Curaçao, worth knowing.

Fun facts about Curaçao

1. 1Willemstad's Queen Emma Bridge floats on pontoons. Nicknamed the 'Swinging Old Lady,' it swings aside to let ships through, and ferries carry walkers across until it swings back.Source: Afar; Wikipedia
2. 2Back when Willemstad's floating bridge had a toll, anyone barefoot could cross without paying. The story goes that people with shoes slipped them off, while barefoot walkers wore shoes so they could proudly pay.Source: Keycaribe Magazine; Wikipedia
3. 3Why is Willemstad so colorful? The story goes that in 1817 Governor Albert Kikkert blamed his headaches on the glare of white houses and ordered buildings painted in colors instead.Source: LionsDive Beach Resort; Tellerrand-Stories
4. 4A cannonball is still lodged in the wall of the Fort Church inside Willemstad's Fort Amsterdam, left over from a British attack on the island. Look for it in the facade.Source: Curaçao For 91 Days; Wikipedia
5. 5'Chichi' means big sister in Papiamento. Artist Serena Janet Israel turned the word into Curaçao's bright, curvy Chichi figures, a tribute to the strong older sister of the family.Source: PMI Curaçao; Curaçao Activities

Things to do in Curaçao

• ◦Shete Boka means 'seven inlets.' At Boka Tabla, steps lead down to a cave where waves thunder in, and sea turtles nest on the park's tiny beaches.Source: Shete Boka National Park; Islands
• ◦Hato Caves formed below sea level long ago. Today a guided walk takes you past limestone formations, pools and a colony of rarely seen long-nosed fruit bats.Source: Curaçao Tourist Board; Hato Caves
• ◦Grote Knip, also called Kenepa Grandi, is a bay of turquoise water tucked between high rocks on Curaçao's west end. Stop at the viewpoint before you walk down to swim.Source: Relaxed Curaçao; Wikipedia
• ◦Wild pink flamingos feed in the salt pans at Jan Kok near Sint Willibrordus, and you can watch them from a viewpoint right beside the road. Come early in the morning.Source: Exploring Curaçao; In Search of Sarah
• ◦At Playa Piskado, fishermen clean their catch at the pier and sea turtles have learned to hang around. Snorkel a few meters from shore and swim alongside them, giving them space.Source: Snorkel Jungle; Fiesta Tours Curaçao
• ◦Take a boat to Klein Curaçao, an uninhabited little island with a lone lighthouse, a rusty shipwreck on the shore and sea turtles in the water.Source: Klein Curaçao Trips; BlueFinn Charters

Questions to bring to Curaçao

From Sojourn's journeys. Ask one over a long dinner or on a slow walk, and let the place do some of the work.

Going together

• When do you feel most like yourself?
• What does rest actually look like for you?
• What is one thing you wish we did more of?

Going solo

• What is the first thing this place is showing you that you didn't expect?
• What does this version of you know that the home version tends to forget?

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