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aire and the today´s autonomous Aruba. They all lie together
near the coast off South America and have many things in
common. They are very dry islands and entirely different from
other tropical islands in the Caribbean. There are many cactee
and agaves and only a few palm trees to see. The islands are
still attractive and have their own charm! You will find some
very good white sand beaches and a breathtaking under-
water world.
The main island Curacao is considered as the commercial
port since centuries. In the capital Willemstad you will find
many colonial buildings from the 18th century. Worth visiting
places are the harbor area Punda and the Amsterdam Fort.
Perhaps you will be lucky to experience how the Queen Emma
Bridge opens. It's a pontoon bridge that leads into the old town
Otrabanda. Worth visiting places also include the oldest syna
gogue in the new world, the Mikve Israel Emanuel which was
built in 1734. You should visit Landhuis Chobolobo where the
popular Curacao liqueur is produced and the Sint Christoffel-
berg National Park with it's original island vegetation.
The Curacao Underwater Park lies in the south east of the
island and offers great views into the rich underwater world.
Bonaire has become a top destination for scuba diving due to
it' s coral reefs. The coast around the island is a part of the
Bonaire Marine Park and you should be careful if you dive.
Altogether has the island only a population of 15,000 and there
are just two larger villages, the capital Kralendijk and the vil-
lage Rincon. The main attraction in Kralendijk are the pastel
colored houses and the harbor promenade. Bonaire has also
a pink colored beach, known as Pink Beach, which is great
for sunbathing.
Aruba has the best touristic infrastructure of all three islands
and more than 500,000 tourists visit this island each year. The
capital is Oranjestad with a population of 20,000 is rather
quiet. The colonial buildings have Dutch and Spanish influence
and are worth seeing. The Schooner Market is a floating mar-
ket where sellers come from nearby Venezuela. The beaches
in Aruba are considered to be the best in the Caribbean and
the most beautiful of all is the Palm Beach where many hotels
are built.