t Pastel-painted buildings within the port town of Oranjestad
t Pastel-painted buildings within the port town of Oranjestad
Experience Aruba, CuraÇao, and Bonaire
Lying just north of Venezuela, the so-called A.B.C. islands have a dry climate and are located outside the hurricane belt. They are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with Aruba and Curaçao largely autonomous countries, and Bonaire a “special municipality.”
The Dutch West India Company took over the islands in the 1630s, established plantations and imported African slaves, training them for domestic and farm labor, then reselling them throughout the Caribbean and the Americas. During these years, the creole Papiamentu language began to evolve, incorporating Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, and some Arawak and African dialects. Today, it is still widely spoken, though the official language is Dutch. When Venezuela discovered oil off its northern coast in the early 1900s, Aruba and Curaçao became distilling centers, and immigrant workers arrived from around the world. The Dutch developed Curaçao into one of the Caribbean’s most important ports, and today it is a valuable petroleum refining center. Tourism, however, is also a vital part of the economy, on all three islands.
While the Dutch heritage is a strong presence on the A.B.C.s, it’s mixed with classic Caribbean elements. The islands hold annual carnivals showcasing their music, a combination of traditional calypso and drum-pounding tumba that produces spirit-lifting beats, as well as street dances called jump-ups.