Curacao, an island in the southwest Caribbean, is thirty eight miles long, four miles wide, and forty four miles north of Venezuela. As part of the Dutch Netherlands Antilles (Aruba once was but is now under Dutch and English domain), Dutch influence is everywhere. It is seen in the architecture, food, and language, and as a popular destination for visitors from Holland. Besides Dutch, the locals speak English, Spanish and a local dialect called Pompiamento (also spoken in Aruba).

The southwestern Caribbean beaches are gorgeous. Curacao’s white sands are filled with coral and the glistening waters include every hue of blue and green imaginable, with glorious sapphire and turquoise skies to match. The sun blazes every shade of copper and gold. Travel a couple of miles into historic Willemstad, the capital, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site and see the local shops and merchants. We visited an exquisite Old Dutch synagogue when we learned the Rabbi was recently relocated from West Hartford. The day we were there he happened to be in the States, but it was interesting to see the house of worship with sand covered floors. The Seaquarium is popular with kids and adults, and the Central Market offers all kinds of souvenirs and local color. The famous swing bridge is under repair until next spring but ferry service s available.

We stayed at the largest resort on the island, Breezes Curacao, the island’s only super-inclusive resort. There is plenty to do for every age and category—singles, couples and families. There’s a spa, casino, circus, scuba diving, skating rink, tennis, a variety of restaurants—ranging from an open beach grill to sushi to pasta to Jimmy’s Buffet, which offers the widest range of choices. Although Camp Breezes, the kids club, was closed when we were there, it looked like fun. The main attractions for us were the swimming pools, which flowed into one another making a glorious maze parallel to the shoreline. We swam from one pool into another passing through the fountain, waterfall, and cocktail area set in the water where we took a juice break. We swam under the bridge with a view of the jaw-dropping beach the entire time. Since it’s an all-inclusive resort you can use a variety of boats at no extra charge. My four-year-old daughter and I had a blast on the paddleboat. We pretended we were pirates bicycling through the Caribbean Sea in search of treasure. We peddled ashore and found exquisite coral. After that great adventure, Lucy and I went over to the Beach Grill and ate our lunch at tables set high in the water overlooking the Caribbean—a true taste of paradise. After lunch we walked along the beach to see the Koralart Gallery, where craftsman Bert Knubben dives to depths below 160 feet for black “kings” coral and makes the semi precious stones and mother of pearl into unusual jewelry.

The rooms at Breezes Resort are modest, but spacious. Many of the rooms have a balcony which brings the scenery right to your door. As a mid-range all-inclusive resort, Breezes is a good choice for value-conscious vacationers. There are no hidden fees. An extra bonus at Breezes and other Superclubs is called “Guaranteed Getaways” to insure travelers against the active Atlantic hurricane season (June 1-November 30). If a hurricane interrupts a vacation, guests can get vouchers for future stays at the resort, excluding airfare. For more information contact www.superclubs.com, 1 800 GO SUPER, or www.curacao.com.