The bustling downtown of Willemstad, Curacao, with its centuries-old buildings adorned with white gingerbread trim and topped with red tile roofs, showcases the historic architecture of this UNESCO World Heritage City, one of just a handful in the Caribbean.

Dating back to 1634, when the Dutch West India Company selected Curacao because of its deep harbor, the island prospered, its architecture a blend of the Baroque styles found in Amsterdam, painted with the sherbet colors of the Caribbean. Coral and quarry stones were finished with lime plaster and accented with tropical-style shutters, graceful gables, and arched colonnades. All is accented, in season, with the bright yellow flowers of Kibrahacha trees and Royal Poincianas with their red and orange blooms.

Curacao, a country within the kingdom of the Netherlands, offers myriad reasons to visit. Known for its numerous beaches, including those made of black sand and excellent dive sites, it is also an artist haven, and because it was a major port, it boasts international culinary offerings from island food as well as that of such countries as India, France, the Netherlands, the Middle East, and Spain.

Walk along the Handelskade, the waterfront street in Punda, the inner ring of the city, and probably one of the most photographed scenes in the Caribbean. A longtime favorite here is the Iguana Café on the bank of Santa Anna Bay. Menu items vary from freshly caught fish to Middle Eastern specialties such as shawarma, Latin American arepitas or stuffed cornmeal cakes, and such Dutch fare as fricandel (or frikandellan), a minced meat sausage, and kroket—deep fried croquettes stuffed with meat and gravy.

But no matter what you order, a must is their Blue Lagoon cocktail made with frozen pineapple juice, rum, coconut cream, and Blue Curacao, the liqueur crafted on the island at the Senor & Co. Open for tours, the distillery has been in business since 1896, but the liqueur has been made on the island since the Spanish first imported fruit trees to grow juicy sweet oranges. But Curacao’s arid climate didn’t comply, producing withered and bitter fruit that islanders called laraha instead. In the ultimate way to make lemonade when life gives you lemons or, in this case, oranges, enterprising islanders created the Curacao liqueur, each family having their own secret recipe.

Senor & Co. offers tours in the 19th-century Landhuis Chobolobo, one of 55 restored Dutch plantation houses also known as landhuises (landhouses) dotting the island. Some are still homes while others, such as Brakkeput, are now an artist studio and sculpture garden, as is Jan Kok, one of the island’s oldest landhuises, now the Nena Sanchez art gallery with views of flamingos nesting on the surrounding salt flats. Or you can dine at landhuises such as Daniel, now a restaurant and hotel, and the restaurant Komedor Krioyo at Landhuis Dokterstuin, the latter specializing in island cuisine.

Convenient to downtown, the Hotel Kurá Hulanda Spa and Casino is an 80-room luxury boutique resort in the Otrobanda or outer ring of the city. Hulanda is Papiamentu (the island language) for "Dutch courtyard," and the UNESCO World Heritage site is a village complex of restored 18th and 19th-century buildings. It’s the ultimate charm in the Caribbean with cobblestone streets, splashing fountains, and courtyards filled with artwork and gardens.

Centuries ago, the word kurá described a mansion and outbuildings surrounded by a wall. Beyond its loveliness, this one also showcases the dark side of glorious Curacao – its part in the enslavement and selling of Africans. The late Dr. Jacob Gelt Dekker, who restored Kurá Hulanda, turned the slave yards into the Museum Kurá Hulanda, a fascinating if sobering collection not only of the island’s marvelous art and culture but also the horror of an industry based on the selling of humans.

Crossing Santa Anna Bay

The swinging Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge, a pedestrian walkway spanning Santa Anna Bay, connects the two parts of Willemstad. Early risers can cross over to Punda to the Floating Market, where boats arriving from Venezuela, 38 miles away, tie up at the quay to sell fruit, vegetables, flowers, freshly caught fis,h and such Caribbean specialties as tamarind candies and sugar cane.

Take in the smells – and if you’re hungry – the tastes of the foods cooked by vendors along the docks. Pause in Jo Jo Correa, a lovely plaza just across the street where artisans sell their wares.

Discovering Kunuku

But no matter the allure of Willemstad, there is more to Curacao than just this jewel of a Caribbean city. Stretch out in the sun on one of the island's 38 pristine beaches. Don snorkels or dive suits and explore myriad dive spots, including the 12.5-mile National Curacao Underwater Park and such favorite sites as the sunken Tugboat, the Mushroom Forest, considered a top dive because of its coral formations, and even the remains of a wrecked plane.

Hop on a charter boat or rent a catamaran and sail through turquoise waters. Swim with the dolphins at the Dolphin Academy and visit the Curacao Sea Aquarium, where, if you’re feeling very brave, there’s snorkeling with sharks and sting rays.

Head west to Christoffel Park, traveling along the coastline through the wild and rugged outcroppings of rock where delicate orchids peek from tiny crevices and flowering cacti and twisted divi divi trees are part of the arid landscape known as kunuku.

Whether it’s a milestone birthday, a big life-changing event, or recovering from an illness, many islanders prove to themselves and the world that they are back in the game by trekking to the top of Curacao’s highest point, the 1237-foot Christoffel Mountain. But you don’t need a reason to enjoy the climb or the park’s wild life such as the many iguanas (get over it, they’re all over the island), the rare Curacao white tailed deer said to have been imported from South American over 500 years ago, brightly colored birds and even an occasional donkey or two.

Not up for a mountain climb? You can also tour the park on horseback, rent a mountain bike, take a Jeep tour, or hike on the park’s many trails.

The island’s West End

Head to the charming village of Westpunt, nestled atop a ridge at the western point of the island. Try the fried iguana – an island specialty - at Jaanchies in Westpunt, a family-run business which opened 76 years ago. Or order tuna with mango sauce grilled using island wood at nearby Sol Food, where there are rooms to spend the night.

Check out two unique Westpunt’s beaches - Playa Santu Pretu and Playa Forti, tucked away in secluded coves and famed for their black sand made from surf pounded volcanic beach stone.

Other places to explore

Don’t miss the gallery and workshop of artist Serena Israel, who creates vividly painted and voluptuously shaped figurines called Chichis, the island name for eldest daughter or sister. Visitors to Serena’s Art Factory, her studio at Juan Luis 87 on the road to Sint Joris Baai Willemstad, can paint their own Chichis during one of the workshops Israel offers. The less artistically inclined can buy one of these hand-painted and individually designed ladies.

Be sure to stop at Den Paradera, the magical botanical and historic gardens created by famed herbalist Dinah Veeris, who dressed in colorful garb, greets visitors from around the world eager to learn more about her healing herbs.