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Not Cancun and its jam-packed Hotel Zone, Punta Cana, and its bar-lined waterfront, and that is most undoubtedly not Jamaica with the reggae golf equipment and beachfront villas:
Fast-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 12 months and with a big 30 p.c improve in U.S. arrivals.
If it would not sound like all that many, enable us to remind you it is a tiny island, solely 171 sq. miles in dimension and with a inhabitants of roughly 147,000: in different phrases, over 1,000,000 visitors in a single 12 months is large.
So, what’s driving this unprecedented development?

One Of The Caribbean’s Truly 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 an alternative of ornate Baroque church buildings and Spanish-style plazas, count on rows upon rows of Dutch-inspired, Northern Mannerist facades, and canal-traversed heart.

Unlike Amsterdam’s, nonetheless, homes right here aren’t constructed with darkish bricks and have brightly painted exteriors as an alternative: likewise, the road meals stalls lining the canal fronts are much 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 possibly can 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 Trade.
It’s nonetheless the Netherlands, type of, only a totally different taste of it.
What To See In Curaçao In 2025

Curaçao is related to unspoiled white sands and flamingos, and should 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, among the high picks embody Carcasbaai, a deep-water bay hugged by teal seas, Mambo Beach, 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 not often ever feels crowded, and it is a fashionable hotspot for sea turtle hatching.

If you are primarily based in Willemstad and also you’re down for a bit of journey, we suggest you e-book 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 Beach.
Nearby, you may additionally get to go to one of many island’s high sights, The Quarantine House, a former leper colony the place incomers who had fallen sufferer to the plague can be positioned (don’t fret, it is completely protected now)––and all of this from solely $59 per individual!
Why Do Americans Love Curaçao

Cultural gems apart, Curaçao is primarily a resort destination, and that is why Americans 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 often a stress-free escapade, and there is a variety of pampering concerned in these luxurious accommodations.
This February, an all-inclusive, week-long keep for two at The Rif At Mangrove Beach will set you again $3,523, according to the typical value for five-star Caribbean stays.

There’s a much-cheaper, equally superb Tropical Breeze Curaçao for $639, that includes an out of doors pool surrounded by lush vegetation, a spacious bed room, and a hammock-equipped backyard, and one of the best half is that it has its personal personal beach.
Curaçao is not precisely an inexpensive vacation spot, with the typical value a finances week-long journey for 2 being $2,235 (comprising lodging, meals, transportation and sightseeing prices), however the expensiveness is basically offset by the better sense of exclusivity it provides, in comparison with a jam-packed Cancun, and exquisite sights.
In reality, Americans find yourself staying a mean of 6.4 nights on the island, because the Curaçao Tourist 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 depart.
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This article initially appeared on TravelOffPath.com
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