Contents
Curaçao is a country located in the southern Caribbean Sea, roughly 65 km from the Venezuelan mainland. It is included in the part of the Caribbean known as the Dutch Caribbean, which consists of islands with a history of Dutch colonization. Just like Sint Maarten and Aruba, Curaçao is still a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The country Curaçao includes two islands: the main island and Klein Curaçao (Little Curaçao). Klein Curaçao has no permanent inhabitants, but there are a few simple huts used by fishermen and day trippers from the main island. There is also an old lighthouse on Klein Curaçao.
What’s the official currency in Curaçao?
Even though Curaçao is a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the official currency is the Netherlands Antiellan guilder (ANG) instead of the Euro. ANG is also the official currency of Sint Maarten.
In Curaçao, the guilder is often referred to as a florin in everyday language.
Tourism
The two main origin countries for turists in Curaçao are the European Netherlands and the USA (especially the eastern part). Tourism is an important part of the local economy, but Curaçao is less reliant on tourism than many other Caribbean islands.
Beach tourists tend to pick the southern coast of Curaçao, since the water is calmer and there are many small beaches to enjoy, including Cas Abou and Jan Thiel.
Scuba diving
Curaçao is a popular destination for scuba divers, partly because of the sharp drop-off formed by the island’s insular shelf. This drop-off is known as the Blue Edge. Curaçao also has a lot of nice coral reefs to explore, and many good spots can be reached without a boat.
At Porto Marie Beach, artifical coral blocks have been placed in the sea to form an artificial reef that will help protect the natural reefs in the area. This artificial reef is already home to a lot of tropical fish species.
Klein Curaçao
Klein Curaçao (Little Curaçao) is a small island south-east of the main island of Curaçao. It has no permanent residents, only a lighthouse and some small huts. The huts are used by fishermen and day trippers, including scuba divers. In addition to coral reefs, scuba divers can explore underwater caves around Klein Curaçao.
Several shipwrecks are resting on the windward side of the island, including the tanker Maria Bianca Guidesman. Some of the wrecks have been washed fairly far onshore.
Casino gambling in Curaçao
Casino gambling is legal in Curaçao, and there are over a dozen casinos to visit. Compared to places such as Las Vegas, the casinos here are rather simple and the atmosphere tends to be relaxed and gregarious. There is usually a dress code though, so check in advance to avoid showing up underdressed.
Broadly speaking, casinos in Curaçao tend to close between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m.
The Goverment in Curaçao offer gambling license to online gambling providers such as casinos, poker rooms, bingo halls and sportsbooks. Getting a gaming license from Curaçao allow the operator to legaly offer online gaming from Curaçao. A gaming license from Curaçao offer weak player protection and we recommend that you avoid casinos that are licensed exclusively in Curaçao and no where else. This might indicate that the casino is dishonest.
The law
The legal age for gambling in Curaçao is 18.
Examples of casinos in Curaçao
- Hill Ross Casino at Trupial Inn Hotel & Casino in Willemstad.
- Downtown Casino at San Marco Hotel in the downtown part of Willemstad.
- The casino at the Howard Johnson Curaçao Plaza Hotel in downtown Willemstad.
- Carnaval Casino at the Renaissance Curaçao Resort in downtown Willemstad.
- Le Mirge Casino in downtown Willemstad.
- The casino at Sunscape Curaçao, in the Willemstad area. This casino is not located downtown; you’ll find it circa 3.5 km southeast of central Willemstad.
- Curaçao Casino at Hilton Curaçao, roughly 3.4 km west-northwest of central Otrabanda in Willemstad.
How large is Curaçao?
444 km2 (171 sq mi)
How many people live in Curaçao?
Circa 160,000 people at the 2018 estimate.
What’s the official language of Curaçao?
Curaçao has three official languages: Papiamentu, Dutch, and English.
Papiamentu is a creole language spoken in the Dutch Caribbean. It is chiefly based on Portuguese, but with a lot of influences from Spanish and Dutch.
Good to know about Curaçao?
Capital: Willemstad
Most populous city: Willemstad
Driving side. Right
Time zone: UTC -4 (AST)
Internet top-level domain: .cw
Calling code: +599 9
ISO 3166 code: CW