A lot of the appeal of the small Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao lies in its colorful mosaic of inhabitants: the Arawak, Dutch, Spanish, West Indian, Latin, and African who have created a diverse heritage and unique culture that is as varying as the landscape. At the same time, Curacao’s mountains and beaches attract the adventure traveler, as well as those looking to unwind and enjoy its perfect tropical climate.

“While we do have the sun and sand typical of the Caribbean, we also offer a variety of active pursuits,” says Director of Tourism Clifton Walle, Curacao Tourist Board. “In Curacao, visitors have the flexibility to either soak in some rays or put on their walking shoes and find an adventure. From venturing to the deep depths of the ocean to catching that perfect wind gust on a catamaran, Curacao can be as active as you’d like.”

Curacao has something for everyone, but this year it has something special for divers: the first annual Curacao Dive Festival, taking place May 20-27. Home to the Mushroom Forest, one of the top dive sites in the world, and rated best in the Caribbean for shore diving, Curacao is a great place for new and experienced divers alike to spend a week learning from experts and exploring the depths of the island’s surrounding waters.

Registration is as free as the festival itself. Visitors can enjoy a week of guided dives, workshops, seminars and advanced dives, happy hour gatherings with live entertainment, movies on the beach, BBQs and night dives.

Seminars include the Underwater Digital Photography with Marty Snyderman, whose still photography and/or writing has been utilized by National Geographic, Skin Diver, Time, Newsweek and Time Life; Exploring World-Famous Wrecks with John Chatterton and Richie Kohler, the hosts of the Deep Sea Detectives TV series on The History Channel; and Fish Identification with Robert Myers, a fisheries biologist who will give the riot of color and motion of the reef new meaning as he explains the behavior, ecology and identification of the local fishes through digital presentations and dive trips.

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