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Not Cancun and its jam-packed Lodge Zone, Punta Cana, and its bar-lined waterfront, and that is most undoubtedly not Jamaica with the reggae golf equipment and beachfront villas:
Quick-approaching the pantheon of Caribbean Greats, Curaçao is one of many fastest-growing locations within the area proper now, bringing in a file 1.57 million guests final yr and with a major 30 % improve in U.S. arrivals.
If it does not sound like all that many, enable us to remind you this can be a tiny island, solely 171 sq. miles in measurement and with a inhabitants of roughly 147,000: in different phrases, over 1,000,000 visitors in a single yr is huge.
So, what’s driving this unprecedented development?


One Of The Caribbean’s Really Unspoiled Gems
Curaçao could also be small, however it’s in no way missing in pure and cultural choices:
Belonging to the Netherlands’ Caribbean territories––as in, it is formally part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and its residents are Dutch––it’s markedly distinct from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and different Latin-majority islands.
It has a colonial capital in Willemstad, however not of the type you’d anticipate finding round right here: as a substitute of ornate Baroque church buildings and Spanish-style plazas, anticipate rows upon rows of Dutch-inspired, Northern Mannerist facades, and canal-traversed middle.


Not like Amsterdam’s, nonetheless, homes right here are usually not constructed with darkish bricks and have brightly painted exteriors as a substitute: likewise, the road meals stalls lining the canal fronts are way more prone to promote native pumpkin pancakes or papaya stew than stroopwafels and gouda cheese.
There are not any towering Gothic cathedrals both, although you’ll be able to marvel at a Seventeenth-century Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, one of many oldest within the Americas, established by Jewish settlers on the peak of the Transatlantic Commerce.
It is nonetheless the Netherlands, form of, only a completely different taste of it.
What To See In Curaçao In 2025


Curaçao is related to unspoiled white sands and flamingos, and in case you’re searching for flocks of the gracious pink-feathered creatures, the Jan Thiel flats are the place you may discover them.
For paradisiacal Caribbean seashores, a few of the prime picks embody Carcasbaai, a deep-water bay hugged by teal seas, Mambo Seaside, a classy white-sand strip boasting many facilities, together with Bonita Beach Club the place nice seafood is served, and Playa Grandi:
Backed by a laid-back fishing village, it has a compact sandy expanse that hardly ever ever feels crowded, and it is a widespread hotspot for sea turtle hatching.


If you happen to’re primarily based in Willemstad and also you’re down for slightly journey, we suggest you guide this electronic scooter southeast tour, with stops in Carcasbaai, the historic Fort Beekenburg, an 18th-century Dutch stronghold, and many diving websites round Tug Boat Seaside.
Close by, you may additionally get to go to one of many island’s prime points of interest, The Quarantine Home, a former leper colony the place incomers who had fallen sufferer to the plague can be positioned (don’t fret, it is completely secure now)––and all of this from solely $59 per particular person!
Why Do People Love Curaçao


Cultural gems apart, Curaçao is primarily a resort destination, and that is why People are loving it on the minute:
What with the loopy world of politics again house and the restricted paid trip days they get yearly, it is no surprise they’re favoring a Caribbean island like Curaçao: it is normally a stress-free escapade, and there is a whole lot of pampering concerned in these luxurious resorts.
This February, an all-inclusive, week-long keep for two at The Rif At Mangrove Beach will set you again $3,523, in keeping with the common worth for five-star Caribbean stays.


There is a much-cheaper, equally wonderful Tropical Breeze Curaçao for $639, that includes an outside pool surrounded by lush vegetation, a spacious bed room, and a hammock-equipped backyard, and the perfect half is that it has its personal personal beach.
Curaçao is not precisely an reasonably priced vacation spot, with the common price a funds week-long journey for 2 being $2,235 (comprising lodging, meals, transportation and sightseeing prices), however the expensiveness is essentially offset by the better sense of exclusivity it affords, in comparison with a jam-packed Cancun, and delightful sights.
In truth, People find yourself staying a mean of 6.4 nights on the island, because the Curaçao Vacationer Board (CTB) stories, with most vacationers hailing from New York, Florida, New Jersey, Texas, and Georgia, so it is not like they’re in a rush to pack up and go away.
Vini, our senior lead author at Journey Off Path, has over 60+ nations beneath his belt (and at the moment weaving tales from Paris!), and a knack for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into informative tales that can have you ever packing your baggage.
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