DIVE CURACAO DIVE TRAVEL GUIDECuracao - Cyber Diver Top 10 Dive Destination >>  uracao is Bonaire plus the hustle and bustle of casinos, cruise ships and over ten times the population. If you are looking for diving sans mass tourism, go to Bonaire. If you want some of everything plus diving that rivals the quality of Bonaire's renowned marine habitats, Curacao is a better bet. Because they are so close, many dive travelers combine both, starting with Bonaire and hopping over to Curacao for the party atmosphere on the way home.
Beautiful Willemstad (pop: 150,000) on the south side of the island is the big town on Curacao and the capital of the Netherlands Antilles, which also includes Aruba, Bonaire, Saba, St. Eustasius and the Dutch part of St. Maartin. There are still many well-preserved 17th and 18th century Dutch-style buildings and the harbor, the largest in the Caribbean, is magnificent. Wandering around the maze of small streets and lanes that meander back from the waterfront makes you realize why this is one of the few urban areas selected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Similar to Bonaire, divers can beach dive just about anywhere on Curacao. White stones mark the points along the 64 kilometer (40-mile) western coastline as well as the Curacao Underwater Marine Park encompassing some 20 kilometers (12 miles) and 1,500 acres of reef along the southeastern coastline. More remote sites are accessible with several day charter dive boat operators. When to Go Best time to visit? As with most of the Caribbean, the island is most crowded, and most expensive, from November through April. Accommodation can be as little as half of peak-season rates from May through October. Click image to enlarge map |
Facts about Curacao- Area: 171 sq km
- Population: 170,000
- People: African descent, mixed African and European descent, Dutch
- Language: Dutch, Papiamento, English, Spanish; Castilian
- Religion: Catholic, Anglican, Methodist and Jewish
- Government: autonomous state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands
- GDP: US$1.6 billion
- GDP per capita: US$11,500
- Inflation: 3.3%
- Major Industries: Oil refining and bunkering, tourism, offshore banking, phosphates
- Major Trading Partners: USA, EU, Venezuela, Mexico
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