For example, bon dia means “good day” — a
simple blending of French and Spanish. Each ethnic
group has contributed its own customs, food, and
religious rituals. As travelers we get the benefits
of this comingling in a vivid and enriching
experience.
Bon Dia Diving
 The
rich environment extends below the surface, with
nearly the whole leeward side of the island hosting
more than 70 dive locations (the windward side has
many interesting sites as well but they’re visited
only when sea conditions allow). A variety of these
are “drive up” dive sites, with easy beach access
that makes them perfect for divers of all skill
levels. Snorkelers, too. While dramatic sheer
drop-offs and large pelagic critters are not
prevalent, Curacao has many different coral
environments and wreck sites to choose from. If
these aren’t enough to quench your marine appetite
you can also arrange for a day trip to a small,
uninhabited island called Klein Curacao. Windswept
and desolate with old beached shipwrecks, a
crumbling lighthouse, and some great diving, it’s
well worth the effort.
For diving purposes, the Curacao guidebooks
generally divide up the southwest coast into three
primary areas: Banda Abou starts at the tip of the
west end (Westpunt) and extends to Sint Marie; the
Central Dive Area lies between Bullenbaai and the
Princess Beach Hotel; the southeastern portion is
made up of the Curacao Underwater Park ending at the
east end (Oostpunt). Mushroom Forrest, Wata Mula
Reef, Habitat Curacao’s Resort Reef, and Seldom are
some of the best sites in Banda Abou and arguably
the whole island. I spent much of my time blowing
bubbles around this region. Besides the unearthly
reef structure at Mushroom, large populations of
sponges, soft corals and anemones carpet the seabed.
Reef fish exist in fair quantities and there’s
considerable variety in the number of species as
well. Expect to run across many different damsels,
grunts, basslets, and wrasses with more than a few
moray eels tossed in for variety. The keen observer
may spy a few multicolored sea horses gently rocking
back and forth among the gorgonians and soft coral.
Though big fishes are few in number, schools of
bonnetmouth perform their underwater ballet shows
almost daily.
A highlight of the central area is the wreck of
the Superior Producer. She sits upright in about 110
feet (33 m) of water and sank “naturally” in 1977,
just out of Willemstad harbor when its cargo of
clothing, electronic goods, and whiskey shifted
suddenly. The cargo was “salvaged” within only a few
days by well-meaning locals. The parties reigned for
days. A thick veneer of encrusting sponges and
corals turned her into a colorful steel garden.
Schools of jacks are often present with barracuda
and the odd shark or two coming in for a closer
look.
The Curacao Underwater Park consists of about
1,500 acres (600 hectares) and there’s a move to
expand it throughout the entire coastline. No
collecting, spearfishing or anchoring is allowed.
The signature “tugboat wreck” (there are
actually quite a few sunken tugs around the island)
lies in less than 20 feet (6 m) of water within the
park near Caracasbaai and is a favorite of
snorkelers. Also on this end is Nieuwpoort where
more than a few elephant ear and azure vase sponges
make their home. The close proximity to Willemstad
makes this area a favorite for the visitors who stay
on this side of the island. The multitude of boat
destinations together with very good sites
accessible by shore can make Curacao a much less
scheduled dive holiday. If you feel like skipping a
morning boat dive, or want to find a secluded beach
with your dive partner to explore, just load up the
car and go. Many resorts and dive operators offer
unlimited shore diving in their vacation packages to
make this an easy option.
Caribbean Below,
European Above
Curacao offers a profusion of topside
attractions and activities once it’s time to
off-gas. Beautiful scenery, quaint European-style
architecture, quiet romantic restaurants, or noisy
nightclubs of every imaginable taste make up the
menu. Willemstad, named a United Nations World
Heritage Site in 1997, is a full-fledged city that
looks like Amsterdam during a heat wave. One of the
legends has it that in the early 1800s, the governor
at the time enacted an ordinance prohibiting the
large-scale use of white paint. His physician had
informed him that the sun’s reflection off the white
walls damaged his eyesight. Whether this is fact we
can’t say for sure, but in any event there’s no
shortage of color in Willemstad. Besides
metropolitan-style shopping and curiosities there
still exists 17th century forts, a floating
fruit-vegetable-fish market, and a pontoon bridge
known as the “swinging old lady,” which was built in
1888. It is still in operation. Taking some long
walks around the various sections of the city will
reward you with a unique visual experience.
Willemstad is not the only interesting place on
the island to visit. On the far west end is
Christoffel Park, comprising 5,000 acres (2,000
hectares) of rugged unspoiled desert terrain of up
to 30-foot-tall cactus known as Kadushi and Datu.
Hiking Mount Christoffel will almost assuredly put
you in contact with many of the endemic colorful
orioles and parakeets of the island. On top you’ll
be able to stretch your eyes with unobstructed views
of where the island meets the sea and catch a very
refreshing breeze as well. Archaeological artifacts
and native cave drawings make it difficult to just
pop by for a short visit, so plan to spend a while
exploring. The drive out to the park takes a bit of
time, too, but you’ll pass many old plantation homes
including a few small very old houses still occupied
by direct descendants of freed slaves. Dozens of
museums and monuments are sprinkled across the
island. You can even take a tour of the Amstel
Brewery or the Curacao Liqueur Distillery. The
largest aquarium in the Caribbean, the Curacao
Seaquarium resides just south of Willemstad. This
aquarium connects directly to the sea and by using a
variety of pumps and channels it keeps a thriving
“ecosystem” in easy view for the guests.
With the huge cultural melting pot that is
Curacao — some 170,000 people from more than 55
different cultures — it should be no surprise that
the food here reigns supreme not only in the
Caribbean but also much of the world. Virtually any
international fare is available. As you might
expect, the local cuisine has heavy Dutch and South
American influences. Factory farms do not exist and
much of the foodstuffs are imported from Venezuela
and other South American countries. Freshness is the
key word and it’s immediately obvious when you take
your first bite of keshi yena, a stuffed Dutch Edam
cheese with Antillean flair. Many plantation houses
and forts have been converted to fine restaurants,
each with their own theme. And if you just can’t be
without American-style fast food, the burger joints
are well represented, too.
Pasa Un Bon Dia
Your first visit to Curacao may barely scratch
the surface of what this island has to offer.
Between the offshore sites and the excellent beach
access you’d be hard-pressed to see even a fraction
of the seascape. A fledgling technical operation
with a considerable number of deeper dive sites can
also be found. Even the nondivers in the family have
a multitude of activities to choose from, including
special marine-themed programs just for kids.
Whether topside or below, you’re sure to Pasa un bon
dia — “Have a good day!”
Facts and Figures
Climate: Average air temperature is in the
mid-80s Fahrenheit (28-30 degrees Celsius) with lows
occasionally in the high 60s F (20-21 C). Water
temperature averages 78-84 F (25-29 C). The “rainy”
season occurs mostly October to February by way of
short nightly rains that clear up by day. Trade
winds blow constantly from the east.
Power: 110/130volt, 50Hz; similar but not
identical to North America. Sensitive electronics
(laptops, strobe chargers, etc.) should have
adequate protection. Check with manufacturers’
instructions.
Money: Netherlands Antillean guilder (NAFI) also
called the Florin. Exchange rate is constant US$1 =
NAFI 1.77 cash. All manner of U.S. currency is
accepted most everywhere.
Tipping: Restaurants usually add a 10 percent
service charge. Porters generally expect about the
same; of course, tipping should be based on quality
of service.
Time: Atlantic Standard Time, which is one hour
later than U.S. Eastern Standard Time. During U.S.
Eastern Standard Time with daylight-saving time
there is no time difference.
Getting There: American, Delta from Atlanta, and
Air Jamaica from Atlanta, Chicago, JFK, and LAX.
Travel from the west coast of the United States
usually requires a connection.
Entry Requirements: A valid passport is best for
U.S. and Canadian citizens, although a birth
certificate and photo ID is acceptable. All others
need a valid passport.
General Health: The island has modern hygiene
protocols in place and desalinates its fresh water
at the largest facility in the Caribbean. Water is
safe to drink most places. Only 12 degrees above the
equator means lots of sun. Full sun protection
measures need to be observed. Mosquitoes can be an
issue in some areas.
Dive Safety:
Recompression chambers are on Curacao and Bonaire.
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