Curacao a melting pot of diverse cultures, attractions

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao - The fruit of Curacao’s oranges is so bitter even goats won’t eat it, so locals throw it away and use the peels instead.

The result is Curacao liqueur, a pungent spirit that comes in rainbow colors that all taste the same but make delicious exotic drinks with names like the Blue Bird Martini or the Blue Lagoon.

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Sun bathing on the beach is a popular pasttime.

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Curacao has a host of American hotel chains ranging in price from budget to luxury. Rates are down in summer, considered the off-season.

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Penha House, dating to 1708, is one of Curacao’s architectural marvels built in traditional Dutch style.

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The islanders’ genius in exploiting sour oranges to make such a delightful concoction speaks volumes about Curacao, a windswept Caribbean jewel with a surprisingly arid climate and rocky terrain.

Like many neighboring Caribbean destinations, there are gorgeous beaches and excellent scuba diving, but there are also rugged mountain biking, strenuous hiking, windsurfing, cave exploring and back road adventures in jeeps or on four-wheelers.

Perhaps most fascinating of all, though, is the island’s melting-pot mix of cultures, a tribute to Curacao’s history as a Dutch colony that imported African slaves but lately has thrived off trade with Spanish-speaking Venezuela, which lies only 30 miles to the south on the South American mainland.

Visitors speaking English will have no trouble communicating with islanders, who typically speak four languages: Dutch, English, Spanish and Papiamentu, a local patois developed by slaves who mixed African dialects with the other languages.

The island has been a part of the independent Netherlands Antilles for several decades, but the Dutch influence remains strong and ties to Holland important.

Willemstad, the capital, has been declared a United Nations World Heritage Site, joining a short list of other Caribbean gems that includes Havana, Old San Juan and Santo Domingo. But here the influences are distinctly Dutch, not Spanish.

Punda, the heart of the historic city, is a maze of narrow streets and historic buildings, most painted in bright pastel colors. A prime example is the Penha House, dating to 1708, which anchors the Handelskade, or waterfront.

Built in the style favored by prosperous Dutch merchants, it became the Penha family’s store in 1837 and is still run by family descendants today, featuring cosmetics, perfume and apparel.

Other must-see buildings for architecture-lovers are Fort Amsterdam, where yellow walls, white trim and a roof of bright red barrel tiles dates to 1635, and the Fort Church, dating to 1763.

Another interesting stop in Punda is the Mikve Israel-Emmanuel Synagogue, which has a sand floor and is the oldest synagogue in the Western Hemisphere holding continuous services.

Cross the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge and you can visit the Kura Hulanda Museum, built on the site of a slave auction and dedicated to the influence that Africans brought to the island.

Venture out from the capital and you’ll notice the sprawling oil refinery that lines an entire bank of Willemstad’s large harbor. Now run by the Venezuelan state oil company, the facility dates back to World War I. While it isn’t particularly picturesque, it has provided a backbone to the local economy for decades with its 1,500 jobs.

Those jobs have been vital to Curacao because the island has never been much of an agricultural haven. Dutch colonists in the 1600s tried farming sugarcane and fruit but had only limited success due to the rocky soil and arid climate.

But that heritage has its own bit of history, which you can glimpse at the Senior family’s Chobolobo Mansion. The family once raised Valencia orange trees imported from Spain, but found the fruit so bitter it was worthless.

Eventually somebody figured out that the peel, separated from the “laraha” fruit, could be dried in the hot sun, mixed with other spices and distilled into the delicious Curacao liqueur that, along with baseball players, is perhaps the island’s most famous export.

The Senior family insists their recipe is the only genuine article, despite a raft of non-Curacao-based competitors, and they still peel the oranges with wooden knives, claiming metal somehow ruins the peels.

Tourists can tour the mansion, glimpse the distilling process and sample the liqueur weekdays.

For the active-minded, Curacao’s diving is world-renowned, with the advantage that many reefs and wrecks are located just offshore. One of the most popular is the Mushroom Forest, which features a delightful array of colorful fish and giant mushroom-shaped star coral.

Mountain bikers love the island’s rugged terrain, with Watamula Park, Porto Mari nature reserve and Christoffel Park among the favorites.

The area around Christoffel Park on the 38-mile-long island’s western end also offers caves once used as hide-outs by the island’s original Caiquetio Indians, plantation houses and breathtaking views from 1,240-foot Mt. Christoffel, the island’s highest point.

Tourists also enjoy hiking, or, for those who prefer less strenuous activities, taking jeep tours or renting all-terrain four-wheelers for back-country adventures.

Then there is simply relaxing on gorgeous beaches. The island’s southern shore is protected from the trade winds and rough waves, and while there is lots of coral, there is sugary sand, too, and pristine deep-blue water.

Finally there is plenty of great dining on Curacao, with a mix of European, Caribbean and Spanish cuisine. The Fort Nassau Restaurant lets diners enjoy a spectacular view of the Willemstad harbor, while Angelica’s Kitchen in Otrobanda offers Caribbean cuisine and even a Culinary Walk that visits “gastronomic hot spots.”

Curacao is also home to several casinos, so those looking for a different brand of excitement than beaches, reefs, caves and rugged terrain can find thrills in air-conditioned comfort playing games of chance.

IF YOU GO:

Curacao is part of the Netherlands Antilles, located about 30 miles north of the Venezuelan coast. Once a Dutch colony, the 140,000 residents speak Dutch, English, Spanish and Papiamentu, a patois of the other languages, African dialects and Portuguese. For the most current travel advice, visit: www.curacao.com, the Web site of the Curacao Tourism Board, which includes information on accommodations and activities.

Getting There: American Airlines flies direct from Miami, a three-hour trip.

Where to Stay: High season lasts from mid-fall to mid-spring, with prices considerably lower in the summer off-season. There is a wide variety of hotels ranging from budget to luxury, with budget costing from $50 to $75 a night and luxury from $300 up. American chains with properties on the island include Hilton, Marriott, Best Western, Howard Johnson and Clarion Suites.

Activities: Curacao is rated among the top Caribbean scuba-diving destinations, with many wrecks and reefs just offshore, meaning divers don’t have to take a boat trip. One of the island’s most famous dives is the Mushroom Forest, which features 10-foot coral heads and a dizzying array of tropical fish. Curacao also offers hiking, mountain biking, off-road adventures in jeeps or on ATVs, windsurfing, cave exploring, and simply lazing on the beach. The island’s Dutch architecture has earned Willemstad a place on the list as a United Nations’ World Heritage Site, with buildings dating back to the 1600s in Punda, the capital’s historic district. There are also several casinos on the island.

Dining: The island offers an interesting array of dishes, including Caribbean, Latin, European and international. Hook’s Hut near the Floris Suite Hotel at Picadera Bay offers seafood, while Sjalotte offers high-end International dining at the same hotel. The Wine Cellar in Punda has fine dining and International dishes, while the Fort Nassau Restaurant perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Willemstad Harbor offers great views and elegant International cuisine.