Curaçao: The Caribbean's Colorful Secret

Curaçao remains one of the Caribbean's best-kept secrets, offering Essex County travelers a unique blend of Dutch colonial architecture, desert landscapes with cacti and iguanas, and some of the world's best shore diving, all while sitting safely outside the hurricane belt. The capital, Willemstad, enchants visitors with its UNESCO World Heritage waterfront of colorful buildings that look like Amsterdam transplanted to the tropics, while the island's 38 beaches range from popular strips with amenities to hidden coves known only to locals. Unlike many Caribbean islands, Curaçao maintains authentic local culture with minimal cruise ship impact, creating a more genuine experience where you'll find yourself dining alongside locals at floating market stalls or joining them for live music at beach bars. The island's location just 40 miles north of Venezuela provides consistently warm, dry weather (less than 22 inches of rain annually) and the clearest water in the Caribbean with visibility often exceeding 100 feet, making it a mecca for divers and snorkelers who can access world-class reefs directly from shore. Recent direct flight additions from the US East Coast have made Curaçao more accessible from Newark, though it remains refreshingly uncrowded compared to mainstream Caribbean destinations, offering better value and more authentic experiences for adventurous travelers.