Now You Can Cruise the ABC Islands in the Caribbean

Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao – called the ABC islands – are off the coats of Venezuela. They are part of the Dutch Antilles and so far south that they are as safe as safe can be in hurricane season. Even tough the islands are only 50 – 60 nm apart they are as very different.

 

Until 2013 there was no crewed yachts based in the area, but now you can charter Domicil, a beautiful 85′ sailing yacht. Just out of the boat yard it has all modern amenities. The deck-salon is light and airy and you can sink into a comfortable leather chair with you cognac after a wonderful dinner. Your chef Christine will cook you real Creole food, a tasty mix of Dutch, Caribbean and Indonesian Cuisine.

 

With their background in Bonaire-Curacao tourism and hospitality, Hans & Christine are excellent and knowledgeable hosts for your charter and shore-side excursions. Wanna go diving without getting wet? No problem. They can arrange for any toy including a submarine!

 

Diving in BonaireYou can start your cruise in Boanire, well known for its 75 dive site and endless “walls”, corals, fish and absolute crystal clear waters. It also has some salt ponds, which were all important in the old days, and today they are home to thousands of flamingos.

 

Sail on to Curacao which has always been the financial center of the ABCs because of the big oil refineries and other businesses The main town Willemstad is like a Dutch toy-town with pastel colored ware houses which could just as well have been in Amsterdam. It also has one of the safest harbors – Spanish Waters – I have ever seen.

 

Aruba furthest west has long sandy beaches and shallow turquoise waters, perfect for a beach vacation. There is also lots of fancy hotels and casinos so basically a Las Vegas by the Sea. It isn’t really a cruising destination as the water is very shallow, but why not spend a couple of days there after your cruise? You might win enough for an extra trip!

 

It is usually now easy to get to far-away-places like this, but Delta Airlines will have direct flights from Atlanta to Bonaire starting August 22, 2014

 

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