Bridge On The Run

Located only 38 miles (~60 km) off the coast of Venezuela, Curaçao is the largest of the ABC islands, a group that also includes Aruba and Bonaire. Like the other two, Curaçao was part of the Kingdom of Netherlands since the first half of the 17th century and gained sovereignty only in October of 2010. The Dutch heritage is pretty evident, but is not the only one - Curaçao's population includes more than 55 nationalities, and the island's language, Papiamentu, is a blend of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English, French, Arawak and African languages. Maybe such an ethnic mix explains in part why Curaçaoans are so friendly: give them 15 minutes and they'll tell you all the highlights and lowlights of their lives!

Unlike other Caribbean islands, Curaçao's economy does not revolve around tourism; oil refining has been the key economic activity since the beginning of the 20th century, accounting for as much as 90% of exports. Thus Curaçao is less commercialized than other Caribbean islands (it received roughly 310k visitors last year), a big plus if you're looking for a more authentic experience.

In the capital Willemstad, you'll find the main districts of Punda and Otrobanda. The former, called the "Amsterdam of the tropics", is the main shopping/business area and home to the pastel-colored Dutch old town, the subject of many a postcard and a UNESCO World Heritage site (legend has it that an early governor suffered from migraines and ordered the houses painted in pastel hues because white worsened his headaches). Otrobanda (literally "the other side"), an old workers' neighborhood now becoming a major entertainment area, is linked to Punda by the pedestrian Queen Emma, a pontoon bridge that sways as you walk over it so don't cross it when drunk! The bridge is known as "The Swinging Old Lady" because it swings open to let boats by. In fact, there's so much traffic in the canal that almost every time we wanted to use the bridge, a ship was passing by and there the bridge went drifting away...

The other famous bridge linking the two districts is Queen Juliana, one of the highest in the world at 185 feet (56m) to let tankers navigate through the canal. The bridge is so close to heaven that I'm surprised it wasn't designated a Rapture Point by doomsdayers prior to the fiasco.

Pretty tough as the capital is, beaches are the real reason why people come to the Caribbean. The best in Curaçao are found along the west side of the island north of the capital, in hidden coves along the coast where you'll find the azure-waters the Caribbean is famous for. Unfortunately, Curaçao is not your top choice if you're a beach bum because most of the beaches are narrow and coral ones, and it's a pain in the feet to get to the water. If you're into diving, tough, you'll probably love Curaçao because you can enjoy 68 dive sites, a marine park and an unusual feature: the sea floor drops steeply a few hundred feet from the shore, so reefs can be reached in a few laps. Which only reminds me that I do need to learn to dive!