Hunter Travel Guide Aruba, Bonaire & Curacao Alive

419 Pages·2008·10.75 MB·English

by  Harriet Greenberg

A
R
ARUBA,
U
B
A BONAIRE
,
B
CURAÇAO
O
&
N
A
I
R
E
&
C
U
R
Alive Guide
A
Ç
A
O
9781588 436870 51999
ISBN978-1-58843-687-0
Harriet Greenberg & Arnold Greenberg
www.hunterpublishing.com
3rd Edition
ARUBA
,
BONAIRE
&
CURAÇAO
E !
V
L I
A
3rd Edition
Harriet Greenberg & Arnold Greenberg
HHUUNNTTEERR
(cid:2)
ThisandotherHuntertravelguides
arealsoavailablease-booksinavarietyofdigitalfor-
matsthroughour
onlinepartners,includingnetLibrary.com,over-
drive.com,ebrary.com,myiLibrary.com,eBooks.com,
andothers.
(Djmattaar/Dreamstime)
Contents
Introduction 1 Pharmacies 145
(cid:2) TheAttractions 2 PostOffices 145
(cid:2) ACapsuleHistory 4 Religion 145
(cid:2) TheIslandsToday 6 Supermarkets 145
(cid:2) AntilleanCuisine 8 Telephones 146
(cid:2) Environment 12 TouristOffice 146
Nuts&Bolts 21 Bonaire 147
(cid:2) GettingHere 21 (cid:2) Culture&Customs 147
(cid:2) GettingReady 22 (cid:2) Orientation 154
Aruba 31 (cid:2) GettingAround 157
(cid:2) BestPlacestoStay 160
(cid:2) Culture&Customs 32 (cid:2) BestPlacestoDine 171
(cid:2) Orientation 42 (cid:2) SunuptoSundown 180
(cid:2) GettingAround 45
TheMarinePark 181
(cid:2) BestPlacestoStay 48
Diving 187
(cid:2) BestPlacestoDine 69
Snorkeling 192
(cid:2) SunuptoSundown 92
DaySailsorCruises 193
Beaches 94
Fishing 196
Diving 99
SeaKayaking 196
Kitesurfing 105
Swimming 197
KayakSafaris 106
MountainBiking 200
WaterSports 107
HorsebackRiding 201
Deep-SeaFishing 108
Tennis 202
Golf 108
Golf 202
Tennis 111
FunForFamilies 202
Hiking 111
Birdwatching 204
Spas 112
IslandTours 207
Sightseeing 126 (cid:2) ShopTillYouDrop 233
(cid:2) ShopTillYouDrop 130 (cid:2) AfterDark 236
(cid:2) AfterDark 134 (cid:2) BonaireA-Z 239
(cid:2) ArubaA-Z 142
Banks 239
ArtGalleries 142
Churches 239
ATMMachines 143
Electricity 240
Banks 143
Hospital 240
Beer 143
FerryServices 240
DrinkingWater 143
GettingMarried 240
Electricity 143
InternetCafés 241
FastFoodStops 143
Island&Eco-Tours 241
InternetAccess 144
MovieTheaters 242
MedicalServices 144
Newspaper 242
MobilePhones 144
PostOffice 242
MovieTheaters 145
Supermarket 242
p
iv Contents
TouristOffices 242 Currency 406
Curaçao 243 DrinkingWater 406
(cid:2) Culture&Customs 243 Driving 406
(cid:2) Orientation 263 Electricity 406
(cid:2) GettingAround 266 Emergencies 407
(cid:2) BestPlacestoStay 270 IslandTours 407
(cid:2) BestPlacestoDine 295 Media 407
(cid:2) SunuptoSundown 311 ShoppingHours 407
Telephones 407
Beaches 312
TouristOffice 408
Diving 319
InvestorInformation 408
SailingTrips 335
Index 409
Windsurfing 337
Deep-SeaFishing 339 Maps
HorsebackRides 339 TheCaribbean insidecover
Golf&Squash 340 Aruba 30
Hiking 340 Oranjestad 93
WalkingTours 341 ArubaDrivingTour 116
TrolleyTours 361 Bonaire 149
Museums 362 Kralendijk 159
IslandTours 376 BonaireMarinePark 194
(cid:2) ShopTillYouDrop 391 Curaçao 245
(cid:2) AfterDark 400 Willemstad 265
(cid:2) CuraçaoA-Z 405 Punda 267
Airlines 405 Otrobanda 271
AirportDepartureTax 405 CuraçaoDiveSites 324
Babysitting 405 CuraçaoWesternTour 379
Banking 406 CuraçaoEasternTour 390
CreditCards 406
Introduction
D
iscovered by Christopher Columbus’ fleet in 1493
and by millions of sun-seekers in the last 50 years,
the ABC Islands – Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao – have
become premier vacation destinations. Many visitors
return often to a favored hotel or privately owned
condo. The three Leeward Islands, just a few miles
north of Venezuela, are tucked safely below the hurri-
canebeltandarethereforeyear-rounddestinations.Al-
though they share a Dutch heritage, these sibling
islandsarenotthreepeasinapod.Arubaisthesmallest
ofthethree,butitisthebest-knownandoffersthemost
cosmopolitan holiday. High-rise hotels, fine dining,
Aruba,Bonaire&Curaçaofromspace
lovelybeachesandterrificshopsarehallmarksofastay
onAruba.
CuraçaoretainsmoreofitsDutchcharacterandthepic-
turesque,colorfulcapital,Willemstad,islow-keyrather
than bustling. Hotels are scattered throughout the is-
land, on small beach strips and they too are laid-back.
p
2 The Attractions
There are fine dining options and a select number of
shops.
Bonaire,longcontenttobeoverlooked,findsnewhotels
sprouting up and more visitors exploring what many
Bonairereef
feel are the Caribbean’s most pristine coral reefs. Al-
though no ferry links the three, you can fly between
themeasily.
The Attractions
Though many have yet to discover the ABC Islands,
thosewhohavereturnagainandagain.Hereareafew
ofthereasonswhy:
n
Withnaryacloudinthesky,theislandsenjoyaz-
ure skies and turquoise seas 12 months a year.
Temperaturesinthelow80sandaconstantbreeze
areagiven.Bestofall,theABCIslandsarelocated
outsidethehurricanebelt!
p
The Attractions 3
Divi-divitreeonAruba
n
DivingandsnorkelinghereisthebestintheCarib-
bean.Crystalclearwatersrevealpristinereefsand
fantastic wrecks. Aggressive protection programs
andenvironmentallyconsciousdiveshopsguaran-
teethatthey’llstaythatwayforyearstocome.
n
Those same trade winds that propelled the mer-
chantshipsoftheDutchWestIndiaCompanynow
provideidealconditionsforsailingandwindsurf-
ingandkeepbeachgoerscomfortablycool.
n
Active vacationers have a wealth of activities to
choosefromonlandaswellasinthewater,includ-
ing golf, tennis, horseback riding, hiking and bik-
ing. Nature lovers and bird watchers won’t be
disappointedeither.
n
Shopping is first-rate, especially on Aruba and
Curaçao, where prices for fine fragrances and de-
signerfashionsareasmuchas20%lessthanwhat
theycostathome.
n
All three islands offer a variety of accommoda-
tions, from small bed and breakfasts and country
innstoluxuriousfive-starresorts.Typesandprices
p
4 A Capsule History
vary by island, but affordability is better than on
otherislandsintheCaribbean.
n
Diningonall threeislands isfirst-class, offering a
variety of cuisines guaranteed to satisfy even the
mostdiscriminatingpalate.
n
Comparedtootherislands,theABCIslandsarerel-
atively crime-free. (No matter where you travel,
however,cardoorsshouldbelockedwhenleaving
thecarunattendedandvaluablesshouldalwaysbe
placedinahotelsafe)Noticeablyabsentaswellare
beachvendorshawkingT-shirtsandsouvenirs.
n
The islands’ unique combination of Dutch Carib-
beancharmandLatinwarmthareirresistible!
A Capsule History
The First Inhabitants
The earliest known inhabitants of the ABC Is-
landsweretheCaquetioIndians,aCaribbeanfactionof
the peace-loving Arawak Nation. The Caquetios were
notwarriorsbutfishermenwhotraveledbydugoutca-
noe to trade with their fellow tribes on neighboring is-
lands.TheyprobablysettledontheABCIslandshoping
that they had found a safe haven from the fearless
Caribs, who were more prevalent in the northern is-
lands.Cannibalsandwarriors,theCaribswereabellig-
erent people, who at one point had even driven
ColumbusofftheislandofSt.Croix.
The 15th & 16th Centuries
WhileColumbuswasbusydiscoveringnewter-
ritoriesinthenorthernCaribbean,hislieutenant,
Alonso de Ojeda, headed south. Many believe Ojeda
was the first to discover Curaçao in 1499, before going
on to discover Aruba from the shores of the Cape Ro-
manPeninsulainVenezuela.Amazedbythesizeofthe
p
Oil Brings Prosperity 5
Indians living on the islands, Ojeda nicknamed the is-
I
n
landsIslasdelosGigantes,theIslandsofGiants.
t
r
However, it is the Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci o
whoisofficially creditedwiththediscoveryof Bonaire d
u
andCuraçaoin1499.Notfindinggoldonanyoftheis-
c
lands,theSpaniardscharacterizedthemasislasinutiles, t
i
or worthless islands. Rather than leave empty-handed, o
n
in 1513 they transported most of the Cachets to Santo
Domingo to work as slaves in the copper mines. Even-
tually,theSpanishreturnedtoArubaandCuraçao,set-
ting up cattle ranches to be tended by the Indians they
had brought back from Santo Domingo. The ranches
neverprospered.
Despitetherampantactivitiesofmaraudingpiratesand
BritishbuccaneersthroughouttherestoftheCaribbean,
life on the ABC Islands was uneventful until 1634. In
that year, the Dutch easily conquered Curaçao, and in
1636,theyoccupiedArubaandBonaireaswell.
Throughout the next 150 years or so, attention was fo-
cusedonCuraçao,whileBonaireandArubastayedqui-
etlyoutoftheway.
TheDutchWestIndiaCompanyrecognizedthestrate-
gicvalueofCuraçao’snaturalharbor,bothasamilitary
strong point for its ongoing battles against the Spanish
andasacommercialharborsetamidstitstradingroutes
and possessions in the New Netherlands and Brazil.
Curaçao soon became an important depot for slaves
broughtfromAfricatoworkonplantationsthroughout
the Caribbean. It was also a stopping point for South
American and Caribbean products bound for Europe,
justasitisnow.
Oil Brings Prosperity
Theabolitionofslaveryin1863allbutdevastatedtheis-
land’s economies, forcing many residents to seek em-
ployment elsewhere. Prosperity returned in 1915 with
the arrival of the Royal Dutch Shell Refinery on
Curaçao. Shell became the largest employer on the is-