Today we're talking about five different activities you can do when visiting the island of Curacao when you're on your next Caribbean cruise.
1. Walk across the pontoon bridge. The Queen Emma Bridge, nicknamed the "Swinging Old Lady", has 16 pontoons keeping it afloat. When boat traffic needs to use the waterway - which occurs pretty darn frequently - motors move the bridge parallel to shore. It's hard to explain how it exactly works. I had to see it in person myself to really understand so take a look at it in action here:
2. Visit the floating market. With Venezuela being some 50 miles away, Venezuelans come over in boats to sell fresh fruits, vegetables, and fish. Stalls are as varied as the languages spoken. Recently the Venezuelan president closed their borders so the market was shut down. The border is currently open, but as with anything political, conditions may change.
3. Eat, drink, and be merry. Curacao is a Dutch Caribbean island and Venezuela is close so the cuisine is diverse.
You might have a Dutch frikandel, a deep fried sausage sandwich.
Or try a Dutch kroket sandwich, a tasty meat and potato croquette.
Or shredded meat Venezuelan Arepitas.
Maybe a nice rum drink?
Can't forget something made with Blue Curacao!
The menu for the restaurant can be found
here. Not the greatest service but it was a perfect location on the waterfront. See those white canopies across the water? That's the restaurant's seating.
4. Snorkel over a submerged tugboat. After an anchor was dropped through its deck, the tugboat sunk a few yards off shore. Since it's sitting just 15 feet below the surface, snorkelers will get a good look at it. But it's the fish swimming in and out and around the tugboat that steal the show. And if you swim a bit away from the tug you will find a reef - and a drop off. There you will find even more colorful fish and sea creatures.
5. Add a lock to the Love Locks heart sculpture. It was inspired by the Pont des Arts love locks bridge in Paris, of course.
Curacao at night might be even more spectacular.