Curaçao

Curaçao's biggest surprise is Willemstad's waterfront, a row of Dutch colonial buildings painted in candy-bright blues, yellows, and pinks along the Handelskade — one of the most photographed street scenes in the Caribbean. Beyond the city, the island turns dry and rugged, its cactus-lined coast hiding coves and sheltered bays with some of the region's healthiest reefs, drawing serious divers. The mix of Dutch, African, and Latin American influences shows up in the food, music, and the local Papiamentu language heard everywhere.