Curacao Central!

Planning on a trip to Curacao, or know someone who is?  Curious about the local food you might be tempted to eat?  Well you have come to the right place.  We are going to give a little history and cuisine lesson for those who want to know more about Curacao food fare. 

Care to taste the iguana stew? Or does goat stew sound better?  Bizarre? For some, yes. But for the locals in Curacao, these are as tempting as the steak served at fancy restaurants. These Curacao recipes may be uncommon, but definitely delectable. 

Generally influenced by the Dutch, Curacao’s local cuisine is a mixture of several cultures with a touch of local flavor added. Marsche Bieuw, an old market in Willemstad is a good source of authentic local cuisine. Tourists who are daring enough to try this local favorite will want to know the Curacao recipes they have for Yuana – the Iguana Stew. And since iguana won’t be readily available in supermarkets outside Curacao, chicken or tuna would be fine substitutes. Phew! Now that sounds better. 

Stoba di Cabrito, Curacao recipe style for kid (goat) stew is also one of the most popular local dishes. If goat stew doesn’t sound more appealing to you than an iguana soup, this Curacao recipe can be modified to replace goat with lamb. And that sounds better? 

You might think that all Curacao has are exotic dishes. Curacao recipes have a long list of delicious and “wholesome” dishes. Keshi Yena, is a Dutch dish of cheese stuffed with either meat or cheese. This particular food has several variations all over the “ABC” islands but remains to be the most common in Curacao. 

Indonesia is one of the few to have influenced Curacao’s cuisine. One of its contributions is the “rice table”, wherein rice is combined with fish or meat and vegetables, with spicy sauce from fresh chilies. Tourists who find comfort in being served food that they are used to eating will also impressed by the vast international menu that is actually being served in the restaurants of Curacao. 

Curacao recipes are not restricted to dishes. The famous exciting nightlife in Curacao, has popularized the concoction of many cocktail drinks. Guests fancy a famous Curacao beverage made from the peels of the Lahara orange. These oranges used to be sweet Valencia oranges brought by the Spaniards to the islands. The difference in climate did not make the Valencia oranges thrive, thus changing its flavor from sweet to bitter. Over the years, Lahara oranges’ sweet-smelling oils were soon made into the Curacao Liqueur, which is very popular today. 

If you’re planning to visit Curacao, your trip may not be as fulfilling as you would want it to be unless you toughen up and give your taste buds some really good exercise. Iguana Stew may not sound and look tempting at all. But then again, it might just be what you need to complete your trip. 

So while you may not be a gourmet, or an adventurous individual, it is still worth it to try some of the local cuisine and drinks.  After all, isn’t that why you take a vacation, to do something different from your every day grind?  Go to Curacao and enjoy some of those unusual Curacao recipes!

Can you imagine the thrill and excitement of feeding fish, turtles, manta rays, and perhaps even sharks by hand? If you would like to try this kind of adventure, then Curacao is just the place for you. Most of the top divers and snorkelers who have previously been there are in agreement that Curacao is one of the best diving and snorkeling spots in the world. They say that there is no other place on earth that has the same great shore dives and a chance to enjoy nature's beauty than while you are snorkeling in Curacao.

The Curacao snorkeling experience is the best way to experience Curacao. So here are the top snorkeling spots for you to try. These are just some of the more popular and well known areas to experience snorkeling in Curacao.

" Airplane Wreck - You can just access this place from the beach. Located near the Sunset Waters, you don't need a boat to reach this diving spot. There is a marker to guide you to the remains of an airplane wreck.

" Barracuda Point or Punt'i Piku - Territorial barracuda often follow divers at a distance at this Curacao snorkeling spot which is located across the channels of Barbara Beach, near the mouth of Spanish Water.

" Basora - On this Curacao snorkeling site you will find lots of graceful Chinese pagoda shapes that settle on the walls. Many species of coral and fish can be found on this site. Basora is the eastern most dive spot on Curacao. You just have to be careful when snorkeling on this site since currents here quickly shift.

" Boka Grandi and Playa Largu - The routes to this site are scenic. An easy site for snorkeling that has a large stretch of coral rubble and white sandy beach at Boka Grandi. While Playa Largu has a long and rocky beach. Located southeast of San Juan, this Curacao snorkeling site is teeming with reef fish that are swimming around the coral heads close to the shore.

" Daaibooi - Featuring a typical Curacao beach scene, this snorkeling spot is in the Willibrordus area. A very good Curacao snorkeling site that has numerous types of coral, sponges and reef fish.

" Divers Leap and Piedra Sombre - Living up to its name, Divers Leap features a steep wall dive, perfect for deep dives. Sea horses, pillar coral and reef fish swim about on the terrace. A hat shaped rock is used to pinpoint this magnificent Curacao snorkeling site. The underwater landmark can be found on the cliff behind Piedra Sombre (Stone Hat).

" Snake Bay - This site is located on the southeast end of Boka St. Michiel, and is a Curacao snorkeling site known to have lots of eels, but not snakes.

There are still other snorkeling spots in Curacao, and they can be pointed out to you by any of the local experienced guides and aficionados. But one thing is sure, if you like snorkeling you will love snorkeling in Curacao. So what are you waiting for, grab your gear and head for the beach. Put on those fins and snorkel, lower yourself into the water, stretch out and observe the beauty and adventure that awaits you. While enjoying the view, you can remain cool and comfortable. There is no better way to enjoy nature.