Still a territory of the Netherlands, Curaçao is one of the larger Caribbean islands where tourism only plays a minor part in its economy. The official languages are Dutch and Papiamento, but English is spoken by virtually everyone in the tourist industry, and Spanish is also quite popular as well.

Along with Aruba and Bonaire, Curaçao is just north of Venezuela and it’s almost never in the path of hurricanes or tropical storms. This helps make the scuba diving just offshore some of the best in the world and it also means visitors can book in the autumn with some confidence.

Curaçao is quite popular with Europeans, particularly the Dutch and Germans, but it’s also a common stop for Americans and Canadians.

Where to stay

Curaçao has about 50 hotels and resorts, mostly on the western side of the southern coast. Unlike many Caribbean islands, there are some simple hotels and affordable guesthouses here, but there are also some posh resorts so almost any budget can be catered to. Getting to Curaçao isn’t necessarily cheap (except from Amsterdam), but most things are quite affordable once you arrive, at least compared to other Caribbean islands.

>>>Check today’s Curaçao resort & package deals

Getting there

Arrivals are through Hato International Airport, which is one of the largest airports in the Caribbean. A new terminal was opened in 2006 and it’s easily large enough for widebody planes from North America and Europe.

Nonstop flights from:
Miami, Newark, Toronto, Amsterdam, Düsseldorf, Milan