Welcome to Curacao!
Nestled between Aruba and Bonaire in the western Caribbean, Curacao is located just 35 miles north of Venezuela and is the most populated (about 170,000 residents) of the Netherlands Antilles. Designed by early Dutch settlers as a tropical miniature Holland, Curacao's capital city, Willemstad, is today unquestionably one of the most picturesque and colorful of Caribbean cities.

Oil, discovered in Venezuela in 1914, is sent to Curacao where it is refined and stored and shipped worldwide. Willemstad boasts one of the busiest ports in the region and the seventh largest harbor in the world.

But that's not why thousands of visitors are vacationing here every year. The 37-mile-long and seven-mile-wide island is fringed by exposed layers of lava and coral which have formed caves, grottoes and beaches of coral and volcanic sand. This is the place for superb diving, snorkeling and watersports and, of course, glittering casino and exciting nightlife!

Watersport enthusiasts love the Curacao Underwater Park which occupies 12.5 miles of Curacao's southern coastline and is filled with gardens of soft and hard corals, tropical sea creatures and two shallow ship wrecks, visible 100 feet into the water. Visit the Hato Caves formed from coral thousands of years ago when the island was still underwater. Another fantastic 'must see' is the Curacao Seaquarium, home to more than 400 species of sealife as well as an aquarium where experienced divers feed sharks and other animals.

Whether it's the nightlife, casinos, watersports or the terrific shopping opportunities (prices are very reasonable as there is no sales tax and low import duty on goods) that draw you to Curacao, everyone is welcomed at one of the Caribbean's most loved islands.

Here are several ways to get to Curacao.

From the US:

• ALM
  800/327-7230
• American Airlines
  800/433-7300
• Air Aruba
  800/882-7822

Photo courtesy Marcella Martinez Assoc. Inc.

Climate: Temperatures average in the upper 70s and lower 80s throughout the year.

Currency: The Netherlands Antilles guilder, but U.S. currency is widely accepted.

Banking: Hours range from 8:30 a.m. to noon and then from 1:30 to 4:40 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Language: Dutch is the official language as is Papiamento (a combination of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English, African and Indian). Spanish and English are also commonly spoken.

For more information to help you plan your trip, contact:

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