CURACAO (population
170,000), the largest of the ABC
islands, and the administrative center of the Netherlands Antilles,
remains relatively unknown outside
of Holland and the Caribbean.
Originally discovered by the
Spaniards in 1499 and taken over by
the Dutch in 1634, Curacao has been
slower to develop the kind of
tourist industry its neighbors are
famed for, though its capital city -
and recently designated UNESCO World
Heritage Site -
Willemstad ,
rivals any in the Caribbean for
picturesque charm. The island also
offers decent diving and swimming
possibilities, especially on the
leeward side, with its secluded
coves. More active pursuits can be
had in the rugged and hilly
interior:
Christoffel National
Park, in the north, is
overgrown with towering cacti,
scrubby vegetation and gnarled divi
divi trees, well worthy of a hike
around it. Besides such flora,
island inhabitants include goats,
bats, lizards, iguanas and countless
species of colorful birds. The
various
plantation houses
that dot the island are remnants
from Curacao's history as the
Caribbean's busiest slave depot in
the seventeenth century; the trade
was finally abolished here in 1863.
