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I S L A N DF I N D E R

Anguilla $$$$ $$$

Antigua $$$ $$

Aruba $$$ $$

Barbados $$$$ $$$$

Bonaire $$ $$

BVI: Tortola $$$ $$

BVI: Virgin Gorda $$$$$ $$$$

BVI: Anegada $$$$ $$$

BVI: Jost Van Dyke $$$$ $$$

Cayman Islands: Grand Cayman $$$$ $$$

Cayman Islands: Little Cayman $$$ $$$

Cayman Islands: Cayman Brac $$ $$

Curaçao $$$$ $$$

Dominica $$ $

Dominican Republic $$ $

Grenada $$$ $$$

Grenada: Carriacou $$ $

Guadeloupe $$ $$

Jamaica $$$ $$

Martinique $$$ $$

Montserrat $ $

Puerto Rico $$$ $$

Saba $$ $

St. Barthélemy $$$$$ $$$$

St. Eustatius $$ $

St. Kitts & Nevis: St. Kitts $$$ $$

St. Kitts & Nevis: Nevis $$$$ $$$

St. Lucia $$$$ $$$

St. Maarten/St. Martin $$$ $$$

SVG: St. Vincent $$ $$

SVG: The Grenadines $$$$ $$$

T&T: Trinidad $$$ $$

T&T: Tobago $$$ $$

Turks & Caicos Islands $$$$* $$$*

USVI: St. Thomas $$$$ $$$

USVI: St. Croix $$ $

USVI: St. John $$$ $$

To help you decide which island isbest for you, we’ve rated eachisland in several areas that mightinfluence your decision onchoosing the perfect Caribbeanvacation spot. Each major islandcovered in this book has beenrated in terms of cost from $ (veryinexpensive) to $$$$$ (veryexpensive), and since prices oftenvary a great deal by season, we’vegiven you a rating for the highseason (December through mid-April) and low season (mid-Aprilthrough November). We’ve alsocompared each island’s relativestrength in several othercategories that might influenceyour decision.

If an island has no marks in aparticular column (under “Golf”for example), it means that theactivity is not available on theisland.

* Cost for Provo (Parrot Cay $$$$$, other islands $$)

** Provo Only

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The Caribbean high season is traditionally winter—from December 15 to April 14—when northernweather is at its worst. During this season you’reguaranteed the most entertainment at resorts and themost people with whom to enjoy it. It’s also the mostfashionable, the most expensive, and the most pop-ular time to visit—and most hotels are heavily booked.You must make reservations at least two or threemonths in advance for the very best places (sometimesa year in advance for the most exclusive spots). Hotelprices drop 20% to 50% after April 15; airfares andcruise prices also fall. Saving money isn’t the only rea-son to visit the Caribbean during the off-season. Tem-peratures are only a few degrees warmer than at othertimes of the year, and many islands now schedule theircarnivals, music festivals, and other events duringthe off-season. Late August, September, October, andearly November are the least crowded.

ClimateThe Caribbean climate is fairly constant. The aver-age year-round temperatures for the region are 78°Fto 88°F. The temperature extremes are 65°F low,95°F high; but, as everyone knows, it’s the humidity,not the heat, that makes you suffer, especially whenthe two go hand in hand.

As part of the late-fall rainy season, hurricanes occa-sionally sweep through the Caribbean. Check thenews daily and keep abreast of brewing tropicalstorms. The southernmost Caribbean islands (fromSt. Vincent to Trinidad, along with Aruba, Bonaire,and Curaçao) are generally spared the threat of hur-ricanes. The rainy season consists mostly of briefshowers interspersed with sunshine. You can watchthe clouds thicken, feel the rain, then have brilliantsunshine dry you off, all while remaining on your loungechair. A spell of overcast days or heavy rainfall is un-usual, as everyone will tell you.i Weather Channel Connection P 900/932–8437 95¢ perminute from a Touch-Tone phone w www.weather.com.

°F °CVIRGIN ISLANDS

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TURKS AND CAICOS

W H E N T O G O

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WORD OF MOUTH

www.fodors.com/forums

Curaçao

8

Play

a La

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“ The best part about Curaçao is the culture and the local life. It truly provides many opportunities for the off-the-beaten-path vacation. It has not been overrun with tourism yet. . . .”

—Doug

“ Curaçao is a windy arid island (will remind you of Arizona on the beach). . . . The beaches are wonderful and . . . you can “walk” out into the water and snorkel directly off the beach.”

—John

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LandhuisKnip

JeremiBay

Port Marie Bay

St. Michiel Bay

BullenBay

Santa Marta Bay

San Juan Bay

BocaSt. Marie

Savonet

Shete Boka

Country HouseMuseum

Christoffel National Park

Ascencion

San Hyronimo

Westpunt

Barber

SotoSanta Cruz

St. Willibrordus

St. Michiel

Mt. Chris toffe l

North Pt .

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Central Curaçao

Playa Lagun

Cas Abou

Playa Kalki

Playa Knip

Playa Jeremi

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KEY

Hotels & Restaurants

Exploring Sights

Since the late 1990s, the Otrobanda waterfront in Willemstad has undergone a striking renais-sance, as buildings have been restored and turned into new shops, hotels, and restaurants.

WELCOME TOCURA∏AO

Willemstad’s fancifully hued, strikingly ga-bled townhouses glimmer across Santa Anna Bay, while vendors at the Floating Market sell tropical fruit from their schoo-ners. Curaçao’s diverse population mixes Latin, European, and African ancestries. Religious tolerance is a hallmark here. All people are welcome in Curaçao, and even tourists feel the warmth.

The blue color of Curaçao liqueur may not be natural, but you can see naturally neon-blue iguanas—as well as 10-foot cacti—in the island’s 4,500-acre Christoffel Park wildlife preserve.



l

St. AnnaBay

PiscaderaBay

CaracasBay

St. Joris Bay

SpanishWater

C a r i b b e a n Se a

LandhuisBrievengat

Ostrich Farm

Curaçao AloePlantation &

Factory

Den Paradera

HatoCaves

Nieuwpoort

SantaCatarina

Little St. Joris

Great St. Joris

Bapor Kibra

Santa Rosa

Bottelier

Brievengat

Julianadorpiel

BrakkeputSaliña

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(Dive Area)

Mt. TafelbergOstpunt

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CuraçaoSea Aquarium

Senior CuraçaoLiqueur Distillery

HatoInternationalAirport

see detailmap page

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Willemstad

Willemstad

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CUR

AÇA

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TOP 4 REASONS TO VISIT CURAÇAO

8

Only one maker of the famous orange-flavored Curaçao liqueur is allowed to call itself “au-thentic”: the Senior Curaçao distillery in Saliña Arriba. But the blue color is just an additive.

AN ISLAND REBORN AND REDISCOVERED

The largest and most populous of the Netherlands Antilles is 38 mi (61 km) long and no more than 71⁄2 mi (12 km) wide. Its capital, Willemstad, has been restored and revived over the past few years and is a recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site. The colorful, waterfront townhouses are unique to the island.

e Since it sits below the hurricane belt, the weather in Curaçao is almost al ways alluring, even during the off- season.

f Carnival is the year’s biggest party, drawing an increasing crowd.

g The island’s cultural diversity is reflected in the good food from many different cultures.

h Striking architecture and fascinating historic sights give you something to see when you’re not shopping or lying on the charming beaches.

TOP 4 REASONS TO VISIT CURA∏AO

Restaurants ..................▼

AstrolabObservatory............... 12

Bistro Le Clochard ....... 4

Blues .........................13

Fort Nassau Restaurant ................ 16

Gouverneur de Rouville Restaurant & Cafe......... 6

Jaanchi’s ................... 26

Jaipur .........................11

Kontiki Beach .............15

La Bahia ...................... 7

La Pergola ................. 10

Landhuis Daniel .........22

Larousse ...................... 9

Rodeo House of Ribs ..17

Time Out Café.............. 8

The Wine Cellar ............ 5

Hotels ...........................▼

Avila Beach Hotel ...... 13

Breezes Curaçao .........14

Curaçao Marriott ....... 20

Floris Suite Hotel .......19

Habitat Curaçao ........ 23

Hilton Curaçao ...........18

Holiday Beach ........... 21

Hotel Kurá Hulanda ..... 1

Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel................... 2

Lions Dive ................. 16

Lodge Kurá Hulanda .. 25

Plaza HotelCuraçao ...................... 3

Sunset Waters ........... 24

Welcome to Curaçao > 287


On the Ground

Taxis have meters, but drivers still use set fares when picking passengers up at the airport. Verify which method your driver will use before setting off. Fares from the airport to Willemstad and the nearby beach hotels run about $15 to $20, and those to hotels at the island’s western end about $25 to $40.

Renting a Car

It’s worthwhile to rent a car to explore the island, even if you don’t take it for your entire stay. Many of the larger hotels have free shuttles into Willemstad, where you can shop and eat. Hotels in town usually provide a free beach shuttle. If you’re planning to do country driving or rough it through Christoffel Park, a four-wheel-drive vehicle is best. All you need is a valid U.S., Canadian or British driver’s license. You can rent a car from any of the major car agencies at the airport or have one delivered free to your hotel. Rates range from about $35 to $40 a day for a compact car to about $75 for a four-door sedan or four-wheel-drive vehicle; add 6% tax and required $12 daily insurance.

opportunities for good snorkeling. Both sides of Willemstad—Punda and the revitalized Otrobanda—offer the shore bound plenty to occupy their time, making it well worth your while to check out the local sights and do some shop-ping. Do stop for a bite to eat at one of the many great res-taurants. By night, you can gamble in a few casinos or check out some of the lively bars and dance clubs.

The island has many good beaches, not to mention clear, blue water; however, a lot of the beaches on the southeast coast (even the hotel beaches) are a bit rocky. The softer, whiter beaches are on the west coast. Excellent diving has always been a draw in Curaçao, and a fair percentage of travel-ers are drawn by the teeming reefs and good shore-diving possibilities. Day sails are the most popular way to enjoy the water if you don’t dive, and all of them offer

CURAÇAOPLANNER

Activities

Getting to Curaçao

The only nonstops to Curaçao (CUR) from North America are from Miami and New-ark; your only other options at this writing are connections in San Juan, Montego Bay, or Aruba. There are direct flights from Amsterdam. If you want to connect through Aruba, you’ll more likely than not have to book your flight on a tiny island-hopper directly with the island-based airline.

Hato International Airport has car-rental facilities, duty-free shops, and a restau-rant. It takes about 20 minutes to get to the hotels in Willemstad by taxi.

Hassle Factor: Medium

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Hotel & Restaurant CostsAssume that hotels operate on the European Plan (EP—with no meals) unless we specify that they use either the Continental Plan (CP—with a Continental breakfast), Breakfast Plan (BP—with full breakfast), or the Modified American Plan (MAP—with breakfast and dinner). Other hotels may offer the Full American Plan (FAP—including all meals but no drinks) or may be All-Inclusive (AI—with all meals, drinks, and most activities).

Where to Stay

Although Curaçao is the largest of the Dutch Antilles, resort development is still concentrated around the capital, Willemstad, so most resorts are within easy reach, either by shuttle or even by foot. As the island becomes more developed, visitors have a wider variety of options, and there are a few resorts farther removed as well, but it’s the amenities that should drive your decision more than location. Those spending a bit more time—especially Europeans—gravitate to villas and bungalows.

TYPES OF LODGINGS

Resorts: Most of Curaçao’s larger hotels are mid-sized resorts of 200 to 300 rooms, and many of them are within easy striking distance of town. There aren’t any extravagantly luxuri-ous resorts on the island—and none with mind-boggling nightly rates—but a few of the more atmospheric properties incorporate restored 18th-century buildings.

Dive Resorts: Most of the resorts cater-ing to divers are smaller operations of under 100 rooms (often much smaller). While some of these are in and around Willemstad, there are also a few on the secluded west end of the island, and that’s where shore diving is best.

Villas and Bungalows: Though they are marketed primarily to European travelers who have more time to spend on the island, self-catering accommoda-tions are an option for anyone who has at least a week to spend in Curaçao.

When to Go

High season in Curaçao mirrors that in much of the Caribbean, basically from mid-December through mid-April. In the off-season, rates will be reduced at least 25% and often more.

The year’s big event is Carnival, which concludes on Ash Wednesday; it’s among the Caribbean’s best parties and is begin-ning to draw visitors in larger numbers. The Curaçao International Jazz Festival is held in May; the Salsa Festival is held in June, July, or August.

8

Curaçao Planner > 289

1111 3 2 1 z

Restaurants over $30 $20—$30 $12—$20 $8—$12 under $8

Hotels* over $350 $250—$350 $150—$250 $80—$150 under $80

Hotels** over $450 $350—$450 $250—$350 $125—$250 under $125

*EP, BP, CP **AI, FAP, MAPRestaurant prices are for a main course excluding 10%–15% service charge. Hotel prices are for two people in a double room in high season excluding 7% tax, customary 12% service charge, and meal plans (except at all-inclusives).

WHAT IT COSTS in Dollars

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