Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao or collectively called the “ABC” islands, is also known as the “Dutch Leewards”. If you will look at a map of the Caribbean, you will notice that there are three dots just off the coast of Venezuela. The three islands, namely Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, share the same culture and influence from Spain, Portugal and West Indies. The official language of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao is Dutch while Papiamento is their local language.
The three islands are famous for their beach, diving spots and of course lots and lots of sunshine. Like most of the islands in the Caribbean, the ABC islands have a hot and dry climate. Yet unlike their neighbors, the landscape is arid and flat. Their coastline boasts with white sands, crystal clear waters, and they have an offshore coral reef that is teeming with marine life; making the three islands a haven for divers, water sports enthusiast and tourist who would just love to lay back on the beach. Each island has its own well-funded national park.
The best time of the year to go to the Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao is within mid-December to mid-April where the weather is at its finest. That’s also the peak of its tourist season. Though the three islands seldom experiences rain and have very little rainfall, mild showers usually occur between October and March. Steady trade winds help keep the temperature at the average of 28 C or 82 F.
Curacao is the largest of the three, both in terms of population and size. The capital of Curacao is Willemstad. Aruba has a population of 80,000 and a land mass of 20 miles long, 6 miles across. It comes in second in terms of population. The capital is Oranjestad. Bonaire is somewhat larger than Aruba, with a width of 4-7 miles and 24 miles long. Its population is only about 15,000 people. Kralendijk is its capital.
Tourism is the main industry of the three islands. Aruba and Curacao have oil refineries while Bonaire has a storage facility and produces rice. The busiest economy of the three islands is Curacao, which has one of the largest dry docks in the world.
Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao have good watersports opportunities. If you want to go diving, Bonaire has the best diving spots because of its immaculate coral reefs around the island. Aruba is more known for its beaches than diving, though it has some good diving spots. While Curacao has lots and lots of watersports opportunities, its diving spots are spread across the southern coast.
The next time you want to go on a vacation, just think of the first three letters in the alphabet, and you’ll be guaranteed to have a great time.
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Curacao Gasoline
... source of income. How Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao: Abc's Of The Caribbean did the production of Curacao gasoline start? Oil was discovered around 1920 in the Venezuelan Lake of Maracaibo. Along with Aruba, Curacao began processing crude oil for Venezuela. The Royal Dutch Shell Refinery provided the biggest source of employment in Curacao. It encouraged immigrants to flock to Curacao because of job opportunities in this oil refinery. World War II made the oil industry in Curacao thrive even more. Its refineries, along with those of Aruba, supplied the fuel demand of the Allied forces in North Africa, making them vulnerable military targets. American soldiers were placed under the command of the Royal Dutch Navy and the Antilles troops. A lesser demand in oil around 1985 made Shell close its refinery and sell it to the local government. In turn, Curacao had it leased to PDVSA, a Venezuelan oil company...
Curacao Island
Located in the southwest part of the Caribbean, the Curacao Island is the largest island of the Netherlands Antilles. Just 35 miles north of Venezuela and 42 miles east of Aruba, Curacao Island is 38 miles long and 7.5 miles across. With only two and a half hours from Miami by air, the Curacao Island is just outside the hurricane belt; an ideal place for a holiday destination that you could Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao: Abc's Of The Caribbean be sure of a good weather all year round. Situated within the tropics, 12 north of the Equator, the Curacao island has a warm and very sunny climate all year round. With and average temperature of mid80 F, trade winds regularly flow from the east, and it picks up speed during spring. The rainy season (October to February),...
Curacao Airlines
... (599-9) 869 5714 * ALM Antillean Airlines Gateway - Port of Spain, Paramaribo, Port-au-Prince, Venezuela, Bonaire, Aruba, Caracas, Kingston, Holland, Miami, St. Maarten * Air Culebra Inter-island flights * American Airlines International Hato Airport Telephone: (599-9) 869 5707 Telefax: (599-9) 869 5714 * Air Jamaica Ltd. International Hato Airport rm 0-105 Telephone: (599-9) 888 1919 Telefax: (599-9) 888 2313 * Aires Aeropuerto Hato W G 04105 Telephone: (599-9) 888 3431 Telefax: (599-9) 868 0209 * Avianca Airlines Aeropuerto Hato Room wg 4/5 Telephone: (599-9) 86800122 /01 Telefax: (599-9) 868 0209 * KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Office Park Zeelandia Telephone: (599-9) 465 2747 Telefax: (599-9) 465 3733 Website: www.klm.com Curacao airlines are not the only flights being handled by Curacao's Hato International Airport. It also welcomes private planes. One of the companies that handles these flights is the Cats Handling with contact number (599-9) 869 4482 and email address catsnv@hotmail.com. Guests using private planes may also solicit the...
Curacao Airport
... regards to cargo and luggage. In the Hato International Airport, travelers are often stopped for random inspections and must present themselves and their luggage. This is one of the security measures that the airport has increased which causes an increase amount of travel time. Travelers are advised to observe these new regulations for their own safety. Here are some tips on how to speed up their process: 1. Check in at least two hours before departure time. 2. When passing through a security checkpoint, have your identification (government issued) ready. 3. Dress for a flight. If you set off a highly sensitive detector, it might mean there will be a more detailed search. Avoid wearing steel-toed shoes and metal belts. If you have a surgical implant, obtain a note from your doctor stating so (it will shorten the discussion with the airport security.). 4. Pack wisely. If you have food and drinks with you, it's best that you...
Where Is Curacao Located
... the waters in different parts of the island vary. High waves coming in from the open seas smash into cliffs from the north end. These deep dark blue waters are an exact opposite to the calm southern coastline highlighted with the white sandy shores. Both parts of Curacao though has a lot of bays and inlets formed during the Ice Age. Schottegat, the busiest harbor, is the biggest bay on the south end of Curacao as well. The western and eastern parts are made up mostly of volcanic hills. These hills, locally known as "female hills", were formed over the years from volcanic activities which geologists call as the Curacao Lava Formation. Rich soil, as a result of erosion from these soft hills, makes it the location for the island's plantations. Knowing it to be an island in the Caribbean will give you an idea where Curacao can be found on the world map. A thorough...
The Curacao Flag
... the Netherlands). Along with Bonaire and other three neighboring island in the north-eastern part of the Caribbean, Curacao belongs to the Netherlands Antilles. The Curacaos are Dutch nationals. Their Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao: Abc's Of The Caribbean flag is very much similar of the Dutch flag. Even if Curacao is under Netherlands Antilles, Curacao has its own flag. The Curacao flag is blue in color and has two five-pointed stars, the smaller star is on the upper left of the other star. A yellow stripe cuts horizontally near the center. Have you ever wondered what's the meaning of two stars and the single yellow stripe of the Curacao flag? The two white stars represent the two islands of Curacao; Curacao and small Curacao or also known as Klein Curacao (a small uninhabited island southeast of Curacao). The yellow stripe depicts the sun dividing the blue sky and blue sea (that's why the color of the Curacao flag is blue). The five points of the star symbolizes the five continents of which the local population...
Curacao Real Estate
... want to travel to the Caribbean. Has a vast directory of resources from individuals, organizations, and travelers of the Caribbean. * www.vrbo.com - stands for vacation rentals by owners. This website offers rentals of vacation houses by their respective owners all over the world. * www.resortpropertiesonline.com - offers the best resort and Curacao real estate properties on line. Very ideal for those who are looking for a vacation house in Curacao. * www.caribbeanway.com - offers leases for villas in the Caribbean. CaribbeanWay has lots of world-class luxury villas rentals for wholesale. * www.immocuracao.com - website for the IMMO Real Estate NV. It is a Curacao real estate broker. * Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao: Abc's Of The Caribbean www.yellowpages-caribbean.com - this website is like the telephone yellow pages. Have listings of almost all...
Curacao Map
... as the one mentioned above, this is a Curacao Map and Hotel Locator. It shows the where the first class hotels and resorts are. If you want to go to a particular area in Curacao and you are looking for a nice place to stay on that area just look at the map then if you decided to stay on that particular hotel/resort on that are just click on the name of the hotel/resort. Say, you are going to Willemstad (Curacao's capital), just look at the number that is on Willemstad and you will see what hotel corresponds to that number (there's the Curacao Plaza Hotel in Willemstad). Just click on the name of the hotel and it will direct you to another page where you can find photos of the hotel and its description. The next time that you're planning of going to Curacao try to search for some other websites that has Curacao maps and has same similar features as mentioned above so that you will know where to go and what...
Curacao History
... the ones who found the island, thus giving it its name. More famous stories of Curacao history are those of Christopher Columbus' famous voyages. It was believed that Alonso de Ojeda, one of his lieutenants, discovered Curacao around 1499. It was also said that Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian, was with Ojeda when he found Curacao. Some stories have it that during the voyage, Vespucci's men suffered from scurvy. Vespucci was said to have left these men on the island, only to find out on his return that they were all well. It was presumed that the fruits on the island were rich in Vitamin C, thus curing the sailors. He was said to have named it Curacao which means "cure" in Portuguese. Being Italian, and Ojeda being a Spaniard, this version is quite absurd Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao: Abc's Of The Caribbean but is more famous and more interesting than the others. Some people say though that Curacao's original name which was Curazon, was given by Spaniards to mean "heart". However changes have...
Curacao Weather
... average is only at 22 inches (570 mm) and if there is a storm developing elsewhere in the Caribbean, Curacao will only have an unusually cloudy weather that usually last a day or two. Curacao has regular trade winds from the east that is constantly picking up speed during spring months. The Curacao weather, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao: Abc's Of The Caribbean which is hot all year round, are cooled by the east trade winds. There are websites on the internet that gives updated news of the weather. If you're taking a trip to Curacao, these websites can be very helpful to you. Below are some of the websites that gives a regular update of Curacao weather: * http://www.curacao-travelguide.com/weather - This particular website, dedicated only on Curacao weather, doesn't give only information and facts about Curacao's best hotels, beaches and rentals; it also has a five day weather forecast and the current weather conditions of Curacao. * http://www.wunderground.com - This...
Curacao Government
... participate in the political development until the series of social movements in the late '60s. The political status of the Curacao government was later debated in the year 2000; discussing the relationship between the Netherlands and the islands of Netherlands Antilles. In a referendum held last April 8, 2005 on Curacao, together with the island of Saint Martin the residents voted for an autonomous state within the Kingdom of Netherlands. On April 15 of that same year, the Island Council of the Island Territory of Curacao has formally sanctioned the results of the referendum and pointed out its position as an autonomous country that has the same status of Aruba. Even though the Curacao government is not a member of the U.N. the Dutch government is in charge of its defense and foreign affairs. The Curacao government is based on a parliamentary democracy. The parliament is composed of council ministers and a prime...
Curacao Island Map
... for a map while in Curacao. They are given free-of-charge. Some establishments though, like hotels, will charge you for one. The centuries-old Werbata Maps are available in the bookstores and are suited to those seeking adventure. This type of map is Curacao Island's first topographical map, and will likely lead to some unspoiled parts of Curacao. A lot of websites should be helpful. Curacao Island map as well as detailed maps of major places in Curacao like Willemstad, Otrabanda & Punda, and a separate Punda map can be found at www.caribbean-on-line.com . The maps on this particular site are so comprehensive and will no doubt let you get around the island pretty well. A laptop would have been the best tool to access sites like this especially while you're driving. Visiting Google Earth is highly...
Maps Of Curacao
... for you to purchase or download. If you are opting to use the internet, here is a list of website that have maps of Curacao. Some are useful enough; some just show where certain locations are. Just choose a map that you may find useful. * http://www.ebay.com - A highly popular web based search engine that lets you search for anything that is for auction. Just key-in "maps of Curacao" then click "Search" and eBay will do the rest. Highly recommended for those who want to search for things at a low price. * http://www.curacao-travelguide.com - This website offers information of hotels, car rentals, beaches and even weather. The only setback of the map that they offered is that the map only shows popular places and tourist spots on Curacao. It doesn't show any details like the roads and highways of Curacao, but the map is quite informative. * http://www.caribbean-on-line.com/ - A...
Curacao Liqueur
The plan to farm the Valencia oranges was then abandoned and the Valencia oranges grew wild. It was then discovered decades later that if the peels of the Valencia fruit was dried thoroughly in the sun, it would produce oil with a surprising pleasant fragrance. A recipe was then developed by a Jewish family (Senior family) in Curacao. The oil was mixed with various exotic spices. With this came the "Curacao liqueur". The same family then marketed the product. They made a massive investment to start the Curacao liqueur industry. Curacao liqueur has become a world success and with that many liquor manufacturers worldwide albeit produced Curacao liqueur but with artificial flavors. The genuine Curacao liqueur is called "Curacao of Curacao". Original Curacao liqueur is clear in color. It later evolved, and is now available in various colors for cocktail purposes (blue, red, orange and green). Colored Curacao liqueur has the same taste as the...
Maps Of Curacao Island
... have come up with a choice, it is best know all these things especially if you are planning to drive around yourself. Make sure that you bring maps of Curacao Island as well. Even if you have been doing research on these famous places even before you got there, you might still find yourself uncertain where to go on some occasion. Part of the nature of traveling is uncertainty. A lot of hitches that are beyond our control can happen, like delayed flights, unconfirmed accommodations, or even car trouble. Maps are necessary not because they eliminate those hitches but because they make it a lesser hassle by getting us to the Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao: Abc's Of The Caribbean right place. Some crave the feeling of uncertainty and would rather trust their intuition than bring a map. But if you have...