Curaçao (Kòrsou), officially: Country Curaçao, is a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The territory and sea of the Country of Curaçao consist of the islands of Curaçao and Klein Curaçao and the associated territorial sea.
It is located in the southern Caribbean Sea, just off the coast of Venezuela. The capital and largest city of Curaçao is Willemstad.
Until October 10, 2010, Curaçao was an island territory (a kind of municipality) of the Netherlands Antilles, a former country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Curaçao has the status of an Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) within the European Union (EU). The island is not part of the territory of the EU, but its inhabitants do have the rights of EU citizenship.
Crime occurs in Curaçao, just like in the European Netherlands.
For your safety, take precautions:
Have you been robbed or robbed? Or has something else happened to you? Always report it to the local authorities.
| Holiday Numbers | Off days | Date |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 1 day | January 1 |
| The Monday after the Great Carnival | 1 day | date varies |
| Good Friday | 1 day | date varies |
| Easter (Easter Monday and Easter Monday) | 2 days | date varies |
| King's Day | 1 day | April 27 |
| Labor Day | 1 day | mei 1 |
| Ascension Day | 1 day | date varies |
| Dia di Himno i Bandera (Day of the National Anthem and Flag) | 1 day | July 2 |
| Dia di Pais Kòrsou (day of Country Curaçao) | 1 day | October 10 |
| Christmas (1st and Boxing Days) | 2 days | December 25 and 26 |
| New Year's Eve | number of hours | December 31 |
Everyone traveling to Curaçao must complete a digital immigration card online before departure. You must be able to show this digitally or printed upon arrival.
Topless sunbathing is not permitted. Entering shops and supermarkets in swimwear is not permitted - even on the beaches. Keep that in mind.
Pay close attention to traffic on Curaçao. The quality of the roads is not good everywhere and it can be busy. In the evening, pay close attention to other road users who may be under the influence of alcohol. It is officially forbidden to drive with too much alcohol, but this does happen.
There are traffic rules that are different from the rules in the European Netherlands. Especially priority rules. For more information about traffic in Curaçao, visit the ANWB website.
The European Dutch driving license is valid in Curaçao.
Money
Curaçao is part of the Caribbean Netherlands. This means that there is no embassy. In case of emergency, you can contact local emergency services.
Do you need immediate help in Curaçao? Please contact local emergency services
Are you on the island and is there an emergency or crisis situation? Always follow the instructions of the local authorities. If you are taking an organized trip, keep in touch with your tour company.
In case of emergency, you can contact the Dutch Representation in Willemstad via the consular service on local number +599 94 34 32 00 (during office hours). The Dutch Representation provides consular assistance to Dutch nationals registered in the European Netherlands (with a Dutch passport).
The name Curaçao
Or the name is derived from the Portuguese word 'cura', which means healing. Or the name is derived from the Portuguese word 'coração', which means heart. The name may also be derived from the word 'corossol', which means soursop (a fruit that grows and blooms in Curaçao).
On July 26, 1499, Curaçao was discovered by the Spaniard Alonso de Ojeda. At that time, about 2,000 people lived on the island. In 1515, almost all residents had been transported as slaves to South America to work on plantations. In 1527 a number of Spaniards settled on the island. The island was governed from several cities in present-day Venezuela. The Spanish also transported European animals and plants to Curaçao. These did not originally grow or live there. Examples included goats, sheep, cattle, horses and various plants, trees and flowers. Many plants and animals continued to live, especially the animals fared very well. Still, the Spaniards felt that there were disadvantages to the island. You couldn't grow anything there because the soil was too dry. There was also little salt, which yielded little, and there was no gold, silver, or precious stones in the ground. As a result, the Spaniards slowly disappeared from the island.
There are dishes for every special occasion, such as weddings, Holy Communion, funerals or the completion of a renovation. Below is an overview of the most characteristic meals.
Special meals
Bolo pretu in the form of bite-sized balls
At Curaçao weddings, keshi yena, stoba and, for dessert, the wedding cake and a piece of bolo pretu are on the menu. Keshi yena or stuffed cheese is made from a hollowed out Edam cheese. After it has been soaked and stripped of its wax layer, the cheese, filled with meat or fish, capers, raisins, plums and olives, is baked in the oven.
Stobá, made from stewed meat, fish, or vegetables, for example Curaçao cucumber, is served with funchi.
In addition, fried or stewed goat meat with rice, fried banaab, peas and beetroot is often eaten at family gatherings.
Building a house is celebrated exuberantly when the roof is on it. Then sopi di mondongo is drunk. This soup is also eaten on Sundays. The mondongo or Antillean pepperpot is a stew made from the stomachs and hooves of beef or goat, capers, raisins, plums, olives and sherry or cognac.
Ayaka is eaten at Christmas and New Year. The Antillean ayaka, a refined edition of the Venezuelan original, is a dish wrapped in banana leaves. It contains a layer of corn flour dough, salt, sugar, aniseed, grated cheese, butter and milk. The pastry base is filled with chicken and pork, capers, raisins, plums, olives, piccalily, ham, almonds, celery, parsley, gherkins and chili pepper. The whole, wrapped in banana leaves, is boiled in water, after which it is allowed to cool. It is heated up briefly before use.
The sankocho, sòpitu, guiambo, tutu and iguana soup are also eaten on special occasions.
Sankocho is a soup eaten as a main course consisting of fresh and salted meat, vegetables, bananas, tubers, corn cobs, sweet and regular potatoes.
Sòpitu is a thick soup of salted meat, roasted fish, coconut milk, corn cobs and spices.
Guiambo or Okra is a dish of okra, salted meat (and pork tail), fish, cheese, shrimp and karko (shellfish). It is eaten with funchi.
Tutu or jug jug is a dish of funchi flour, beans, salted meat and sugar.
Tamarind soup is made from sweet tamarind and is eaten with funchi on Good Friday.
A funeral also includes a meal, but it is not as lavish as, for example, a wedding. At home, peanut milk is drunk (typical Aruban, chocolate milk made from peanuts) and stobá is eaten.
Drinks
Drinks such as Awa di Sorsaka, made from soursop, and batido di fruta, fruit smoothie, are drunk every day. The Curaçao liqueur (Blue Curaçao) is not commonly served on the island. This liqueur is only found on festive tables on the occasion of a celebration.
Leter di peanut, peanut cookies.
Sweet snacks
Curaçao is known for its bolo cake, tèrt and lèter di pinda. One of the most famous types of cake in Curaçao is the bolo di manteka (butter cake), made from flour, sugar, butter and a relatively large amount of eggs. This cake can be compared to an American pound cake, because one pound of all ingredients is used.
The tèrt can best be compared to Dutch apple pie. However, in Curaçao it is not filled with apple, but with a filling of plums or grated coconut.
In Curaçao, ground peanuts are used to make S-shaped cookies, which are called lèter di peanut.
Candy
Curaçao cuisine has many traditional sweets, such as tentalaria, kokada, koi lechi, kakiña and panseiku. They are referred to in Papiamentu as "kos di boka dushi" or ko'i dushi".
Savory snacks
Savory snacks include pastechi (pastries with fish, meat or cheese filling), empaña (pastries made from cornmeal) and kala (a savory, fried snack made from ground beans).
The color blue symbolizes the loyalty of the people. The blue in the top half of the flag symbolizes the blue sky, and in the bottom half the sea surrounding the island. The yellow band in the middle represents the sun that makes people happy every day, but also the joy and cheerfulness of the people. The Constitution states that the island territory of Curaçao consists of the islands of Curaçao and Klein Curaçao. These are symbolized by the two stars. The five-pointed represents the five continents/continents from which the population originates. The color white again represents peace and happiness.
Curacao International Airport
Curaçao International Airport also known as Hato Airport or Aeropuerto Hato, is the international airport of Curaçao. The runway is 3,400 meters long and 60 meters wide, suitable for all types of aircraft. The airport is located on the north coast of Curaçao, 12 kilometers from Willemstad. The airport serves as a hub for regional and international transport. On July 31, 2006, a new terminal with passenger bridges was put into use.
The airport was initially called Hato Airport, after the nearby town of Hato. On Tuesday, January 5, 1954, the airport was renamed Dr. Albert Plesman Airport. Plesman, director of the Royal Aviation Company for the Netherlands and Colonies, had died a few days earlier. People often spoke of Aeropuerto Plesman or Plesman Airport, but unofficially the name Hato has also remained in use until now. Today the official name is: Curaçao International Airport.
Hato was one of the most important and busiest airports in the Caribbean during the Second World War. The airfield was used by the US Air Force for anti-submarine patrols. The airport has not met high international standards for some time now.
Close to the airport and the village you will find the Hato caves, one of the tourist attractions of Curaçao.
Economy
Tourism, one of the most important incomes for Curaçao.
The currency of Curaçao is the Antillean Guilder. There are many ports on the island. For example, Willemstad has a large port with an oil refinery. Many people work at the oil refinery. Another source of income is tourism. Thousands of tourists come to Curaçao every year to dive, sunbathe on the beach and enjoy the culture. Many people like to dive in the sea around the island. There you can snorkel and watch tropical fish. The beach is very popular for sunbathing. Furthermore, Curaçao has several roads and everything is easily accessible by car. The only public transport is the bus.
Healthcare in Curaçao is fairly comparable to that in the European Netherlands.
Most medical treatments can be performed.
There are general practitioner posts in most neighborhoods.
In the event of an emergency, you can go to the emergency room of one of the hospitals on the island.
Medicines
Take enough medication with you for the travel period and for an additional week. Not all medicines are always readily available, nor are all brands prescribed in the European Netherlands.
Decompression chamber
The decompression chamber for divers is located in the Curaçao Medical Center (CMC). Make sure that your diving school has the standard treatment equipment that meets the PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) standard.
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