Things to do inCuraçao

No. Curaçao sits below the hurricane belt at around twelve degrees north, which is why the island runs a year-round season with no months to avoid and very little disruption from tropical weather.

Papiamentu is the mother tongue, a creole of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English and West African languages. Dutch is the other official language, and English and Spanish are widely spoken.

The Caribbean guilder, though US dollars are accepted almost everywhere and cards are widely taken. Carry some cash for beach entry fees, small vendors and tips.

For most trips, yes. The best beaches and dive sites lie well west of Willemstad with limited public transport. A scooter works well for town and the nearer bays.

The leeward south and west coast, which stays calm year-round and holds nearly every beach. The windward north coast has heavy surf and cliffs and is not safe for swimming anywhere.

Very little. The island sits outside the main Atlantic sargassum belt, so beaches stay largely clear year-round while much of the eastern Caribbean deals with seaweed seasonally.

Five to seven covers it comfortably: a couple of beach days, a boat trip to Klein Curaçao, a day in Willemstad, and either diving or an off-road day depending on what you are after.

Mid-range for the Caribbean. Most beaches are free or charge a few dollars, food ranges from cheap local snacks to resort pricing, and the main costs are accommodation and getting around.

Generally yes, with normal precautions. Do not leave valuables in cars at remote beaches, park in lit areas at night, and take more care with road hazards than with crime.

The colourful UNESCO waterfront in Willemstad, world-class shore diving, wild turtles, Klein Curaçao, and the blue liqueur made here from a bitter orange that grows nowhere else.