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Sailing

By Els Kroon

Curaçao lures boating enthusiasts with schooners, cats, kayaks, kites…

Beloved for water sports, Curaçao attracts divers, snorkelers, sailors, kayakers, windsurfers, swimmers, sportfishermen, and of course, lazy sunbathing vacationers. With completion of new upscale resorts, new tour operators emerge with new adventures.

Activities include kayaking on sheltered Spanish Waters, inland from Caracas Bay, and along the beaches of the southwest. Sailboat rentals, with or without a skipper, also operate on Spanish Waters.

The twin-diesel trawler Coconut Blues takes anglers on deep-sea fishing trips, or try sailing aboard the new 54-foot catamaran Jonalisa or 90-foot classic wooden schooner Bounty (599-9-767-9998, bountyadventures.com). On the traditionally rigged, 120-foot, steel Insulinde, passengers experience the sailing days of yore (599-9-560-1340, insulinde.com).

The colorful motorboats Miss Ann and Mermaid go on local sunset cruises, as well as taking passengers to the castaway island of Klein Curaçao, where azure waters surround snow-white beaches.

Ask tour guides about the Alice in Wonderland reef, the Mushroom Forest, and the Barracuda Point Snorkel Trail. Curaçao Actief, a reliable operator, takes snorkelers to a popular tug boat near Caracas Bay Island (599-9-433-8858, curacao-actief.nl). Close by, the instructors of Windsurfing Curaçao teach basic skills in an hour, then windsurfers can rent boards and take advantage of constant trade winds (599-9-738-4555).

At adjacent Jan Thiel Beach Cat Sailing Curaçao, individuals and groups join four-hour sailing tours to Hyatt's Barbara Beach (599-9-747-5830). Kayak and pedal-boat rentals are also available. Kite surfers find their groove at Saint Joris Bay, on the northeast coast (599-9-566-5748). The 45-foot pontoon party boat Mi Dushi, at Spanish Waters, provides unique views on a sunset cruise (599-9-747-4489).

Bring your own cruising, racing-cruising, or racing yacht to Curaçao, and participate in races staged throughout the year organized by the Curaçao Yachting Association. Call Hans van der Straaten for info (599-9-528-5836).

To witness top-tier international competition, get here in November for the Heineken Regatta Curaçao (heinekenregattacuracao.com), first regatta of the sailing season.

Ocean Encounters, operating out of nine locations, plus other dive operators around the island, offer certification courses, kids' sea camps, technical diving, and dolphin boat diving (599-9-465-8991, oceanencounters.com). Certified divers can hop on the Dive Bus for different shore-diving adventures each day.

Find more tour operators on the Curaçao Hospitality and Tourism Association web site (chata.org). Water-sport companies can also be found in the free weekly K-Pasa guide, available in the airport, resorts, restaurants, and other touristic spots (k-pasa.com).

Read unbiased opinions about Curaçao activities at TripAdvisor.