2019 Curaçao part 2

Day 3: Island and Beach Tour

Note: I’ll add PHOTOS later : my editor on the iPhone is just too different (I’ll post photos instead only on Facebook for now)

Peter Tours picked us up for a round the island and beach tour. We were first in the 20 seater bus but collecting others filled it. The Guide & Driver were both named Irwin...

The tour was a running commentary on Curaçao and some of its highlights and lowlights. Among the statistics there are an estimated 250,000 illegal immigrants from Venezuela here escaping that country by any means possible. That number is huge when you consider that legal residents only account for around 175,000. In the mix of legal residents there are people of 52 different nationalities. 


Our tour covered most of the length of the island. Starting from our hotel heading south and east as we collected other passengers. Along the way we crossed over one of the higher bridges of Willemstad with views over it and Otrobanda. Continuing to nearly the most south and western tip of the island. Then heading west and north once again past Willemstad, up into the Christoffel National Park, and all the way to Westpunt (the most north and western point).

Probably a good thing, but considered bad by Guide Irwin, Shell built a refinery soon after the slave trade ended. It was built well inside the protected deep port harbour that separates Otrobanda and Willemstad. But that does mean it occupies prime land with ugly infrastructure.

Curaçao is a place of refuge for boats during the Caribbean hurricane season. The positioning of the country means that hurricanes don’t directly hit the island so boats from around the region completely book out moorings ahead of hurricane season.

Willemstad was a series of canals from the ocean inland for production of salt. Now they are mostly covered in and built over. But in days past the area was a major producer of the salt consumed in Holland, Portugal, Cuba and other countries.

Big Jewish immigration occurred soon after Holland took over Curaçao. The families tended to come with 
and a drive to make more so they made a huge positive impact on growth.

One of those families, the Seniors, formed the Curaçao Liquor Distillery and built that drink’s popularity. In 1972 Curaçao Liquor was awarded Best Liquor Ever.. We visited Landhuis Cholobo which is the sole distillery/producer of Genuine Curaçao Liquor. The Liquor is a product of oils from the rinds of an offshoot of Valencia oranges called Laraha. Laraha only grows in the island. So Curaçao Liquor from other countries are not “genuine”.

Landhuis Architecture style is between baroque and rococo. All are huge and quite glamorous (except those fallen into ruin). Colour in homes (large and small) now is a change from original practice. In years long gone they all were white but one Governor complained about the glare and asked citizens to paint in different colours. First up everyone went yellow (extract from aloe Vera), then added hues of red (extract from Brazil nut). Now all colours of the rainbow are to be seen as paints and colours no longer rely upon local pigment.

In Christoffel Park we stopped atop an ocean viewpoint which is a coral reef that at some long ago time was pushed well above sea level by a rising lava field. Crashing waves on reef covered lava was the highlight of this section. There also we had views of Mount Christoffel , Curaçao’s highest point.

Next up was a pier at a Westpunt beach to see turtles. The turtles are active and plentiful there as local fishermen feed them the guts of their catch.

This was followed by lunch at a nearby hotel. 

Onwards to Knip Bay: Playa Kanepa Grandi / Knip Beach for a swim and snorkel. Emerald blue waters with reef covered cliffs and a lovely sand beach. On the snorkel we were able to see quite a few fish in the lee of the cliffs.

Last stop before ending the tour was the lagoon at Rif Ste. Marie. Here a colony of flamingo are living. They feed on the tiny shrimp growing in brackish water. But now the area is not getting as much fresh water to mix with the incoming tidal salt water so a point may we reached when this colony depart for other Curaçao lagoons or even over to Bonaire

Day 4: Beach Day

I followed the crowd and “reserved” lounge chairs by placing my towels on 2 of them... then headed to breakfast. The practice should not be allowed but it is so I made use of it. If not done you don’t have a chance at an umbrella shaded chair.

Quite nice snorkelling in the morning. Very few people in the water so they were not scaring my fish away. The largest schooling of fish was under and around the support pillars of a platform a short way from shore and just before the drop off into deep water. On the way back I spotted a foot long spotted sea snake (who just wanted to get away from me).

Over the course of our stay we’ve noticed yellow balloons on the water’s surface heading out and then returning. Today we discovered they were attached to underwater self contained scuba domes. So I went snorkeling to see them. 
Amusing! And pretty good if you’re not a diver and want to see what’s below. Pictures have to wait till I get a chance to get my photos off the five camera. But here’s a few before they are in the water: