Curacao: Discover the Jewel of the Caribbean's Beaches and Culture
Curacao is a beautiful and largely flat island, about 40 miles (64km) in length. The southern coastline is scattered with spectacular bays, beaches, and secluded coves, while the northern shore is more rugged, with the wind and rough surf pounding the weather-beaten terrain.
The best beaches are scattered along the southwest coast where the calm, crystal clear water creates a tropical paradise for divers, snorkellers, and swimmers. Towards the east are the largest bays, where the main port and historic capital city, Willemstad, is situated.
Curacao is an ideal holiday destination for underwater lovers, as the excellent visibility, warm water, active reef conservation, and variety of diving and snorkelling sites rank the island among the most popular dive locations in the Caribbean.
On land there are several interesting sites to visit. There are the Hato Caves and their ancient stalagmites and stalactites; the protected wildlife reserves of Christoffel Park, encompassing Mount Christoffel, which are the highest point on the destination and offer fantastic views over the island from among the park’s exotic flowers, bent trees, and blue iguanas; and the dramatic caverns carved out of the limestone cliffs by the crashing waves within Shete Boka National Park.
The capital city, Willemstad, has been a major international trading centre for centuries, its society a mixture of different nationalities, races, and cultures and its shops filled with goods from around the world. Old Willemstad dates from the 18th and 19th centuries and is one of the most remarkable historic areas in the Caribbean, with charming alleys and superb Dutch colonial architecture housing restaurants, museums, shops, and hotels.
Many of the beautiful Dutch buildings have been adapted to life in a hot and breezy climate and sport Caribbean-style shutters, porches, and verandas, lending further charm to the cheerfully painted historic structures.
Whether the days are spent in sun-soaked relaxation or by taking advantage of the endless activities on offer, on land or in the water, when the sun begins to set the trend is to slip into one of the bars, where happy hour is just the beginning of the night to come.
Key Facts
- Language:
- Dutch is the official language, but English and Spanish are widely spoken. The majority of islanders speak Papiamentu, a Creole language.
- Passport/Visa:
Travellers are required to have a return or onward ticket to another destination, and all the documentation required for that journey. Visa extensions are possible. It is highly recommended that travellers’ passports have at least six months’ validity remaining after the intended date of departure from their travel destination. Immigration officials often apply different rules to those stated by travel agents and official sources.
- Currency:
The official currency is the Netherlands Antillean Guilder (ANG), which is divided into 100 cents. US currency is accepted everywhere and the Guilder is tied to the US Dollar. Most major credit cards are widely accepted. Banks and exchange bureaux will change foreign currency and ATMs are available.
- Electricity:
- Electrical current is 127 volts, 50Hz. Two-pronged flat plugs are used.
Climate in Curacao
The climate of Curacao is idyllic, with plenty of sunny weather and high temperatures all year round. The heat is moderated by pleasant and almost constant trade winds blowing in from the east. The average annual temperature is 81F (27C).
Curacao lies outside of the hurricane belt, but its tropical location does leave it open to suffering occasional violent storms. These can occur at any time of year. Rainfall can generally be expected between October and February, but it is light and usually falls at night.
The most popular time to visit Curacao is between December and April but this is mainly because people want to escape the colder weather in the northern hemisphere and there are school holidays at this time. The tourist low season, between May and November, is actually just as pleasant a time to visit Curacao, with the beaches less crowded and accommodation generally cheaper.
Health Notes when travelling to Curacao
Curacao has no tropical diseases such as malaria (though mosquitoes can be a problem), and no vaccinations are necessary. However, a vaccination for hepatitis A should be considered and proof of a yellow fever vaccination is necessary for those arriving from infected areas. Tap water is distilled from the sea and is safe to drink. There are a number of medical centres on the island, as well as a modern and well-equipped hospital, but travel insurance is still recommended.
Safety Notes when travelling to Curacao
Most visits are trouble free, but petty crime is on the increase and although tourist areas are generally safe it is advisable to take sensible precautions like not taking valuables to the beach or wandering alone off the main roads at night. The islands are used to smuggle drugs from South America to Europe and North America and visitors should not leave bags unattended or agree to carry packages for anyone.
Customs in Curacao
Topless sunbathing and nudity is illegal on the island, and beachwear is inappropriate away from the beach. Curacao is a self-proclaimed ‘gay friendly’ destination.
Duty Free in Curacao
Travellers to Curacao may import 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco, and one litre of alcohol. There are no restrictions around perfume.
Doing Business in Curacao
Curacao is an important centre of business in the Caribbean. Business tends to be conducted formally; punctuality is important and dress is smart and conservative. Greetings are usually accompanied by a handshake and business cards are exchanged. Although Dutch is the official language, Spanish and English are widely spoken. Business hours are usually 7.30am to 12pm and 1.30pm to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Communication in Curacao
The international dialling code for Curacao is +599. Free WiFi is available at most upscale hotels; travellers can purchase local SIM cards for unlocked phones.
Tipping in Curacao
A 10 percent service charge is usually added to restaurant bills, but a few extra guilders as change is appreciated. Most hotels add a 12 percent service charge, and porters are usually tipped one or two guilders. It is customary to tip taxi drivers about 10 percent.
Passport/Visa Note
Travellers are required to have a return or onward ticket to another destination, and all the documentation required for that journey. Visa extensions are possible. It is highly recommended that travellers’ passports have at least six months’ validity remaining after the intended date of departure from their travel destination. Immigration officials often apply different rules to those stated by travel agents and official sources.
Entry Requirements
- Entry requirements for Americans:
United States citizens must hold a valid passport. No visa is required for stays of up to 180 days.
- Entry requirements for Canadians:
Canadian nationals must have a passport valid for the duration of intended stay in Curaçao. No visa is required for a stay of up to 90 days.
- Entry requirements for UK nationals:
UK passport holders, irrespective of the endorsement regarding their national status, must hold a passport valid for the duration of intended stay in Curaçao. No visa is required for stays of up to 90 days.
- Entry requirements for Australians:
Australian citizens must have a passport valid for the duration of intended stay in Curaçao. No visa is required for a stay of up to 90 days.
- Entry requirements for Irish nationals:
Irish nationals must have a passport valid for the duration of intended stay in Curaçao. No visa is required for a stay of up to 90 days.
- Entry requirements for New Zealanders:
New Zealand nationals must have a passport valid for the duration of intended stay in Curaçao. No visa is required for stays of up to 90 days.
- Entry requirements for South Africans:
South African citizens must have a passport valid for the duration of intended stay in Curaçao, and must obtain a visa prior to entry. Passengers do not need a visa if they have a multiple-entry “C” visa issued by a Schengen Member State which lasts for a maximum of 90 days or a valid “D” visa issued by a Schengen Member State.
Tourist Offices
Curacao Tourist Board, 19 Pietermaai, Willemstad, Curaçao: +599 9 434 8200
Curacao Embassies
- In the United States:
Netherlands Embassy, Washington DC, United States: +1 202 244 5300.
- In Canada:
Netherlands Embassy, Ottawa, Canada: +1 613 237 5031.
- In the United Kingdom:
Netherlands Embassy, London, United Kingdom: +44 20 7590 3200.
- In Australia:
Netherlands Embassy, Canberra, Australia: +61 (0)2 6220 9400.
- In Ireland:
Netherlands Embassy, Dublin, Ireland: +353 1 269 3444.
- In New Zealand:
Netherlands Embassy, Wellington, New Zealand: +64 4 471 6390.
- In South Africa:
Netherlands Embassy, Pretoria, South Africa: +27 12 425 4500.
Foreign Embassies in Curacao
- American Embassy
United States Consulate General, Curacao: +599 9 461 3066.
- Canadian Embassy
Embassy of Canada, Caracas, Venezuela (also responsible for Curacao): +58 212 600 3000.
- British Embassy
United Kingdom Embassy, Willemstad, Curacao: +599 9 747 3322.
- Australian Embassy
Australian Embassy in Santiago, Chile (also responsible for Curacao): +56 2 550 3605.
| 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Wed. January 1 | Wed. January 1 |
| Carnival Monday | Mon. February 24 | Sat. February 15 |
| Good Friday | Thu. April 10 | Wed. April 2 |
| Easter Monday | Sun. April 13 | Sat. April 5 |
| King’s Day | Sun. April 27 | Sun. April 27 |
| Labour Day | Thu. May 1 | Thu. May 1 |
| Ascension Day | Wed. May 21 | Tue. May 13 |
| Flag Day | Wed. July 2 | Wed. July 2 |
| Curacao Day | Fri. October 10 | Fri. October 10 |
| Christmas Day | Thu. December 25 | Thu. December 25 |
| Boxing Day | Fri. December 26 | Fri. December 26 |
The official currency is the Netherlands Antillean Guilder (ANG), which is divided into 100 cents. US currency is accepted everywhere and the Guilder is tied to the US Dollar. Most major credit cards are widely accepted. Banks and exchange bureaux will change foreign currency and ATMs are available.
| Exchange rate for 1 ANG – Neth. Antillean Guilder | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.55 BMD Bermudan Dollar | 0.50 EUR Euro | 0.55 USD U.S. Dollar | 0.38 GBP U.K. Pound Sterling | 60.39 JPY Japanese Yen | 0.73 CAD Canadian Dollar |
| 0.55 CHF Swiss Franc | 0.77 AUD Australian Dollar | 13.92 UAH Ukrainian Hryvnia | 187.27 KZT Kazakhstani Tenge | 835.05 LBP Lebanese Pound | 0.39 LYD Libyan Dinar |
| 3.80 BOB Bolivian Boliviano | 59.82 NPR Nepalese Rupee | 0.21 OMR Omani Rial | 2.02 QAR Qatari Rial | 0.76 SGD Singapore Dollar | 4.60 SEK Swedish Krona |
| 3.68 TTD Trinidad Tobago Dollar | 5.53 VEF Venezuelan Bolivar | 25.41 DOP Dominican Peso | 3.73 HRK Croatian Kuna | 10.33 MXN Mexican Peso | 325.13 XOF West African CFA Franc |
| 1.75 PGK Papua New Guinean kina | 0.56 BSD Bahamian Dollar | 1.17 FJD Fiji Dollar | 12.56 HNL Honduran Lempira | 61.29 DZD Algerian Dinar | 660.63 MMK Myanma Kyat |
| 6.20 BWP Botswana Pula | 1.87 PEN Peruvian Nuevo Sol | 384.59 CLP Chilean Peso | 265.13 AMD Armenia Dram | 13.41 CZK Czech Koruna | 11.08 MDL Moldova Lei |
| 68.92 ISK Icelandic Krona | 1,629.65 UZS Uzbekistan Sum | 2.14 ILS Israeli New Sheqel | 0.39 JOD Jordanian Dinar | 0.17 KWD Kuwaiti Dinar | 17.38 UYU Uruguayan Peso |
| 19.70 MUR Mauritian Rupee | 15.81 NIO Nicaraguan Córdoba | 4.63 NOK Norwegian Krone | 2.17 PLN Polish Zloty | 2.08 SAR Saudi Riyal | 80.97 LKR Sri Lanka Rupee |
| 19.75 THB Thai Baht | 2.04 AED U.A.E Dirham | 1.99 BRL Brazilian Real | 2.25 RON Romanian New Leu | 4.31 HKD Hong Kong Dollar | 325.87 XAF Central African CFA Franc |
| 12,463.10 VND Vietnamese Dong | 7.73 ARS Argentine Peso | 1.49 XCD East Caribbean Dollar | 4.34 GTQ Guatemalan Quetzal | 5.42 MAD Moroccan Dirham | 0.21 BHD Bahrain Dinar |
| 0.56 PAB Panamanian Balboa | 0.83 AZN Azerbaijan Manat | 1,728.95 COP Colombian Peso | 37.88 KGS Kyrgyzstan Som | 155.14 HUF Hungarian Forint | 4.36 TJS Tajikistan Ruble |
| 7,587.81 IDR Indonesian Rupiah | 4.92 EGP Egyptian Pound | 660.51 KRW South Korean Won | 3,143.91 PYG Paraguayan Guaraní | 2.31 MYR Malaysian Ringgit | 298.76 CRC Costa Rican Colón |
| 0.81 NZD New Zealand Dollar | 58.08 PKR Pakistani Rupee | 37.04 RUB Russian Rouble | 8.65 ZAR South African Rand | 1.18 TND Tunisian Dinar | 1.11 BBD Barbadian Dollar |
| 0.97 BGN Bulgarian Lev | 1.64 TRY Turkish Lira | 25.85 PHP Philippine Peso | 18.09 TWD New Taiwan Dollar | 108.97 NGN Nigerian Naira | 59.42 XPF CFP Franc |
| 2.17 GHS Ghanaian Cedi | 69.27 JMD Jamaican Dollar | 0.76 BND Brunei Dollar | 61.31 RSD Serbian Dinar | 3.65 CNY Chinese Yuan | 11,034.49 BYR Belarussian Ruble |
| 3.69 DKK Danish Krone | 1.91 TMT New Turkmenistan Manat | 37.30 INR Indian Rupee | |||
U.S. Dollar to Neth. Antillean Guilder
1 USD = 1.80 ANG
Euro to Neth. Antillean Guilder
1 EUR = 2.01 ANG
Canadian Dollar to Neth. Antillean Guilder
1 CAD = 1.38 ANG
U.K. Pound Sterling to Neth. Antillean Guilder
1 GBP = 2.60 ANG
Australian Dollar to Neth. Antillean Guilder
1 AUD = 1.31 ANG
New Zealand Dollar to Neth. Antillean Guilder
1 NZD = 1.23 ANG
South African Rand to Neth. Antillean Guilder
1 ZAR = 0.12 ANG