I Went to Curaçao for the Water
by Phil Carta
But it wasn't the Caribbean blue
that impressed me: it was the tap water. Derived from the
Caribbean by a reverse osmosis process, it was fabulous
- probably the best tasting drinking water I've ever had.
I'm almost ready to go back just to brush my teeth!
And just that little point of wonderful
drinking water set the stage not only for a fantastic week
but for several more subsequent visits. For I have found
Curaçao to be not only exotic and upscale, but as
much fun as can be had on nearly any Caribbean island. Of
course, my major purpose, and both avocation and vocation,
is scuba diving so I spent many hours roaming around the
reefs on the southern side of the island. And although some
of the dive sites are just above average, there are several
which rival the best of the Caribbean, particularly past
the western end of the road.
But the attractions of Curaçao
are just as good above water as below. In fact, Curaçao
is one of the best destinations in the Caribbean for divers
and non-divers alike because there's simply so much to do.
The landside attractions, from the Seaquarium to the city
of Willemstad to the broad variety of excellent restaurants,
make Curaçao a choice destination. Here one will
find shopping and dining, museums and beaches, national
parks and casinos, fishing, golf and horseback riding and,
of course, almost any watersport one can imagine including
scuba diving by helicopter!
The Curaçao Seaquarium is
part of a moderately large complex consisting of a popular
public beach with all of the imaginable watersports, shops
and restaurants; a quaint hotel; marina; scuba diving operation;
and a health spa/fitness center. The Seaquarium is designed
around an open plan and you can wander freely between the
"tank" exhibits and the outdoor pens where sharks and sea
turtles are kept. What is surprising is the level of detail
contained in the descriptions of all the critters. It makes
for a fun day to go out and see various fish in the ocean
and then come back to read about them.
At the Sea Aquarium you'll find
Animal Encounters. This 10 foot deep dive or snorkel is
an excellent opportunity for divers and non-divers alike
to get up close and personal with the inhabitants of the
offshore reefs. There are even a dozen sharks and turtles
which can be fed from behind the safety of large Plexiglas
panels. The Plexiglas actually disappears in photos, making
it look like you are right there with the big boys. A hour
of fun is quite worth the $50 cost (one of the best diving
values in the Caribbean) and they will video tape or photograph
the adventure for but a pittance more.
A few miles away is the capital
city of Willemstad, home to the second busiest port in the
Americas. Having once been the center of Dutch trading activity
in the region, Willemstad has grown to be one of the most
exciting duty free shopping areas around. The combination
of walking around and shopping and enjoying the colonial
Dutch architecture (many buildings are hundreds of years
old) is a wonderful way to pass an afternoon or two.
The harbor is the center of activity
in Willemstad and it's lots of fun to have a cocktail at
the Plaza Hotel on the ramparts of the old fort right at
the harbor entrance. (The Plaza actually carries marine
collision insurance!)The floating market, where Venezuelan
traders bring their produce and wares, is quite unusual
to visit. Another fun place is Fort Nassau, perched high
on a bluff overlooking the entire harbor.
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Phil Carta is the owner of Phil Carta's New Adventures, a
travel firm specializing in tropical islands and destinations
around the world. Originally a specialist in scuba diving
travel (Phil is a NAUI, TDI and PADI scuba diving instructor)
New Adventures provides both tours and vacation packages primarily
to places Phil has personally visited. In the Indian Ocean
and South Pacific that includes the Seychelles, Fiji, Vanuatu,
New Caledonia, Micronesia, the Maldives and Egypt and the
Red Sea. In the Caribbean you may see Phil almost anywhere,
although his favorites are Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao,
Dominica, Jamaica, Antigua, the British Virgin Islands, the
Cayman Islands, and the islands of Belize and Honduras. New
Adventures has an excellent and informative web site athttp://www.newadventures.com
and Phil can be reached at phil@newadventures.com
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