Curacao may be one of the most under appreciated islands in the Caribbean. As many cruise ships make brief stops at Curacao’s ports, visitors only get to spend a few hours on the island. Hence, Curacao may seem like any other Caribbean destination on the surface – beautiful weather, pristine beaches and plenty of shopping and dining. However, Curacao possesses a truly unique small-town ambiance and a diverse cultural heritage unknown anywhere else in the world. With a wealth of activities available to visitors, Curacao is a great destination for families and couples alike. If you are looking for a truly unique Caribbean vacation, visit some of these sites off the beaten path on one of the Caribbean’s most unique islands. Christoffel Park, Curacao’s premier natural attraction, is composed of three former Caribbean plantations. Visitors can explore the park in a number of ways, from hiking and biking trails to horseback tours and jeep excursions. Along the way, you will see giant cacti, several species of exotic flowers and divi divi trees while protected wildlife roams amongst the vegetation. In addition to iguanas, rabbits and rare birds, you might catch a glimpse of the elusive whitetail Curacao deer – a species thought to have come from the coasts of South America in the 14th and 15th centuries. The park offers guided deer watching expeditions each afternoon from 4pm to 6:30pm. As only eight people are allowed in each deer-watching group, space is extremely limited and reservations are required.

When in Curacao, you should also try to take advantage of Christoffel Park’s other activities. With options as diverse as cave excursions, full moon walking tours and presentations on the area’s flora and fauna, the park has something for every inquiring mind. Christoffel Park tours can be arranged through your hotel or travel agent and everything from mountain bikes to off-road vehicles are available for rent.

One of the most unique attractions anywhere in the Caribbean is the Curacao Seaquarium. Constructed in 1984, this beachfront complex is renowned for its open-water system that continuously pumps fresh seawater into its aquaria. If you are traveling with young children, the touch tanks and feeding shows offer great opportunities for safe and informative interaction with sea creatures. The Curacao Seaquarium also allows visitors to snorkel and dive with sea turtles, tropical fish and other exotic animals. You might even have the chance to hand feed a shark or stingray. Even if you don’t want to get wet, the Underwater Observatory Boat will allow you to watch divers interact with these exotic creatures. After you’ve had your share of fun in the water, check out the on-site museum and theatre for some added education on Caribbean Sea life. The beach outside the Curacao Seaquarium is also great place to relax with your family, highlighted by kid-friendly water sports options and pleasant shops and restaurants.

Though it may sound strange, Curacao is home to one of the largest ostrich farms outside of Africa. At the Curacao Ostrich Farm, children can interact with both day-old chicks and adult birds. Between 8am and 5pm you can take a tour of the farm, hold ostrich eggs, pet the newborns, watch over 600 birds wander about the grounds and learn about the lives of these fascinating birds. The gift shop is full of distinctive souvenirs, from local products to African artwork. There is even a nice café on site to enjoy a sunlit Caribbean lunch.

If you are looking to escape the crowds while on your Caribbean vacation, Curacao may be the island for you. With activities as diverse as those detailed here, you certainly won’t regret your journey off the beaten path in Curacao.

This article was written by Justin Burch. He writes select articles about unique Caribbean travel destinations for the Marriott Resorts. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Justin_Burch

Do you ever heard about a fresh seawater aquarium with natural coral reef feeling? The Curacao Sea Aquarium is the place where it gives us first hand experience of natural open water system aquarium developed in 1984 at the Curaçao Island. The aquarium has a located at the southeastern coast.

It not only offers entertainment but it also offers education to the all age group, who are passionate with marine lives.

The Curacao Sea Aquarium has made on different themes. The entire Curacao Sea Aquarium contains 46 aquaria where you can find more than 400 specimens collections like cleaning fish, lobsters, camouflage and sea horses. Apart from that you can also see other aquaria like deep reefs with their special fish collection which are available under 300ft deep water. The other aquaria like mangroves; grass beds are also center of the attraction.

Curacao Sea Aquarium organizes various shows, which give inimitable experience to their visitors. During the show the visitors are able to examine and study the animals behaviors and their activities. Apart from this the other main attraction is the Dolphin Academy, where you can enjoy with lovely dolphins and sea lions.

Animal Encounters is one of the most exciting events for the visitors where they enjoy skin diving with the gorgeous underwater animals like sharks, turtles, and fishes. You can also enjoy sea lion dive, open water dive and snorkel swim. At the Dolphin Academy you can enjoy programs like the Dolphin Encounter, Dolphin Swim, Dolphin Dive.

With this species, the main distinctiveness of the Curacao Sea Aquarium is the Open Water System. All aquariums are populated exclusively with “live sea rock”, which are full of algae, worms, tubeworms and bacteria, which give a natural balance in the aquarium.

The park is open from 8.30 till 17.30, every day of the year. The entrance fees of the park are $ 15 for adult and for $ 7.50 for children of age group of 5-12. Curacao Sea Aquarium also accept all major Credit Cards for online booking. For accommodation, there are different hotels and resorts to be found right next to the Curaçao Sea Aquarium

There are different activities like sea aquarium park, diving and snorkeling, coral spawning week, animal encounters snorkel program, animal encounters scuba dive, 1 tank shore dive, 2 tank shore dive, 1 tank shore dive and animal encounters dive combination etc. At Curacao Sea Aquarium there are different program for kids such as kids encounters half day/full day, snorkel club, sea lion activities, sea lion encounter, sea lion snorkel/swim, sea lion dive, sea lion training experience.

Certain education programs are also design by education department of The Curaçao Sea Aquarium like coral reef ecology, coral reef fish ecology (Advanced), coral reef fish ID etc Some dolphin programs like dolphin encounter, dolphin swim, dolphin snorkel, dolphin open water dive, assistant trainer course, dolphins in dept. course etc.

Apart from that the Curaçao Sea Aquarium's Education Department also run Marine Biology activities for all ages to get knowledge of marine life and coral reef ecosystems. The Curaçao Sea Aquarium has designed various programs such as Snorkel Clubs, Blik in de Zee, Experimental programs etc.

(Rajesh Thaker is a contributing author for http://vacation.every1loves2travel.com a fresh and exciting travel resource.) Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rajesh_Thaker