Finding shangri-la: Curacao

Curacao is the first Dutch Caribbean island I've come across so far.
There are six in total. The Countries Aruba, Curacao, St. Marten and the islands of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba are referred to as the BES-islands. Three individual public entities within the country the Netherlands. Dutch Caribbean Legal Portal

Willemstad with its beautiful pastel-colored buildings is the capital of Curacao and is home to the Queen Emma Bridge. The Queen Emma Bridge is a floating or pontoon bridge across the St. Anna bay. At one time it was a toll bridge but now a days is free to cross. Other areas of interest on the island are the Hato Caves and the Savonet Museum.

Language
Papiamento is the most widely used language on the island. Papiamento is a mix between Portuguese, Judaeo-Portuguese, Spanish, Judaeo-Spanish, English and Dutch. While English and Spanish are widely used on the island it is recommended that you learn Papiamento if you plan to move there.

Become a Resident
Moving to Curacao does require applying for a residency permit which can take around 4 months. That gives you time to start working on your Papiamento. In order to apply you must show some sort of revenue coming in or else your permit will most likely be denied.

Schools
They offer both the American high stress style of learning as well as the more laid back approach of the Netherlands. It's nice to have both options. A child that struggles with the American style of learning may perform better with less pressure where as a child who craves structure may thrive in a more rigid learning atmosphere.

Cost of Living and Home Prices
Due to its location in the Caribbean it sees far less hurricanes than most of the other islands. Making your property investment safer.
Cost of living is comparable to a larger U.S. city but as far as Caribbean islands go falls lower on the list. For example a dozen eggs will cost you around $2.00 U.S.
A 4 bedroom home not on the water will run you around $220,000 USD or 395,000ANF.

Fun Facts
Blue Curacao (the drink) is actually orange colored and flavored. It's dyed the beautiful blue color.

This post contains affiliates links. Please see full disclosure page for more information.

             

Keep up to Date on the Hottest New T-Shirt Designs, Discount Coupons, Give Aways and Island News.