For both beginner scuba divers and more seasoned ones who know the fishiest corners of the Caribbean like the inside of their dive masks, Curaçao stands apart.

You’ll find this vibrant island in the Dutch Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela, with easy access from airports in Europe, the United States and Central America. Pleasantly positioned below the Hurricane Belt, Curaçao occupies a very comfortable spot in the tropical zone. Water temperatures here average 82 degrees Fahrenheit, so any time of the year is a great time to suit up and dive.

The underwater appeal is endless. Curaçao’s stunning blue waters are home to over 70 spectacular dive sites, ranging from sloping walls where sea turtles glide by and moray eels hide, to coral reefs teeming with tropical fish, and even shipwrecks and sunken airplanes waiting to be explored.

You’ll find most of Curaçao’s dive sites on the island’s calm, southwest coast, sheltered by the island’s lee side. But when conditions are calm on the windward side of the island, advanced divers don’t miss the chance to dive at remarkable sites on the rugged north coast. At Playa Kanoa, a gently descending slope leads to a coral reef so riddled with life you might think you’ve been plunged into an aquarium. Watamula is another north coast site widely regarded as the top boat dive in all of Curaçao since strong currents make for an exciting drift, and creatures like eagle rays—and sometimes even hammerheads and dolphins—might come into view.

Back on the island’s calm leeside, the dive site called Alice in Wonderland, one of the best shore dives in all of the Caribbean, is a cacophony of colorful sponges and corals where large schools of greenish-blue boga fish shimmer like a moving train of disco balls in the blue. Tarpon Bridge is known for its natural coral archway 60 feet down that’s almost always framing large schools of tarpon and horse-eye jacks.

You’ll find one of the Caribbean’s most legendary wreck dives in these waters, too: the Superior Producer. Upright on its keel in about 100 feet of water, the 165-foot-long freighter met its demise when it sank during a supply run to Venezuela in 1977 but lives on to thrill divers. All those years underwater have turned the wreck into a true living reef, with every inch carpeted with orange cup corals and sponges and its structure patrolled by angelfish, schooling sergeant majors, tarpon, barracuda, and so much more.

All of the island’s natural beauty is maintained by Curaçao’s dedication to sustainable and responsible tourism. The island’s Dive Task Force, a team of many island dive schools, monitors operations for quality and sustainability. And Curaçao’s conservation efforts run deep thanks to non-profit organizations like Reef Renewal Foundation Curaçao, whose coral restoration efforts have outplanted more than 10,000 corals at sites around the island while working to continuously educate the public about ocean conservation.

It would be easy to busy yourself on the island with diving alone. But what really puts Curaçao in a league of its own is the authentic cultural moments and experiences that await across its beautiful villages and natural landscapes—all easily accessible to enjoy once you’ve toweled off for the day.

Home to more than 55 nationalities, Curaçao is a true melting pot with its unique blend of European and Caribbean culture and flair. The island welcomes visitors to get to know its people and favorite places beyond the resort environments in spots like Willemstad, the colorful capital. With its UNESCO World Heritage waterfront at Handelskade, the facades might remind you of those in Amsterdam—except with a colorful Caribbean spin. Coffee and cafe culture is alive and thriving here, too, so make time to sit, sip, and relax. There’s innovative art everywhere you look, from street murals and galleries to pop-up installations and lively festivals that dot the cultural calendar throughout the year.

Nature comes calling in Curaçao beyond the ocean’s depths, too. Some 1,220 feet above sea level, the island’s highest peak, Mt. Christoffel in Christoffel National Park, makes for a gorgeous morning or afternoon hike with sweeping ocean and island views as the reward. You can paddle through mangrove channels at Curaçao Rif Mangrove Park. And venture off-road on the island’s east side, too, through desert-like landscapes covered with Kadushi and Yatu cactuses, where you might even have the chance to pop into a cave to spot bats where they dwell. The sandy beaches of Klein Curaçao, an uninhabited island to the southeast of Curaçao that you can reach on day trips by boat, beckon with gin-clear waters, too.

Come discover all Curaçao has to offer divers and adventurers below and above the surface, and you’re bound to leave this unforgettable island feeling both inspired and refreshed.

Visit: https://www.curacao.com/en/