Last Updated 24 minutes in the past
Not Cancun and its jam-packed Hotel Zone, Punta Cana, and its bar-lined waterfront, and that is most positively not Jamaica with the reggae golf equipment and beachfront villas:
Fast-approaching the pantheon of Caribbean Greats, Curaçao is one of many fastest-growing locations within the area proper now, bringing in a document 1.57 million guests final yr and with a major 30 p.c enhance in U.S. arrivals.
If it does not sound like all that many, permit us to remind you this can be a tiny island, solely 171 sq. miles in dimension and with a inhabitants of roughly 147,000: in different phrases, over one million company in a single yr is huge.
So, what’s driving this unprecedented progress?
One Of The Caribbean’s Truly Unspoiled Gems
Curaçao could also be small, however it’s certainly not missing in pure and cultural choices:
Belonging to the Netherlands’ Caribbean territories––as in, it is formally part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and its residents are Dutch––it’s markedly distinct from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and different Latin-majority islands.
It has a colonial capital in Willemstad, however not of the type you’d look forward to finding round right here: as a substitute of ornate Baroque church buildings and Spanish-style plazas, count on rows upon rows of Dutch-inspired, Northern Mannerist facades, and canal-traversed heart.
Unlike Amsterdam’s, nonetheless, homes right here will not be constructed with darkish bricks and have brightly painted exteriors as a substitute: likewise, the road meals stalls lining the canal fronts are much more prone to promote native pumpkin pancakes or papaya stew than stroopwafels and gouda cheese.
There are not any towering Gothic cathedrals both, although you’ll be able to marvel at a Seventeenth-century Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, one of many oldest within the Americas, established by Jewish settlers on the peak of the Transatlantic Trade.
It’s nonetheless the Netherlands, kind of, only a completely different taste of it.
What To See In Curaçao In 2025
Curaçao is related to unspoiled white sands and flamingos, and in the event you’re on the lookout for flocks of the gracious pink-feathered creatures, the Jan Thiel flats are the place you may discover them.
For paradisiacal Caribbean seashores, a few of the high picks embody Carcasbaai, a deep-water bay hugged by teal seas, Mambo Beach, a classy white-sand strip boasting many facilities, together with Bonita Beach Club the place nice seafood is served, and Playa Grandi:
Backed by a laid-back fishing village, it has a compact sandy expanse that hardly ever ever feels crowded, and it is a fashionable hotspot for sea turtle hatching.
If you are primarily based in Willemstad and also you’re down for slightly journey, we suggest you e book this digital scooter southeast tour, with stops in Carcasbaai, the historic Fort Beekenburg, an 18th-century Dutch stronghold, and many diving websites round Tug Boat Beach.
Nearby, you may additionally get to go to one of many island’s high points of interest, The Quarantine House, a former leper colony the place incomers who had fallen sufferer to the plague could be positioned (don’t be concerned, it is completely secure now)––and all of this from solely $59 per particular person!
Why Do Americans Love Curaçao
Cultural gems apart, Curaçao is primarily a resort vacation spot, and that is why Americans are loving it on the minute:
What with the loopy world of politics again house and the restricted paid trip days they get yearly, it is no surprise they’re favoring a Caribbean island like Curaçao: it is often a stress-free escapade, and there is lots of pampering concerned in these luxurious motels.
This February, an all-inclusive, week-long keep for two at The Rif At Mangrove Beach will set you again $3,523, consistent with the typical value for five-star Caribbean stays.
There’s a much-cheaper, equally superb Tropical Breeze Curaçao for $639, that includes an outside pool surrounded by lush vegetation, a spacious bed room, and a hammock-equipped backyard, and the perfect half is that it has its personal personal seaside.
Curaçao is not precisely an reasonably priced vacation spot, with the typical price a funds week-long journey for 2 being $2,235 (comprising lodging, meals, transportation and sightseeing prices), however the expensiveness is basically offset by the higher sense of exclusivity it presents, in comparison with a jam-packed Cancun, and exquisite sights.
In reality, Americans find yourself staying a median of 6.4 nights on the island, because the Curaçao Tourist Board (CTB) stories, with most vacationers hailing from New York, Florida, New Jersey, Texas, and Georgia, so it is not like they’re in a rush to pack up and depart.
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This article initially appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed listed here are the writer’s alone, not these of any financial institution, bank card issuer, resort, airline, or different entity. This content material has not been reviewed, authorised or in any other case endorsed by any of the entities included throughout the put up.