‘Curacao’ – exotic ‘paradise’ island-getaway dazzles in the heart of the Caribbean

By Kamran Shah From Inquisitr

CuracaCuro, an exotic paradise island getaway located in the heart of the fascinating Caribbean archipelago is a prized tourist spot and more importantly any traveler’s ultimate dream destination. A small Caribbean island crammed with visitors all-year-long, Curacao is a rapidly advancing tourist hot-spot in the Caribbean. Home to over 30 stunning sun-stroked beaches, the island offers a magnificent excursion experience into centuries of history exquisitely enshrined in the European architecture of old as well as its uniquely retained island character.

Curacao became an autonomous country and fell under the dutch crown not too long ago. The people of the Netherlands established a trading settlement on this beautiful Caribbean island centuries ago, following which the region blossomed immensely over the next hundred years. Owing to its unique origin, the island offers strikingly refreshing insights into the unmistakable imprints of European culture. Curacao has preserved every element of its profound historic affiliation with Europe in a number of its museums, forts and other historic sites.

Curacao is a reverberating nerve center of bustling multi-ethnic island communities, largely dominated by the Afro-Caribbeans who proudly constitute its majority. Home to beautiful white sand beaches, awe-inspiring sunsets, and the most enchanting tropical scenery, Curacao isn’t just an untouched island paradise for aspiring tourists, but a flourishing repository of extraordinary animal life teeming with fascinating species of birds, terrestrial and marine animals.
The modern town of Willemstad is the capital of this dazzling island paradise. It consists of several exquisitely preserved historic districts such as Punda, the town’s main shopping area and an embodiment of the 17th century-style European settlement that once engaged in trade with erstwhile islanders. Willemstad continues to sparkle as an exquisitely well-preserved symbol of the region’s rich colonial heritage. It is among the three UNESCO World Heritage Sites which date back to the dutch colonial era. The Old Town of Galle and the Historic City of Paramaribo being the other two settlements in the region declared World Heritage sites in 1988 and 2002 respectively.

Among its prominent attractions is the Christoffel National Park which allows for a thrilling sight-seeing adventure in a stimulating brush with pure nature and the most fascinating creatures of the wild, namely the iguanas and deer. In addition, its heart-stirring limestone caverns are adorned with some stunning prehistoric cave drawings. Curacao’s most notable attraction is Fort Amsterdam which allows visitors to experience the bright and vivid nuances of classical Dutch architecture dating from as far back as the mid 1700’s. The Curacao Museum and Aquarium offers a rare glimpse into the islands historic as well as oceanic treasures.

Curacao, as well as the rest of its neighboring islands, rest mainly on the continental shelf of South America, and are among the most desirable South American tourist destinations. Although tourism contributes significantly to Curacao’s economy, it is not as much reliant on tourism than some of the other lushly tropical havens. This is one among many reasons why Curacao is a must-visit spot for tourists looking to experience something out-of-the-ordinary. Many tourists arrive from the eastern United States, South America and the Netherlands. All in all, Curacao is a sprawling melting pot for cruise tourism.
Curacao’s coast offers a unique drop-off zone referred to as the “blue edge” which makes it a highly fancied scuba-diving haven where lush coral reefs ideal for snorkeling and scuba diving are never far from common reach. The southern coast boasts serene turquoise waters marked by exquisite paradise-like beaches, namely Jan Thiel and Cas Abou. The coastline of Curacao features numerous bays that accommodate a docking point for a horde of sailing and fishing vessels flocking on these waters every day.

In 2014, Curacao was added to CNN’s list of the 10-most affordable Caribbean island destinations after it compared the cost of a one-week trip for a group of four across several prominent islands of the region. It was ranked 7th next to other remarkable tourist spots primarily owing to its affordable and highly appealing scuba diving and snorkeling adventures.
Curacao is the largest and the most colorful of the five islands that are located in the South Caribbean Sea. The island is located off the coast of Venezuela and is famous for being among the Caribbean’s finest scuba diving destinations owing to its placid turquoise warm ocean waters, magnificent marine life and its jaw-dropping psychedelic seascapes that feature prismatic coral reefs adorning the peripheries of the island’s pristine paradisiacal beaches.

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