The Perfect Mix
By Sharon McDonnell

Rich history, beautiful architecture and white-sand beaches make Curaçao an unparalleled choice for your next vacation.

Take a generous cup of Amsterdam, one of Africa and another of Latin America. Add two tablespoons of Arizona, plus a dash of Chinese and Indian spices. Stir, then serve.

That’s the recipe for Curaçao, just 35 miles off the coast of Venezuela. While its nearby siblings in the Netherlands Antilles such as Aruba and Bonaire might be better known, for anyone who enjoys historic preservation, a multifaceted culture with a strong European flavor, or Jewish heritage, Curaçao is an excellent bet.

This island boasts one of only six UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Caribbean. Think of Amsterdam’s steeply gabled houses on a canal—except in neon colors with orange tiled roofs—and you’ve conjured up its capital city of Willemstad, where 765 old buildings are protected on the UNESCO list of culturally important sights, which include the Taj Mahal, Spain’s Alhambra, as well as Old Havana and Old San Juan.

The story goes that a 19th-century governor suffered headaches from the sun reflecting off blindingly white buildings, so he ordered them painted. His pain, our gain: Willemstad’s streetscape is picturesque by day, but by night it’s enchanting as lights silhouette its facades and bridges. A quaint pedestrian-only bridge connects the city’s two sections, Punda and Otrabanda, across Santa Anna Bay, and swings open when a ship enters the harbor. When this “floating bridge”—nicknamed the Swinging Old Lady—first opened in 1888, walkers with shoes had to pay a toll; the barefoot walked free.

An extraordinary eight-block “village” of meticulously restored 18th-and 19th-century Dutch and Spanish colonial- style houses, cobblestone paths, a museum, an Indian restaurant next to a waterfall-fed pool, and an Indian marble garden in Otrabanda, the Hotel Kura Hulanda complex deserves a visit.

Museum Kura Hulanda, a fascinating anthropological museum with a moving slavery exhibit and West African empires exhibit, is also here. Curaçao was a major depot for African slaves in the Caribbean, and the museum features a replica of the interior of a slave ship, where each chained African slave had “less room than in a coffin,” as well as the history of the slave trade chronicled in ghastly detail.

For a traditional specialty, visitors should try the keshi yena, a stew of chicken, prunes, raisins and olives baked inside hollowed-out Edam cheese. The recipe dates back to when slaves were forced to make do with cheese rinds tossed out by plantation owners. When in Otrabanda try the Cuban banana soup at De Gouverneur de Rouville, a restaurant in a restored 19th-century Dutch mansion that offers a beautiful view of Punda across the bay.

In Punda, a floating market heaped high with freshly caught fish, mangoes, plantains and other tropical fruits, spices and vegetables is open daily.

Here you will also find the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the Western Hemisphere. Built in 1732, Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue is a yellow building with white trim and a fl oor covered with sand. Founded by Spanish and Portuguese Jews fleeing the Inquisition by way of Amsterdam, it’s sand symbolizes 40 years of wandering in the desert, and “hidden Jews” muffl ing the sound of religious services by replacing wooden floors with sand.

Discovered by the Spanish in 1499, Curaçao was settled by the Dutch in 1634. Papiamento, the local language, is a mix of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and African words—bon dia is “good day,” bon bini “welcome.” Spanish and English are widely spoken.

Most hotels are clustered in or near Willemstad on the south shore, where most of the white-sand beaches are located. Many hotels have free shuttle service to downtown Willemstad. Beachfront resorts on Piscadera Bay include Curaçao Marriott Resort & Emerald Casino, the Hilton Curaçao and the modern Floris Suite Hotel.

Hearing Curaçao resembled Arizona on a beach, I was skeptical, given the lush plantings at the Willemstad-area hotels. But, a drive to the western part of the island convinced me. Brownish landscapes with tall cacti, mesquite and wind-gnarled divi-divi trees make up Shete Boka, a national park, where the sea has carved cliffs into grottoes. A resort on the west end is Lodge Kura Hulanda and Beach Club, where many villas, suites and rooms offer beautiful sea views.

A tour of an herb and botanic garden on Curaçao’s east side, Den Paradera, will teach you about the healing properties of plants and herbs. Sit under a thatched hut built by Amazonian Indians and sip a red sorrel tea while owner Dinah Veeris explains folk remedies she collected all over the island. Oregano tea is good for a stomachache, she says, giving babies white basil helps preserve their link with the cosmos, and sick plants may need to
be rocked in a hammock.

Carnival season is the most spectacular time to visit; it’s when tumba music throbs and hand-sewn costumes rival each other in fabulousness. This year tourists were allowed to join a club to march in the Grand Parade. So, clad in purple and gold sequins, a lofty blue-sequined headdress and yellow sequined leggings, I did. Serenaded by tumba that poured from the the band The Happy Peanuts, we marched.

The night parade, featuring dancing flowers, horse costumes and dancers with headdresses that would make Carmen Miranda envious, is nothing short of spectacular. At midnight, a straw-fi lled doll of King Momo is burned in a field while fireworks light the sky.

Bon bini to the melting pot that is Curaçao. H

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