Curaçao live webcams

The C of the ABC islands

Curaçao is the middle and largest of the ABC islands, the Dutch islands off the coast of Venezuela, between Aruba and Bonaire. It is a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and its people speak Papiamentu as well as Dutch, English and Spanish. Its capital, Willemstad, holds most of the population, and its harbour front of gabled houses painted in bright colours is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Beaches in coves

The island's beaches are not long open strands. Most are small coves of white sand between limestone cliffs, along the south-west coast, with water so clear that snorkellers often swim with turtles a few metres from the shore. The cams follow that coast from the resort beaches east of Willemstad to Playa Lagun near the west end, and out to sea to Klein Curaçao, a flat, uninhabited island that day boats reach in the morning.

Beyond the cams

The rugged west end, Bandabou, is where many of the best coves are: Grote Knip, Kleine Knip and Cas Abao among them. Above them rises Christoffelberg, the highest hill on the island, at the heart of Christoffel National Park, and on the wild north coast the waves crash into the inlets of Shete Boka, where sea turtles nest. Spanish Water, a large sheltered bay in the south-east, is the base for sailing and for the boats to Klein Curaçao.

Getting to Curaçao

Curaçao International Airport is at Hato, on the north side of the island, about a quarter of an hour from Willemstad. Cruise ships dock in the city centre. Cars drive on the right, and the island is easiest to explore with a hire car, since many of the western beaches are far from any bus route.

When to watch Curaçao

Curaçao is on Atlantic time year-round, the same clock as Puerto Rico. It lies south of the usual hurricane tracks and is dry and breezy for most of the year: the trade winds blow steadily from the east and the rains, when they come, fall mostly between October and January.