The capital of Curacao is Willemstad and is divided in Punda and Otrabanda. Both city parts are connected by the floating “Pontoon” bridge.

Willemstad was founded after the Dutch captured the island in 1634. The Dutch influence can be seen in the architectures of the buildings along the water fronts of Punda and Otrobanda. The official language is Dutch. Papiamentu is the native language of the ABC islands. It is a mix language with African, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English and French influences. The language originates during the time of slavery around the 17th century when Curacao was a plantation colony. This mixture of languages made it possible for the slaves to communicate with the plantation owners and among themselves.

The island has a tropical climate. The sun shines almost 365 days per year. The cooling trade winds blow constantly from the East. The average temperature during the day is 27,5°C and there is almost no difference between summer and winter, only 2°C. At night the temperature can drop about 5°C. The island has a rainy season and a dry season, Mid-October, November and December form the rainy season, followed by the coolest months January and February. The warmest months are August, September and the beginning of October. Sea water temperature is around 27°C .