|
 
Climate
& Weather
 |
Located
in the tropics, just 12° north of the
Equator, Curaçao
has a warm, sunny climate year round. The
average temperature is about 27° C (in
the mid 80s F). Cooling trade winds blow
constantly from the east, picking up in
the spring months. |
The rainy season, which is between October and
February, is usually marked by short, occasional
showers, mostly at night, and continued sunny
weather during the day. Total annual rainfall
averages only 570 mm (22 inches).
Currency
The
local currency in Curaçao is the Netherlands
Antillean guilder (also called the florin),
which is abbreviated as Nafl. Or Ang. U.S. dollars
circulate freely, so it is possible to get by
using only American dollars or credit cards.
Please note that vendors can rarely supply change
in U.S. currency. The U.S. dollar is at a stable
rate.
Exchange
rates may vary slightly at stores and hotels.
You can find daily exchange rate information
at one of our local banks.
Euro’s
are accepted at some hotels and restaurants,
but unlike U.S. dollars, do not circulate freely.
Exchange rates for other currencies are posted
at banks and listed in the daily papers.
Major
credit cards are accepted almost everywhere
on the island.
ATM
machines can be found all over the island at
major population centers and at the airport.
To recognize an ATM machine, look for the signs
“Bankomatico” or “Geldautomaat.”
Driving
Laws
Driving
takes place on the right-hand side of the road.
At intersections and traffic circles, yield
to traffic coming from your right unless signs
indicate otherwise. At all T-crossings, through-going
traffic has priority. The speed limit is 45
km/hour in town and residential areas, and 60
80 km/hour outside the city and on the
four lane Ring Road. Most gas stations are full
service; a few are open 24 hrs.
Ask
your car
rental agency what you should do in case
of an accident. Usual procedure is to call the
car
rental agency, and once they arrive at the
scene, call Curaçao Road Services, you
may have to file a police report. The Curaçao
Road Services is available 24 hours a day, including
holidays. In case of car trouble, call Roadside
Assistance 24/7 Curaçao, they are at
your service 24 hours a day as well.
Curaçao
Road Services
Tel. +(5999) 747-1333 or 199.
Roadside
Assistance 24-7 Curaçao
Tel. +(5999) 9-24-7
Drug-Free
Curaçao
Are
drugs allowed on Curaçao?
No, they are not! Let there be no mistake about
it unlike in The Netherlands, even possession
of the smallest amount of marijuana or other
illegal drugs is ruled as a serious offense,
and the Curaçao
law is very strict about this. Customs officers
check thoroughly and your vacation will definitely
lead to our local jail.
Language
Ninety
percent of the local population speaks Papiamentu,
a Creole language. Most official government
documents and many road and advertisement signs
are in Dutch.
English and Spanish are also widely spoken.
Tipping
Giving
a tip is something we do to show our appreciation
and gratuity for rendered services. We truly
hope you will tip well, for this will mean you
love your stay on our island! It is suggested
to tip the porters at the airport Nafl.1 per
bag. Taxi drivers are usually tipped with 10%
of the fare. Restaurants usually add 10% and
most hotels a 12% service charge to the bill.
Hotels
charge an additional 7% government tax. Please
note that these are not tips. Of course, tipping
is left to your own discretion at all times.
Water
Not
only is Curaçao water safe to drink,
it is of the finest quality, too.
In
the old times, inhabitants used to rely on rain
for drinking water, but as this was never enough,
the Indians made “xagueys” (wells)
in the soft ground along the southern bays.
Spanish and Dutch conquerors found drinking
water near the Schottegat and transported it
in water butts to “The Point” (Punda).
As the population of our island grew, and as
industrial and economical development of any
country relies on water, more water was needed
and the so called Water Plantations came into
being. Around 1890, American wind turbines were
imported for irrigation of the land. In 1928,
a seawater distillery for production of drinking
water was put into production. This distillery,
now known as Aqualectra, has an excellent quality.
It is soft, contains no chloride and little
calcium, is tasteless and odorless and has a
good bacteriological composition, so it is safe
to drink.
Electricity
Electricity
is 127/120 VAC at 50 cycles. This means that
most appliances made in the USA (60 cycles)
will work well, except for electrical devices
with internal time mechanisms. For electrical
appliances from the USA you do not need an adapter
plug. We use the same two-pronged flat plugs
as in the States.
Visitors
from Europe will need
an adapter plug for their round-pronged
plugs. These can be found anywhere on the island
and most hotels keep them in stock and in the
rooms as well. Only dual-voltage appliances
from Europe can be used on the island.
Gay
and Lesbian Travel
Curaçao
embraces the gay and lesbian community
Curaçao is a gay-friendly destination.
Many hotels on our island are members of the
International Gay & Lesbian travel association.
Curaçao also offers many meeting spots
for gay travelers as well as locals.
For more detailed information visit: www.gaycuracao.com
With exceptional gay friendly hotels and attractions,
the Curaçao Tourist Board encourages
gay and lesbian travelers to visit the island
and experience its 'live and let live' atmosphere
for themselves.
"The
Curaçao Tourist Board reiterates its
commitment to increasing Curaçao's profile
as a gay friendly travel destination,"
commented the Executive Director of the Curaçao
Tourist Board. "It is important to us that
it's known to the gay & lesbian community
that everyone is welcome in Curaçao.
Our island offers diverse culture, art galleries,
beaches, museums, fine accommodations and exquisite
cuisine that are enjoyed by all visitors to
the island."
As
a demonstration of their commitment to embracing
this market Hotel Kura Hulanda, Lodge Kura Hulanda,
Avila Hotel, Hilton Curaçao, Floris Suite
Hotel, Sunset Waters Beach Resort, Lions Dive
Hotel, Papagayo Beach Resort, Habitat Dive Resort
/ Easy Divers, Waterside Apartments along with
Yellow Tour Info Center, Explore Curaçao
and International Accommodations & Concierge
Cervices also joined the International Gay &
Lesbian Travel Association and have implemented
marketing efforts designed specifically to attract
this market segment. Marketing efforts targeting
this community include a partnership with Community
Marketing Inc, participation at some gay &
lesbian travel-shows and limited advertisements
in the core magazines and travel guides.
The
dedicated destination website www.gaycuracao.com
lists the gay-friendly weekend hot spots, citing
the gay gars being Limbo Bar (located at Keizershof
in Otrobanda), Lyric's Café (located
at the Waterfort Arches in Punda) and It's my
Life (located near Yolanda snack at Groot Kwartier).
Additional gay-friendly places are Mambo Beach
as the place to be every Saturday night while
Tu Tu Tango on Friday night, Wet & Wild
on Sunday night, Ay Caramba on Tuesday night
and Cinco are the Thursday night hot spots.
Links
& Sources:
|
