Curaçao — books & literature

The story of Curaçao

Curaçao's human story begins with the Arawak and Caquetío peoples who lived on the island long before Europeans arrived. Spanish explorer Alonso de Ojeda reached it in 1499, claiming it for Spain, but the island's course changed in 1634 when the Dutch West India Company seized it and founded the port of Willemstad on the Schottegat inlet. Willemstad grew into one of the busiest harbours in the Caribbean and, tragically, a major hub of the transatlantic slave trade through the 17th and 18th centuries , a history marked by the 1795 uprising led by Tula, one of the largest slave rebellions in the Dutch Caribbean. Slavery was abolished in 1863, and in 1954 Curaçao became part of the semi-autonomous Netherlands Antilles within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. After the Netherlands Antilles dissolved in 2010, Curaçao became its own constituent country within the Kingdom. Today it is known for its UNESCO-listed colonial architecture, its Papiamentu-speaking creole culture, and an outsized presence in world baseball relative to its small size.

Timeline — key moments

1. circa 1499

   Spanish explorer Alonso de Ojeda reaches the island; it becomes Spanish territory.

2. 1634

   The Dutch West India Company captures the island and founds Willemstad on the Schottegat.

3. 17th-18th century

   Willemstad becomes a major hub of the transatlantic slave trade and Caribbean commerce.

4. 1795

   Tula leads a large slave uprising against Dutch plantation owners.

5. 1863

   The Netherlands abolishes slavery in its colonies, including Curaçao (1 July).

6. 1954

   Curaçao becomes part of the Netherlands Antilles, an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

7. 2010

   The Netherlands Antilles dissolves ("10-10-10"); Curaçao becomes its own constituent country within the Kingdom.

8. 2025

   The Caribbean guilder formally replaces the Netherlands Antillean guilder as legal currency (1 July).

Top 10 things to know about Curaçao

1. Willemstad's historic centre, famous for its pastel-coloured Dutch colonial architecture, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
2. Curaçao lies outside the main Caribbean hurricane belt, so it rarely takes a direct hurricane hit.
3. Papiamentu, a Portuguese-based creole language, is one of the few creole languages with official status.
4. Curaçao is the origin of Blue Curaçao liqueur, made from the dried peel of the bitter laraha citrus.
5. It is one of the "ABC islands" of the Dutch Caribbean, alongside Aruba and Bonaire.
6. Curaçao became an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 2010, after the Netherlands Antilles dissolved.
7. The island has produced more Major League Baseball players per capita than any other country.
8. Willemstad's Queen Emma Bridge is a floating pontoon bridge that swings open to let ships pass.
9. Curaçao was historically one of the largest slave-trading ports in the Dutch Caribbean.
10. Dutch, Papiamentu, and English are all widely spoken on the island.

Famous people from Curaçao

Say it in Curaçao's language

Did you know?

• ★Willemstad's pastel-painted buildings are popularly said to date from a 19th-century governor who believed glaring white walls caused headaches.
• ★The laraha orange used to make Blue Curaçao liqueur is too bitter to eat on its own , only its dried peel is used.
• ★Despite covering only about 444 sq km, Curaçao has produced more Major League Baseball players per capita than any nation on Earth.

Curaçao culture

• Carnival season (January-February) is one of the biggest annual events, with parades, costume competitions, and the Grand Marcha.
• Tumba, a lively Afro-Caribbean music and dance style, is the heartbeat of Curaçao's Carnival season.
• Local cuisine blends Dutch, African, Spanish, and Latin American influences , keshi yena (spiced meat stuffed in cheese) is a signature dish.
• Papiamentu is used alongside Dutch and English in daily life, schools, and government, reflecting the island's multilingual creole heritage.

Why read Curaçao's books

Curaçao's literature is rooted in Papiamentu , one of the few creole languages with a written literary tradition of its own , from Corsen's pioneering 1905 poem to Frank Martinus Arion's modern classics. The shelves below trace that voice.