Curaçao - Adventure Guide to Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao - page 238

day and Saturday evenings. Call for entertainment schedules and infor-
mation.

461-3526.
The Amstel Brewery may be more to your liking if you're a beer drinker.
Tours are given at the waterfront facility located at the Rijkseenheid Blvd
exit off the Ring Road. Multilingual tours take place Tuesdays and Thurs-
days beginning at 9 am. Tickets cost $1 for adults, and tours are free for
children between the ages of six and 12. Children younger than six are not
allowed to enter the brewery. (All proceeds from ticket sales are donated to
charity.) 434-1500.

Did You Know? Amstel is the only beer made with
distilled seawater.

Landhuizen
Landhuis is the Dutch word for villa and was used by colonists to
describe the owner's house on a plantation. When Peter
Stuyvesant was governor of the Netherlands Antilles, he divided
Curaçao's countryside into estates. Slave labor was used to farm
the arid land and mine salt. Some of these old homes now house
restaurants or businesses, and some are open to the public for
tours.
Curaçao has about 70 authentic landhuizen featuring Dutch ar-
chitecture. Most are perched on top of a hill to symbolize the im-
portance of the owner, offer the best views of the plantation, and
catch cooling breezes. The hilltop position also allowed an owner
to see the homes of other landholders so that he could signal them
in case of an emergency. See page 243 for more about Curaçao's
landhuizen.

Dinah's Botanic and Historic Garden , or Den Paradara, is indicated
by signs on the roadway (Caracasbaaiweg - in the direction of Santa
Barbara) and you will smell the herbs as you approach. The garden fea-
tures dozens of varieties of local plants that have been used throughout
history as folk medicines. If you're interested in herbal healing, gardening,
or folklore, stop at the little yellow house surrounded by a cactus fence to
ask owner Dinah Veeris about touring the grounds, which include a model
historical village with a lodge built by Amazon Indians (ask Dinah to tell
you the story). A shop sells curative beverages (said to heal a variety of ail-
ments) and perfumes made from herbs and flowers. Hours are 9 am until
6 pm daily and admission is $2.75 for adults, $1.38 for children younger
than 12.

767-5608.
Spanish Water , a sheltered bay on a picturesque stretch of coast, is
filled with grand yachts and surrounded by upscale residential areas.
From the top of the terraced cliffs, you have a panoramic view of the coun-