Willemstad, Curaçao

Willemstad is the capital of Curaçao, one of the islands in what was called the Netherlands Antilles until 2010. Now the island is an independent country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, along with the neighboring islands of Sint Maarten and Aruba, all located in the Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela, and the Netherlands .

The islands have autonomy, but foreign affairs and defense policy is determined by the Netherlands.

The first inhabitants of Curaçao came to the islands from South America. The Spaniards occupied the island in 1499. For many years, Curaçao was the center of the European slave trade in the Caribbean. The island remained Spanish until 1634, when the Dutch West Indies Company took control, founded Willemstad, and made the city an important free-port.

Tourism, trade, shipping and oil activity are today the most important industries.

Normal maximum temperature in September: 31,1 ℃
Normal precipitation in September: 122,4 mm

We got the great video below from the authorities on beautiful Curaçao! Crew and fellow sailors met the governor, and learned a lot about how they work with marine research and sustainability questions. The island of Curaçao is surrounded by the sea and vulnerable to climate change. Thank you for educational and memorable experiences!

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