Curacao, another Caribbean island that’s part of the Dutch Antilles group, is a lovely, near-perfect island just off the coat of Venezuela.  Curacao is the largest of the Netherlands islands in the Caribbean, and also has the most people living there year round.  Located just 35 miles off the coast of Venezuela, the climate is cooler than many Caribbean islands, ranging from the 70s to the low 80s F.  Tradewinds cool the islands, and humidity is low, making it pleasant all year round.  Plus, there are no hurricanes because of its location, making it an even more desirable Caribbean vacation destination. 

Curacao has beaches and a semi-arid climate, and it hardly ever rains.  There is so little drinkable water that in the colonial era Curacao was an undesirable island.  After oil was discovered in neighboring Venezuela in the early twentieth century, and an oil refinery was built on Curacao, there was a boom in the economy.  Tourism began to grow in the 1950s, and has grown ever since. 

With the development of Curacao tourism has come modern day services for travelers such as world-class resorts with all the amenities imaginable.  Also for nighttime revelers are several casinos, in the larger hotels. 

You may know the cocktail named Curacao, named after the bitter oranges that grow on this island.  Other things for which Curacao are known are the bustling economy and neat, tidy villages.  There are centuries-old plantations and exquisite homes built by the Dutch, and Willenstad, the capital contains many examples of Dutch-style architecture.  As on other Caribbean islands, the architecture of Curacao is very similar to that of the mother country, Holland, but with a burst of pastel colors that stylistically incorporate the Caribbean flavor to the Old World architecture of gables and narrow frontage.

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