In short
Willemstad is a World Heritage site for its Dutch colonial centre, painted in bright colours: the Punda and Otrobanda quarters face each other, linked by a floating bridge that swings aside for passing ships.
Curaçao lies outside the hurricane belt. That is the island's main argument, along with its ABC neighbours: there is virtually no season to avoid.
What it really costs
The island is expensive: everything is imported, and the local currency is pegged to the US dollar. Prices resemble Aruba's more than the mainland's.
A car is needed to reach the western coves — Playa Kenepa, Cas Abao, Playa Porto Mari — which are the point of the island.
What nobody tells you
The climate is desert: cactus, arid ground, very little rain. Anyone expecting the lush vegetation of the Lesser Antilles has the wrong archipelago.
Diving is done from the shore along much of the south coast: the reef starts a few dozen metres out, with no boat.
Papiamento is the everyday language, mixing Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and African languages. Dutch and English work everywhere.