Page 247 - The Dutch Caribbean Isles

ATER FORT - Waterfort dates back to F ORT BEEKENBURG - The fort dates back
W 1634 and was built to protect the
Punda district. Today you will find numer-
ous restaurants and terraces here. The
Waterfort Terrace within a walking distance
from Plaza Hotel Curacao & Casino is where
you’ll find shops, bars and a variety of res-
taurants.
F ORT AMSTERDAM - The most important
fort on the island is Fort Amsterdam.
Built in 1635 this fort made the UNESCO’s
list of World Heritage sites. Fort Amster-
dam is where the Governor resides. You
will also find several government offices, a
church and museum. The open courtyard
of Fort Amsterdam provides the perfect
opportunity for a stroll. From the outside in
the southwest wall you will see a cannon-
ball embedded in the wall, which is quite
unique. The thing that fascinates me most
about Fort Amsterdam is that it has all the
qualities of a fort while still looking like a
regular Dutch-inspired country house.
in 1499. The Spanish had their minds set on
to 1703 and is one of the best-preserved
forts in the Caribbean region. Fort Beeken-
burg has effectively protected Curacao from
pirates as well as European fleets. Nearby
you’ll find two beaches namely popular
Baya Beach and Caracasbay. At both beach-
es you can rent water sport equipment such
as jet ski, boat’s and kayaks. Most boat trips and when thoroughly dried by the sun they
to Little Curacao (Klein Curacao) depart
from Baya Beach. In other words a visit to
Fort Beekenburg can be perfectly combined
with other fun things to do in Curacao.
B lue Curacao Liqueur Distillery - At Land-
house Chobolobo is where you’ll find
the genuine Curacao liqueur. This liqueur
is made from an indigenous product of
Curacao, the Laraha, a bitter orange native.
The discovery of the Laraha also the ‘golden
orange of Curacao’, the unique ingredi-
ent from which the liqueur is made, dates
back to the Spanish discovery of Curacao
the agricultural development of Curacao.
Among the plants they carried along was
the sweet and juicy ‘Valencia orange’. In
the tropical climate however this orange
turns bitter and inedible. Not surprisingly,
this is exactly what happened on Curacao.
The peels of this fruit contain etheric oils
release a pleasing fragrance. The Laraha
was born. At Landhuis Chobolobo (Coun-
try house Chobolobo) is where the famous
old liqueur is produced. The distillery has
been around for more than 100 years. To
experience the production process of the
well-known liqueur a self-explanatory tour
is given to visitors. NOTE: admission is free
and opening hours start from 8.00-12.00
and 13.00-17.00 Monday through Friday.