About Curaçao

Nice to Know

 Location
Curaçao is located in the southwestern Caribbean, at latitude 12° north and longitude 68° west. The island is just 70km (44 miles) north of South America. It is about 2½ hours by air from Miami.

Size
444 square kilometers (182 square miles);
61 km long and 5 km to 14 km wide.

Population
138,000 inhabitants. Some 40-50 different nationalities live on the island. Willemstad is the island’s capital.

Government
Curaçao, along with Bonaire and three islands in the eastern Caribbean (St. Martin, St. Eustacia and Saba), form the Netherlands Antilles, an autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Locals are Dutch nationals and carry European Union passports.

Religions
Curaçao has a well-earned reputation for religious as well as ethnic harmony. Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and Muslims all have their own houses of worship and practice their religions freely.

Language
Ninety percent of the population speaks Papiamento, a Creole language. Most official documents are in Dutch. However, English and Spanish are widely spoken.

Weather
Located in the tropics, just 12° north of the Equator, Curaçao has a warm sunny climate all year round. The average temperature is about 27° C (in the mid 80s F). Cooling trade winds blow constantly from the east. The rainy season, October to February, is usually marked by short, occasional showers, mostly in the night.Curaçao is outside the hurricane belt. Only three hurricanes have come near the island since 1900. Occasionally, a tropical storm brewing elsewhere in the Caribbean can cause cloudy weather for a day or two.

Time zone
Curaçao is on Atlantic Standard Time (AST) all year round. In fall and winter, AST is one hour ahead of time in the eastern U.S. In contrast, in Spring and Summer when the U.S. sets its clocks forward for daylight savings, AST is identical to time in the eastern U.S.

Money and Banking
The local currency is the Netherlands Antillean guilder (also called the florin), abbreviated Nafl. or Ang. It is pegged to the U.S. Dollar at a stable rate of US$1 = NAFL. 1.77 for cash, 1.78 for travelers checks. Exchange rates for other currencies are posted at banks and listed in the daily papers. There are no restrictions on how much money you can bring into the country.

Banks are open nonstop from 8:00am – 3:30 pm Monday till Friday. The airport bank is open 8:00 am – 8:00 pm Monday till Saturday, and from 9:00 am till 4:00 pm on Sundays for money exchange. The airport also has a 24 hour automatic currency exchange machine. Selected bank branches have ATMs that disburse US dollars. US dollars are accepted everywhere, travelers checks less so. Bills of $50 and $100 can be hard to cash. International credit cards are accepted at most commercial establishments.

To open a bank account, you may be required to present a letter of reference from your home bank. U.S. personal checks take six weeks to clear and may be associated with a fee; other foreign checks may take longer to clear and be associated with a higher fee.

There is also a savings bank (no checking privileges) within the local post office. The account is in guilders only. Therefore, other currency will automatically be converted. Personal checks are not accepted. Money in the postal account accrues interest at 6% per year. The postal bank is also the agent for Western Union Financial Services, a world-wide money transfer service. Thus, students who anticipate utilizing wire transfer services frequently may find the postal savings bank more convenient than the other banks.

It is advisable that you bring enough money to cover housing costs and living expenses for the first semester. Although we cannot specify exactly how much you should bring, we recommend at least $2,000-$3,000 in traveler’s checks and $200-$300 in CASH for one semester.

Water
Curaçao is known for its excellent water, ranked as one of the top five in the world.  Water is distilled directly from the sea, tastes good, and is safe to drink. 

Electricity
Electricity is 110-130 volts/50 cycles, similar but not identical to the US standard. Most electrical appliances from the United States will function properly, although mechanisms that have an internal clock will not keep the correct time and hairdryers and curling irons may overheat.Dual voltage appliances from Europe and South America will need an adopter plug, readily available on the island. Although electrical current is generally reliable, consider using a surge protector for sensitive electronic devices and computers.

Telecomunications
Curaçao’s international country code is 599-9; there are no internal area codes. US 1-800 numbers can be reached from Curaçao by dialing 1-300 and the number. NOTE: these calls are NOT toll-free. They are billed at the applicable international rate.

Curaçao is outside the hurricane belt. Only three hurricanes have come near the island since 1900. Occasionally, a tropical storm brewing elsewhere in the Caribbean can cause cloudy weather for a day or two.

Customs
Persons will generally not have problems bringing in items for personal use and gifts to Curaçao. Prescription drugs, especially if they contain narcotics, should be clearly marked. Unlike Holland, possession of even a small amount of marijuana or other illegal drug is a serious offense.

Medical care
Curaçao provides the tertiary care for all the islands in the Netherlands Antilles. Consequently, there are excellent hospital facilities and every type of specialist is to be found on the island.

The Curaçao advantage
Curaçao is a well-known international business center. Located on the crossroads of major shipping routes, Curaçao has an affluent economy, a low rate of inflation, a stable currency (pegged to the US dollar) and one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean.

The island also boasts the region’s largest deep-water port, state-of-the-art container transshipment terminal, superior telecommunications and a full service international airport. As part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the seat of the government of the Netherlands Antilles, Curaçao has close juridical and political ties to the Netherlands.

The island is a politically stable parliamentary democracy. The island is a gateway to European, American, Latin American and Caribbean markets and is developing into a major Caribbean logistics center.

Source
Most of the information provided above was secured from the Curaçao Tourism Development Bureau (CTDB).

The CTDB is located at
Pietermaai 19,
Willemstad, Curaçao.
Telephone : (599-9) 461-6000
Fax             : (599-9) 462-2305.

Additional information
Additional information may also be requested at info@martinus.eduor you may feel free to contact our administration office and ask for the "Welcome Committee", who oversees new student orientation on Curaçao.

We can be reached at 011-(599-9) 462-9600.

Informational web-sites:
www.Curacao-tourism.com
www.Curacao.com
www.dutch-caribbean.net/Curaçao

Sites and Sounds

St. Martinus University is located on the beautiful island of Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles. The island is one of the jewels of the Dutch Caribbean renowned for its scenic beauty, beaches, clear skies and sun, not to mention the rich island life.

Curaçao is a year round paradise for anyone looking for outdoor activities. From beaches to nature trails, from museums to shops, there is something for everyone in Curaçao and everything is easily accessible from the St. Martinus Campus.

Beaches 
Curaçao has around thirty public and private beaches, ranging from intimate rocky coves to long strands of bustling activity. The waters are teeming with underwater life: multi-colored parrot fish, silvery barracuda, spotted French angel fish, and colorful butter-fly-fish are just a few of the varieties you are most likely to encounter.

The following are some of the best beach picks: On the West Coast: Kas Abou, Playa Abou (Kenepa), Playa Kalki, Port Marie On the East Coast: Seaquarium, Barbara Beach, Princess Beach, Jan Thiel Most beaches have snack bars, showers, toilets, and more snorkeling, lounging, beach bumming or just plain lazing around in the sun, Curaçao has the best beaches for any or all of these.

Recreation

Being a major center in the Caribbean, every possible type of sport and recreation is available in Curaçao.

For further details please contact the Curaçao Tourism Development Bureau (CTDB),
Pietermaai 19,
Willemstad,Curaçao.
Telephone # (599-9) 461-6000.
Fax             # (599-9) 461-2305.

Visit their Website : http://www.Curacao-tourism.com

Getting Around on the Island

It is possible to get around the island by bus. Curaçao has two types of public transportation: the large yellow or blue busses called “konvoi” and on the most traveled urban routes, collective cars and vans called "bus" (You can recognize them by the BUS on the license plate).

Major bus terminals are located next to the St.Martinus campus in Otrobanda. Busses run most city routes hourly and less frequently on Sundays. Bus schedules and Routes are published by the Transportation Department.The administration office can assist in securing a copy of the bus schedule. The vans and cars run more frequently,but with no fixed schedule.

Driving on Curaçao.
At some point in time students and faculty will most certainly become road users on Curaçao. For this reason it is imperative that you become knowledgeable of the local traffic laws.

Following are some general guidelines regarding driving on Curaçao.You will be permitted to drive with a foreign (non-Antillean) license for a maximum of three months. Please visit the administration office for information on obtaining an Antillean Drivers license

The driver should always have the following documents with him:
- a valid car insurance policy
- a valid receipt for number plates
- a valid driver’s license
- valid car inspection card

>It is prohibited to drive a vehicle when under the influence of alcohol, or any other situation which inhibits the driving ability.
>At intersections and traffic circles, yield to traffic coming from your right unless signs indicate otherwise.
>At all T-crossings through traffic has priority.
>The speed limit is 45 km/hour in town and residential areas and 60-80 km/hour outside the city and on the four-lane Ring Road.
>Most gas stations are full service and are open late at night and on Sundays.

Please visit the administration office or contact the local police department for additional information regarding traffic rules.