Page 244 - The Dutch Caribbean Isles

tart your walking tour at the restored Rif including lunch. www.curacao.com, www. adults including lunch. www.curacao.com,
kurahulanda.com www.curacao-actief.com, www.explore-
S Fort near the mouth of the harbor, filled
with shops and dining venues to dig into, international.com
then cross the famous Koningin Emmabrug B eaches, Boating and Snorkeling -
pontoon bridge to the Punda district and Curaçao boasts 38 stunning beaches, D ining and Nightlife - Visitors with a lit-
weave your way through the interlocking but the finest of them fringe the west end. tle time and plenty of caffeine to keep

streets that house everything from artisan Cas Abou Beach is considered one of the them going to will find a bounty of night-

shops to upscale, brand-name retailers. prettiest stretch of sand and sea on the time diversions in and around Willemstad,

Shoppers with an appetite should head to island. There’s a snack bar and restroom from outdoor restaurants and jazz clubs to

the Mercado Flotante - the bustling float- facilities so it’s perfect for a long beach day, martini bars and casinos. De Gouveneur in

ing market that’s always bubbling over with but go early – it’s popular with day-trippers Otrabanda is a hot spot for live music, and

fruits, vegetables and the day’s fresh catch. and gets pretty crowded in the afternoons. a slew of dining venues and bars in the Rif

Then crossing back to the Otrabanda side, Further northwest is Playa Jeremi, a pristine Fort offer cold drinks and cool company

stop by the Museum Kura Hulanda. Housed beach with fewer comforts but even more any time of the night. Gambling opportuni-

in a revitalized Dutch Colonial building natural beauty – and a fraction of the crowd. ties abound in most hotels – including the

amid the luxury Hotel Kura Hulanda com- From either beach, you can enjoy snorkeling Breezes, Marriott, Hilton and Renaissance

pound, the museum boasts a sizeable col- right offshore. If you have the time, take a properties. Shake things up with a little live

lection of African art – one of the largest in full-day excursion to the nearby volcanic jazz at the Avila Hotel’s Blues Bar or head to

the Caribbean – and also features unique rock known as Klein Curaçao, an uninhabit- Zanta Beach or the open-air Mambo Beach,

exhibits like a thoughtfully reimagined ed islet that offers Curaçao’s longest stretch both on Sea Aquarium Beach, for DJs and

slave ship interior. Museum Kura Hulanda of pristine, white-sand beaches. Half-day dancing. Cover charges and drink prices

entrance fees from $9 for adults, $6 for kids snorkel excursions with Explore Curaçao vary by location. www.curacao.co

12 and under. Half-day guided tours of Wil- from $77 for adults, $67 for children. Full-

lemstad with Explore Curaçao from $27.50 day trips to Klein Curaçao from $81 for