#curacao
MORE THAN AN ISLAND, A SOLUTION
Curaçao - 'healing' in Portuguese - must be sought in the southern Caribbean, 50 kilometers off the coast of Venezuela and between two other islands, Aruba and Bonaire. With its dazzling marine life, a succession of spectacular beaches and a World Heritage Site of Old Town, this little explored Caribbean gem exudes elegance and vibes. In the past, it was known as the island of healing, because settlers with scurvy managed to recover thanks to the intake of local fruit. The Curacao lovers, polyglots and empathic, for their part are good hosts and welcome the visitor as if it were one of them.

THE TROPICAL AMSTERDAM
Elegant, colorful and multicultural, Willemstad owes its charm to a unique combination: typical Dutch colonial architecture and Caribbean colours and playfulness. The mansions in the old town, with gabled roofs and baroque pediments, are reminiscent of those in Amsterdam, although the orange, yellow and green of the facades brings the traveler back to the tropics. The story goes that this explosion of colour on the walls was due to eccentric governor Albert Kikkert, who suffered severe headaches from the reflection of the intense Caribbean sun on the white walls. Therefore, in 1817, he passed a law obliging to paint the buildings of the capital of Curaçao in pastel colors.
TWO CITIES IN ONE
Willemstad is divided in half by the bay of Santa Ana with Punda on one side, on whose banks are the colorful buildings that make up the most famous postcard of the island. There are also surprises such as the Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, the oldest in America still in operation, the busy floating market selling fish and fruit from Venezuela, or the disturbing Kura Hulanda museum that shows how the transatlantic slave trade was. Africa. On the other side of the iconic Queen Emma Bridge lies the Otrobanda district, formerly preferred by the Creoles and in which the RIF Fort stands out, a bastion built in 1828 with sea stones, converted into a recreation and restoration centre
SMURF' FUSION
The capital of Curaçao must be explored on foot, lost among its narrow streets to unravel remains from the colonial era, discover the majestic haciendas of yesteryear or wander among handicraft shops, art galleries or bars such as the traditional Netto Bar of which all kinds of ceiling hanging from gadgets, balls, pictures and serving the famous Rom Bering, with a strong taste of anise. Op Curaçao is gastronomie verweven met stukjes Nederlandse, Spaanse, Africaanse en zelfs Aziatische smaken, met ingrediënten van hier en daar: leguaan, kreeft, maïs, geit, varkensvlees, groenten of tropisch fruit zoals papaja. Vergeet de bekendste smaak van het eiland niet, de Curaçaose likeur; Met zijn karakteristieke smurfblauwe kleur is het het resultaat van het macereren van de bittere sinaasappelschil met alcohol
KRUISPUNTEN VAN CULTUREN
Op het eiland is de rassenvermenging tussen Nederlanders, Afro-Amerikanen en Latino's in alle facetten; De innemende menselijke factor is geweven van Europees erfgoed en Africaanse wortels. From gastronomy to religion, the passage of language, the mixture of races is clear. Hoewel de officiële taal van het eiland Nederlands is, spreekt de lokale bevolking vloeiend Engels en Spaans, en behoudt ze nog steeds Papiaments, een taal die door slaven is uitgevonden en die Africaanse en Europese talen combineert. In fact, they often ask the stranger which language they prefer. Because the people of Curaçao are so, good hosts, partygoers, friendly and proud of their roots, on their colonial past that they retain as their best property for tourism.
CANVAS WITHOUT BORDERS
There are more, lovers of street art and graffiti should set foot ashore in the Scharloo district. Thanks to Street Art Skalo, a project launched in 2016, it has become a creative center, with works by local and international artists.

CARAÏBEN WITH COVERS
And if the colonial past is well preserved, the beaches of the island continue as centuries ago, in their pure state, many of them sheltered by intimate bays. A series of 35 beaches of white sand and crystal clear waters follow each other along the south coast, each with its own charm, some for a fee, but all equally paradisiacal. For partygoers, Mambo Beach, which turns into a great nightclub at night; for those looking for dream maps, Kenepa Beach, which has been declared the best beach in the world several times, and for divers Kalki Beach Cove, with a seabed full of reef fish, mushroom-shaped corals , eel, lobsters and green moray eel

MUCH MORE THAN BEACHES
On the north coast, facing the Atlantic Ocean, the waves hit hard on the rocks of Shete Boka National Park, about 200 hectares of bays and inlets where three species of turtles lay their eggs. Outside the beaches and the sea there are natural treasures such as the Hato caves with impressive stalactites and stalagmites and drawings from 1500 years ago or the Christopher National Park with trails to explore the exotic wildlife, bird spotted trails and historical tours