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A Quick Look at CuraçaoGeographyCuracao forms part of a group of islands known as the Netherlands Antilles. Our island is approximately 940 miles north of the equator and 44 miles northeast of Venezuela. It covers an area of 182 square miles; measured from west to east, it is approximately 38 miles long while its breadth varies from 3 to 9 miles wide. The highest mountain is St. Christoffel at 1,200 ft. The Saint Anna Bay divides the capital of Willemstad into two parts, Punda and Otrobanda.  History
About 4,500 years ago the first visitors set foot on Curacao. They were Indians who arrived by canoe from Venezuela and belonged to the Archaic age. The oldest archeological remains were found at Rooi Rincon, close to Hato Airport where there is an abundant source of fresh water. When Spanish sea-farer, Alonso de Ojeda, (re)discovered Curacao in 1499, he called the island the Isla de los Gigantes (Island of the Giants). Whether this was because the Spaniards were of small stature in comparison to the Indian natives, or whether it was an exaggeration of the truth to impress friends when these adventurers returned to Europe, history does not say. Under Spanish domination, most of the Indians were either used as slaves, or sent to other islands in the Caribbean to work on the plantations. By 1795 there were only five full-blooded Amerindians left on Curacao. In 1634, Curacao, Aruba and Bonaire were taken over by the Dutch. The need for salt (herring industry) led the Dutch to these islands in the Caribbean and Curacao became an important trading center; the slave trade was particularly lucrative. The West Indian Company brought Africans to Curacao to be sold on to other traders and colonies in the area. Despite British appropriation twice in the early 1800's, the Dutch have always had an important presence on the island. Although slave-trading eventually came to an end around 1800, slavery was not actually abolished on Curacao until 1863. A period of economic depression now followed. Phosphate mining at Santa Barbara and Klein Curacao brought some relief but, when Shell established an oil refinery in 1918, the economy blossomed again. During the Second World War, Americans were stationed on Curacao in order to protect the oil industry, so important for the allies. However, apart from some ineffectual shelling from German submarines, little damage was done. To this day, a very special relationship exists between the people of Curacao and the United States of America. In 1954, the constitutional status of the Netherlands Antilles changed in relation to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. With the institution of a new Statute, the islands of the Netherlands Antilles now became autonomous and in most respects self-governing. On 1 January 1986, the island of Aruba left the Netherlands Antilles, forming a special relationship (Status Aparte) directly with the Netherlands. The Netherlands Antilles presently consists of five islands: Curacao, Bonaire, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba. However, in April 2005 a referendum was held to determine Curacao's constitutional future. The majority of the voters opted for a similar status as Aruba, i.e. a separate country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. PopulationThe population of Curacao is currently around 140,000. People of various races, scores of nationalities and numerous religions have found a home here over the years. An amalgamation of Caribbean, West-European and West-African cultures has resulted in the so-called Creole culture. LanguagesPapiamentu is the local language spoken by the inhabitants, but Dutch, English and Spanish are generally understood. The Curacaoan will appreciate your attempts to speak his language. Bon dia - Good day; Ayo – Good bye; Por favor - Please; Masha danki – Thank you; Mi ta gusta… – I like …; are just a few examples. Papiamentu is the noun form of the verb "papia" which means "to speak". It originated from the necessity of Portuguese traders and Dutch masters to communicate with the African slaves of different tribes who had no common language. As such it was used as a colloquial language among the Africans, Portuguese, Dutch, British, French and the Spaniards who traded in the Caribbean. ClimateCuracao has a warm sunny climate all year round, with an average temperature in the mid-80's. The average rainfall is less than 20 inches. In general, cooling trade winds make the days pleasant and temperate and the evenings very comfortable and enjoyable. Curacao's location in the leeward west portion of the southern Caribbean Sea places it outside the hurricane belt; only four hurricanes have come near the island in the last hundred years. Occasionally, a tropical storm brewing elsewhere in the Caribbean can cause uncharacteristically cloudy weather and rain for a day or two. Location of Sunset Waters Beach ResortSunset Waters is nestled on a protected stretch of Curacao's remote northwestern coastline on a magnificent stretch of pristine white sand beach, known as the "gold coast" of Curacao.
Flight time from Miami: 3 hrs
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