text:
Culiacán

Culiacán (Culiacán Rosales) is a city of slightly over 1 million people (2019) in Sinaloa. Lying in the center of the state, Culiacan is the center of the distinctive Sinaloense culture. It is best known, however, as the nexus of narcotics trafficking and narco culture in Mexico.

Understand
Culiacán sits almost in the geographic center of the state of Sinaloa, about 1450 km (900 miles) south of the U.S.-Mexico border. Its citizens are known as culichis. Almost no guide books on Mexico cover Culiacán, or if they do, they give a very brief one-paragraph description at most. It is rarely visited by tourists. Among Mexicans, however, Culiacán is well known for its distinct sinaloense culture and for producing some of the best known norteño and banda musical groups in Mexico, including Los Buitres de Culiacán, Los Bukanas de Culiacán, Larry Hernandez, and Los Buchones de Culiacán.

Chinese miners brought opium poppies to the hills of Sinaloa around the turn of the 20th century, and during World War II, Sinaloa supplied the United States military with opium for medicinal painkillers. Following the demise of the French Connection heroin smuggling route to the United States in the 1970s, Sinaloa emerged to fulfil the United States' demand for the drug, and Culiacán became the center of the North American heroin trade. What was then a ragtag group of heroin traffickers from the hills surrounding the city began an evolution into what is, in the 2020s, arguably the most sophisticated and powerful criminal organization in the world: the Sinaloa Cartel. Although ostensibly a normal, perhaps even boring, capital city, Culiacán is inseparable from its narco underpinnings. Narcotics production and trafficking, now consisting of amphetamines and synthetic opioids rather than heroin, contribute enormous amounts to the economy. Safe houses, which are unrecognizable to the tourist eye, dot the suburbs. Stories abound of drug lords who, before dining at local restaurants, send their entourages ahead to collect the phones of each patron with the warning that no one can leave but the promise that all bills will be settled. Thousands celebrate the anniversary of the death of Jesús Malverde, the so-called "narco-saint", at his shrine in the city each year.

Culiacán is the center of buchona culture, the flamboyant style of dress and body modification popular among narco wives and girlfriends (where the narco men are referred to as buchones). In Culiacán the gaudy narco style is paradoxically subtle: there is nothing ostentatious about the city on the surface, but dig deeper into the culture — potentially at your peril – and it's there, everywhere from the nightclubs to the cemeteries (the infamous Jardines del Humaya cemetery is as renown for its garish narco mausoleums as it is for its threatening security guards).

If all this sounds glamorous, it most decidedly is not. Setting aside the long-running disaster that is the effect of narcotics trafficking on the rest of the world – the countless deaths, the destroyed lives — and keeping the focus on Culiacán, the hazards of narco influence are apparent. The city occasionally explodes in war-zone-like violence when the Mexican military decides to do battle with the narcos, the local police waiting haplessly on the sidelines. And the police are hapless, a product of the corruption that plagues the state from top to bottom with its blight focused on the capital in Culiacán. This means city services and infrastructure are often mysteriously diminished, the money having been diverted to the hand of the strongest arm. Businesses likewise pay a fee — quarterly, as is the Sinaloa way — to merely keep their doors open. Drug consumption increasingly affects Mexican society at home, and this is apparent on the streets of Culiacán, the city with the easiest access, as drug-addled locals unnervingly trudge along the downtown streets (a spectacle normally reserved for downtowns in the USA).

Sinaloense culture — boisterous and brash, flamboyant and theatrical — is fascinating, but Culiacán is a city best viewed from the surface, a city where you may not want to dig deeper. Although the center is pleasant and the river walks are lovely, at first blush there is not much to see or do in Culiacán. For the tourist, it might be best to keep it that way.

Climate
Culiacán is dry for most of the year, except for the wet season which lasts from July to September. Summers are very hot and humid, shade temperatures can reach 45 °C (113 °F) and high humidity can produce heat indices of 50 to 55 °C (122 to 131 °F), with the risk of heavy rainfall from decaying tropical cyclones also present. Winters are much milder with less humidity and an average high of 27 °C, with warm nights.

By car
Mexican Federal Highway 15 (Carretera Federal 15) connects Culiacán to cities in Sonora state such as Nogales, Hermosillo, Guaymas, Ciudad Obregón, and Navojoa (from north to south), as well as Los Mochis, Guasave, Guamúchil, Mazatlán, Tepic, and Guadalajara. Toll booths and checkpoints are stationed throughout the highway.

More adventurous travelers could try getting in via the winding Federal Highway 24, opened in 2023, which crosses the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains through the heart of narco territory, including the hometown of the infamous drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán. Start in Parral, Chihuahua, point southwest and say your prayers.

By bus
The is a major hub offering connections from various small towns around the state of Sinaloa. There are regular buses to Culiacán from Los Mochis, Mazatlán, Hermosillo, and Guadalajara, as well as cross-border buses to US destinations. This is a large terminal area with several buildings for different bus lines.

Get around
The city has a total of nine bridges. Six cross the "Tamazula" river, two the Humaya river and the longest bridge crosses the Culiacán river of the same name as the city. The number of cars per capita in Culiacán is one of the highest in Mexico; traffic is bad most of the time and abominable at peak times.

By foot
Outside of the city center, it's not easy. Culiacán is a car-oriented city: blocks stretch for long distances while seemingly incessant traffic races along the wide boulevards between them.

By bus
Culiacán has over 68 urban transport routes, operated by RedPlus.

By car

 * AGA Rent a Car, at the airport,.

By taxi
The ride-hailing services Uber and Didi are you best bet for going anywhere outside the city center. Otherwise, taxis can be found on the south side of the cathedral.

See

 * — Located next to the heart of the city, forming part of the Civic Center Constitución with an extension of 13.5 hectares; which houses 1,400 animals belonging to more than 450 species including mammals, reptiles and birds.
 * — Located next to the heart of the city, forming part of the Civic Center Constitución with an extension of 13.5 hectares; which houses 1,400 animals belonging to more than 450 species including mammals, reptiles and birds.
 * — Located next to the heart of the city, forming part of the Civic Center Constitución with an extension of 13.5 hectares; which houses 1,400 animals belonging to more than 450 species including mammals, reptiles and birds.
 * — Located next to the heart of the city, forming part of the Civic Center Constitución with an extension of 13.5 hectares; which houses 1,400 animals belonging to more than 450 species including mammals, reptiles and birds.
 * — Located next to the heart of the city, forming part of the Civic Center Constitución with an extension of 13.5 hectares; which houses 1,400 animals belonging to more than 450 species including mammals, reptiles and birds.
 * — Located next to the heart of the city, forming part of the Civic Center Constitución with an extension of 13.5 hectares; which houses 1,400 animals belonging to more than 450 species including mammals, reptiles and birds.
 * — Located next to the heart of the city, forming part of the Civic Center Constitución with an extension of 13.5 hectares; which houses 1,400 animals belonging to more than 450 species including mammals, reptiles and birds.
 * — Located next to the heart of the city, forming part of the Civic Center Constitución with an extension of 13.5 hectares; which houses 1,400 animals belonging to more than 450 species including mammals, reptiles and birds.
 * — Located next to the heart of the city, forming part of the Civic Center Constitución with an extension of 13.5 hectares; which houses 1,400 animals belonging to more than 450 species including mammals, reptiles and birds.
 * — Located next to the heart of the city, forming part of the Civic Center Constitución with an extension of 13.5 hectares; which houses 1,400 animals belonging to more than 450 species including mammals, reptiles and birds.

Do
There are sports venues, casinos, discos, and theaters.

 * Musicians, consisting of norteño, banda, and mariachi bands, can be found on Bulevar Francisco I. Madero (the Mazatlán-Culiacán highway, or the 15) between General Aquilines Serdán and Venustiano Carranza. There are Pemex gas stations at both intersections. Many musicians have rented out buildings, and some of the bandas have their own trailers. The norteño bands tend to congregate around the Madero & Carranza intersection, which is easily recognizable because of the 135-degree bend that Venustiano Carranza makes at the intersection. Norteño bands can also be found at the Mercado Garmendia playing for tips.

Learn

 * Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa (UAS)
 * Instituto Tecnológico de Culiacán (ITC)

Buy

 * Mercado Garmendia

Stay safe
Downtown Culiacán is safe to walk around during the daytime and evenings (before midnight). Traveling around the outskirts ("colonias") of Culiacán at night is not recommended.

Traffic in Culiacán can be aggressive, much more so than in many other parts of Mexico (although still pretty tame on a global scale). Locals will attribute this to the sinaloense attitude, which is stereotypically aggressive, proud, and boisterous.

Mexicans from other states will often advise that Culiacán is dangerous to visit due to its reputation for narcotics trafficking and cartel violence. However, most deaths occur only among drug cartels and federal armed forces.

Go next

 * Cosalá
 * Mocorito
 * Guasave
 * Mazatlán

title: Culiacán


text:
Culloden

Culloden is a village to the east of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. It's nowadays a commuter town for Inverness, but it's best known for the 1746 battle that destroyed the Jacobite cause. Near the village are the remarkable Bronze Age "Clava Cairns", and Cawdor Castle.

Understand
After Cromwell died in 1658, Britain gave up on being a republic and invited the exiled King Charles II to return to the throne. He soon made them remember why they'd deposed the Stuart monarchy, and when he died and was succeeded by his brother James (II of England, VII of Scotland) a crisis developed. In 1688 James fled and was replaced by his Protestant daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange, the start of the Hanoverian dynasty.

Over the next century, there were several attempts to restore the Stuart (Roman Catholic) monarchy, and this faction was called Jacobite referring to James II/VII. The last and most determined was the Jacobite rebellion of 1745, when Prince Charles Edward Stuart (James' grandson) landed in Scotland and marched south with a French-backed force to retake the throne. They got as far as Derby.
 * Twas in the year of 1746, and in April the 14th day,
 * That Prince Charles Stuart and his army marched on without delay...
 * - William McGonagall, who else, Scotland's National Worst Poet

Until April 1746 "Bonny Prince Charlie" had never lost a battle, yet his forces had retreated and retreated all the way back to the Highlands because of lack of support in England, the massing of government forces against them, and an effective Royal Navy blockade of French supplies and reinforcements. The final encounter was on 16 April on Culloden (or Drumossie) Moor. It began at 1PM with a short artillery exchange then the Jacobite advance. Less than an hour later the Jacobites were slain, captured or in flight. The Prince escaped but his cause was broken: he was a fugitive across the Highlands for six months before getting back to France. Fierce government reprisals ended the traditional Gaelic way of life.

Get in
You need a car or at least a bike. Culloden village is off B9006, 5 miles east of Inverness. The battlefield is another two miles southeast, and Culloden's other sights and amenities are scattered.

Stagecoach Highland Bus 27 runs hourly M-Sa from Inverness via Westhill university campus to Culloden (40 min), Croy and Tornagrain.

is 5 miles north, see Inverness for details. Bus 11 between Inverness, the airport and Nairn doesn't come into Culloden village, but passes within a mile at Balloch estate.

Get around
Bike is ideal for this scattered area. You can hire bikes in Inverness.

See

 * Gruffalo: anyone who claims "there's no such thing as a Gruffalo" should try the woodland walk in the village, just north of Barn Church Road.
 * is a 1800-ft (549 m), 29-span viaduct. It opened in 1898 and carries the Perth-Inverness railway over the valley of the River Nairn.
 * has entertained Bonnie Prince Charlie, the Duke of Cumberland and Robert Burns. It's now an events venue, no tours.
 * : see Nairn for this extensive and well-preserved 18th-century fortress.
 * : see Nairn for this extensive and well-preserved 18th-century fortress.
 * : see Nairn for this extensive and well-preserved 18th-century fortress.

Do

 * Golf: Cabot Highlands Castle Stuart is on the coast. White tees 6592 yards, par 72, and a round here will set you back up to £295. A second course will open in 2025.
 * Eriskay Golf Club happen to have their offices in Culloden, but the course is on faraway Eriskay. Perhaps that's how the Whisky Galore! ship got off-course and wrecked.

Buy

 * Co-op Food in the village is open daily 6AM-10PM, and so too is Spar 200 yards west.
 * Aldi is on Inshes Retail Park by A9 at the east edge of Inverness.

Drink

 * Blacksmiths Pub on Keppoch Rd serves Cantonese food and is open M, W-F 15:00-22:00, Sa Su noon-22:00.
 * Distilleries are found further east between Forres and Grantown-on-Spey. Royal Brackla near Cawdor has closed.

Sleep

 * Most visitors day-trip from nearby Inverness. Premier Inn and Travelodge are east side of the city and therefore close to Culloden.

Connect
As of Aug 2022, Culloden and the B9006 from Inverness have 4G from EE and O2, but no signal from Three or Vodafone. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * Inverness is the agreeable Victorian city only four miles west.
 * Loch Ness starts a few miles above Inverness. The road follows the northwest shore, with Drumnadrochit the main village.
 * Nairn to the east is a genteel beach resort.
 * Cairngorms National Park spans the mountain range. It's most easily explored from its west side via Aviemore.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Culloden


text:
Culpeper

Culpeper is a town of almost 19,000 people (2018) in the center of Culpeper County in Central Virginia. Culpeper is the literal heart of the county, and has grown rapidly since 2000 when it was home to fewer than 10,000 people.

By car
From Washington D.C./I-66: Take I-66 West to Exit 43A (Rt. 29 South towards Warrenton). Continue on Rt. 29 South for approximately 40 miles to the first Culpeper exit - Business 29. Follow Business 29 for 3 miles into the Town of Culpeper - Main Street. At the third traffic light turn left on to Davis Street and proceed to the end of road to the Train Depot/Visitors Center.

From Charlottesville/Rt.29: Take Rt. 29 North for approximately 45 miles to Culpeper. Take the second exit at Culpeper Business 29. At the fifth traffic light turn right on to Davis Street. Proceed to the end of the road to the Train Depot/Visitors Center.

From Richmond /I-95: Take I-95 North for approximately 60 miles to Fredericksburg exit 130. Exit at 130 - Culpeper/Rt. 3 West. Proceed on Rt. 3 West for 35 miles. At the second traffic light in Culpeper turn right on to Main Street. Proceed to the second traffic light and turn right on to Davis Street. Follow Davis Street to the end of the road to the Train Depot/Visitors Center.

From Harrisonburg /I-81: Take I-81 to I-66 East. Continue on I-66 East to exit 6 at Front Royal - Rt. 522 South. Follow Rt. 522 South for approximately 45 miles to Culpeper. When in Culpeper, make a right turn at the traffic light intersection of Rt. 522 and Main Street. Proceed to the next traffic light and turn left on to Davis St. Follow Davis Street to the end of the road to the Train Depot/Visitors Center.

By train

 * Train operators:
 * Routes stopping in Culpeper:
 * Cardinal operating three trips weekly between Chicago and New York City with stops in Dyer, Rensselaer, Lafayette, Crawfordsville, Indianapolis, Connersville, Cincinnati, Ashland, Huntington, Charleston, Hinton, White Sulphur Springs, Staunton, Charlottesville, Culpeper, Manassas, Alexandria, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Trenton, and Newark.
 * Crescent between New Orleans and New York City via Birmingham, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Washington, D.C.
 * Northeast Regional is Amtrak's busiest regional service, connecting Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and the many towns and cities in-between. Toward the east end of the route, some trips terminate at Springfield instead of Boston. Some services also continue south into Virginia towards Newport News, Roanoke and Norfolk on three separate branch routes from Alexandria. Culpeper is on the branch to and from Roanoke.

By plane
International airports that service Culpeper include Washington Dulles International Airport - 58 miles, Richmond International Airport  - 86 miles, and Baltimore Washington Int. Airport - 105 miles.

Charlottesville Regional Airport is 40 miles to the south. Culpeper also has small but growing local airport which receives some charter flights, Culpeper Regional Airport - 7 miles north of Culpeper.

Get around
Getting around the historic Downtown is very easy on foot, by car, or on the Culpeper Trolley. The Trolley runs every 30-40 minutes M-F from 7AM to 5PM, and on Saturdays from 9:30AM to 2:30PM, from various points north and south of town. Fares are $.50 per destination.

Parking around Culpeper can be found in various 2 and 3 hour lots throughout Town. An all-day free parking lot for Amtrak travelers is on the corner of Commerce Street and Wausau Place, a short block from the Culpeper Visitors Center in the Train Depot on Commerce Street. Rental cars are available through Enterprise Rent-A-Car -, 15419 Brandy Rd.

The following companies provide service through Culpeper and surrounding counties: Culpeper Cab Company -, serving Culpeper and Fauquier Counties.

Buy
Visit the historic Downtown around the area of Main and Davis Streets. Here, the downtown renovations have opened up many unique specialty shops, restaurants, gourmet food and wine shops, and antique stores. Begin your visit at the Visitors Center at the Train Depot, located at the far east end of Davis Street, for information and brochures.

title: Culpeper


text:
Culross

Culross is a very attractive village in Fife on the north bank of the Firth of Forth. In the 16th and 17th centuries its merchants grew rich from coal, salt and limestone, trading especially with the Low Countries, and building themselves fine town houses. Those industries moved elsewhere in the 19th century, so Culross was preserved from later development, and in the 20th century was restored. It's pronounced KOO-lross with just the faintest "l" sound. In 2020 together with Valleyfield it had a population of 2280.

Get in
The village is 8 miles west of Dunfermline and 11 miles east of Falkirk. By car from Edinburgh, follow M90 over the Firth of Forth by Queensferry Crossing (no toll) then take exit 1C onto A985 west. From Glasgow follow M80 then M876 over Kincardine Bridge (no toll) then A985 east. From either end, stay on A985 until you see signs for Culross, near Valleyfield. It's within bicycle range of Edinburgh but cyclists must cross the Forth via the old road bridge A9000, then use B981 Ferry Toll Road onto A985 west.

The nearest railway station is Dunfermline, with frequent trains from Edinburgh.

Stagecoach Bus 8A runs hourly daily from Dunfermline to Culross (25 min) and continues to Kincardine, Clackmannan and Alloa.

Get around
Walk, the village is small. Motorists please use the free car park at the west edge of the village, and don't clog up the narrow streets.

See

 * Town centre is picture-perfect. Much of it is 17th century Low Countries style, with crow-stepped gables, and red pantile roofs as Dutch roof tiles were used as ballast by ships returning from trading. You can tour the Palace and ruined Abbey, and admire the exteriors of the other fine buildings.
 * is a medieval ruin reached by walking down the narrow lane west of the Abbey - don't bring a car. Already by 1633 Parliament recorded the "old kirk quhairine seruice is not nor hes not beine vsit since memorie of man, and is altogether rwinous, decayit, and falline downe in divers pairts." There's even less of it now except bosky stumps and mossy gravestones, you only come for the walk and the fun of finding it.
 * became a peninsula of reclaimed land in the 19th century, with coal mines and salt production. The area has now been landscaped; stroll here for views over the Forth.
 * is a medieval ruin reached by walking down the narrow lane west of the Abbey - don't bring a car. Already by 1633 Parliament recorded the "old kirk quhairine seruice is not nor hes not beine vsit since memorie of man, and is altogether rwinous, decayit, and falline downe in divers pairts." There's even less of it now except bosky stumps and mossy gravestones, you only come for the walk and the fun of finding it.
 * became a peninsula of reclaimed land in the 19th century, with coal mines and salt production. The area has now been landscaped; stroll here for views over the Forth.
 * became a peninsula of reclaimed land in the 19th century, with coal mines and salt production. The area has now been landscaped; stroll here for views over the Forth.

Do

 * Walk or cycle along the coast of the Firth of Forth. West from Culross the route goes upriver to Kincardine and Clackmannan. East it swings inland past Rosyth navy base then returns to the coast under the Forth bridges and continues all the way to St Andrews.
 * Devilla Forest two miles northeast along A985 has walking and cycling trails.

Buy

 * Nelson's of Culross make ice cream at Blair Mains Farm. It's on sale in various shops but there isn't a farm shop or cafe.
 * Co-op Food in High Valleyfield is the nearest convenience store, a mile east. It's open daily 6AM-10PM.

Sleep

 * Most visitors just day-trip: try Dunfermline for a better choice.

Connect
Culross and the coast lane has patchy 4G from all UK carriers. You might get 5G higher up the slope on A985.

Go next

 * Dunfermline became the royal residence and capital of Scotland in the 11th century. See the ruined Abbey, and the humble birthplace of tycoon philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.
 * Dollar has a walkway up a dramatic ravine to the ruins of Castle Campbell. The autumn colours here are glorious.
 * Stirling, to continue the theme of towns unrelated to the currency they sound like, is a miniature Edinburgh, with its castle perched on a crag.

title: Culross


text:
Culver City

Culver City is a city on the Westside of Los Angeles County. It was given the moniker the "Heart of Screenland" during the 1930s and 1940s when it was responsible for half of America's motion picture production; today it remains home to Sony Pictures Studios (formerly MGM Studios) and Culver Studios. In addition to its role in the film and television industry the city has a reputation as a great food destination due to the huge number of trendy restaurants found in the downtown and elsewhere.

Understand

Harry Culver, a real estate developer, founded the city as a sundown town in 1913. Located along the roads and rail line that connected the beach resort city of Venice with downtown Los Angeles, the town grew fairly quickly. Culver attracted migrants from the Midwest by offering homes that included furniture and even appliances in exchange for a monthly mortgage payment.

In the 1920s the film industry arrived, with silent film comedy producer Hal Roach and Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) building studios. From the 1930s through the 1940s Culver City was home to half of America's motion picture production and was dubbed the "Heart of Screenland", and MGM was the largest of the major film studios from the 1930s to the early 1950s. Today entertainment companies that call Culver City home include Sony Pictures Studios (formerly MGM), Culver Studios (formerly RKO-Pathé Studios, and future home of Amazon Studios), National Public Radio's "NPR West" facility, the NFL Network, and a handful of smaller media companies. In 2021 HBO will move its West Coast headquarters to Culver City, followed in 2022 by the opening of a new facility housing 1,000 employees working on Apple's entertainment offerings.

Movies that have been produced in Culver City include classics such as Citizen Kane, the original King Kong, and Gone With the Wind. The Wizard of Oz was filmed at MGM studios, and part of the original yellow brick road is still inside the lot on Stage 27 of Sony Pictures Studios. In addition to being the home of classic films, the television show I Love Lucy was produced at Desilu Studios. More recent productions include Grease, Raging Bull, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, City Slickers, Men in Black, Air Force One and Spider-Man. In addition to I Love Lucy, television shows made on Culver City sets include Lassie, Batman, The Andy Griffith Show, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.

The city has other ties to the entertainment industry beyond the movies and television shows created at its studios. The iconic Culver Hotel was once owned by Charlie Chaplin and was later sold to John Wayne, allegedly for the price of $1 after a high-stakes poker game. The town's streets also reflect Culver City's entertainment history, with names such as (Mary) Pickford and (Douglas) Fairbanks.

Culver City was in a state of decline in the 1990s, but since that time has undergone a tremendous revival. The downtown area is now a bustling district that is home to dozens of restaurants and multiple theaters, while other districts throughout the city are gaining reputations for the culinary and artistic businesses that have set up shop.

Get in
The Metro light rail Expo Line stops in Culver City on its way between Santa Monica to the west and Exposition Park and Downtown LA to the east. The Culver City station is at the northern end of downtown Culver City, off National Blvd between Washington and Venice Blvds, approximately a five-minute walk from downtown Culver City. Metro bus lines 33/Rapid 733 run frequently along Venice Blvd past downtown Culver City, with service to Downtown LA and Venice Beach.

Culver CityBus has several bus lines that link Culver City and surrounding communities. Routes of particular use to visitors include Line 1 to Venice Beach via Washington Blvd and Fairfax Ave, with a stop at the Expo Line Culver City station; Line 3 between the Westfield Shopping Center and Century City, with stops at West LA College, the Westside Pavilion, and the Expo Line Westwood/Rancho Park station along the way; and Line 6 between Westwood/UCLA and the LAX City Bus Center via Sepulveda Blvd, with stops at the Westfield Shopping Center and the Expo Line Sepulveda station. Service on these three lines is daily and tends to run every 15-20 minutes for most of the day. Fare is $1, with transfers to another Culver CityBus costing $0.25 and inter-agency transfers $0.40, with TAP cards accepted.

Get around
Culver CityBus operates buses in and around Culver City.

There are red light cameras throughout Culver City, and at $490 per violation the fines are some of the highest in the country.

See
Despite having two movie studios and several television production facilities within the city limits, the only public tour is at Sony Pictures Studios, which offers a tour rather than a theme park attraction like Universal City. In addition, a handful of museums are scattered throughout the city, each one small and focused on a particular subject - those looking for large museums geared towards a general audience might want to take the Expo line to Exposition Park, but those with special interests will find Culver City's offerings to be excellent. Two highlights include the Wende Museum, which is highly regarded for its Cold War collection, and the Museum of Jurassic Technology, which has somewhat of a cult following for its general weirdness and for its willingness to mix truth and fiction.

Public art
The city has a wide array of sculpture, murals, and other installations that will be of interest to art lovers.

Buy
Culver City offers a bit of everything when it comes to shopping. The Westfield Malls, located just off of I-405 at Sepulveda, is a 200 store mega-mall. The district near the intersection of Washington Blvd and La Cienaga Blvd is a major art destination, featuring dozens of galleries. The downtown area is home to several smaller and more upscale shops, as well as the old Helms Bakery complex, now home to a variety of furniture stores. And for those looking for familiar shopping establishments, major chain stores such as Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Best Buy are also represented within the city limits.

Eat
Since the late 1990s Culver City has been undergoing a transformation and today is known as a destination for food lovers, with a huge number of unique and well-reviewed restaurants setting up shop in the city. The downtown area is home to dozens of restaurants opened by famous chefs or aspiring restaurateurs, while other foodie hotspots include the Helm's Bakery complex and the Culver West neighborhood along Washington Boulevard. For those who just need a quick bite, the standard chains are well-represented including Denny's, Chipotle, and dozens of other fast food restaurants. On a historical note, the steakhouse chain Sizzler, which today has hundreds of locations across the country, got its start in Culver City in 1958 as Del's Sizzler Family Steak House.

Bars
Most of the downtown restaurants also have a lively bar scene. Other bars located throughout the city include:

Sleep
Culver City has a handful of large hotels located near the intersection of I-405 and Sepulveda Blvd, with several cheaper but more rundown options located on Sepulveda near the intersection with Venice Blvd, and also along Washington Blvd. The historic Culver Hotel is located downtown and offers a more unique lodging option. Neighboring cities such as Santa Monica, Venice, Marina del Rey and El Segundo have numerous options within a 10-15 minute drive of Culver City.

Connect
Culver City offers free internet access in several areas.

Go next
The cities and neighborhoods that border Culver City include the following:

 * - Culver City's western neighbor offers miles of sand, an eclectic nightlife, and the infamous Muscle Beach.
 * - Located west of Culver City, the "marina of the king" is home to a vast number of restaurants and hotels, and while not as touristy as some of the neighboring beach cities is nonetheless a fun spot to spend an evening.
 * - Culver City's southwestern neighbor is home to Los Angeles International Airport and a number of lodging options.
 * - Located east of Culver City, South Central has its rough parts but is definitely worth a visit to see the Space Shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center, as well as the campus of USC and the sights of Exposition Park.
 * - The west side of the sprawling city of LA forms Culver City's northern neighbor, and is home to UCLA and the Getty Museum.

title: Culver City


text:
Cumanacoa

Cumanacoa is a city in Venezuela's Sucre State. its population is approximately 18,800 inhabitants, the building of the city was started in 1585, and eventually founded in the year 1617 by Captain Baltasar de Arias, with the name of San Baltasar Cumanacoa Arias. This fertile mountain region is a major producer of sugar cane, which is processed into sugar industrial complex "" taking advantage of fertile alluvial soils also produce corn, fruit and snuff.Land of Musicians, poets and composers of great artistic sensitivity, where he spent most of his life mechanically Cruz, bulwark of our identity as people, creator and performer of the celebrated "Bandolín Morocho".

title: Cumanacoa


text:
Cumberland

There's more than one place called Cumberland:

Australia

 * South Cumberland Islands National Park - in Queensland
 * County of Cumberland - see Sydney, New South Wales

Canada

 * Cumberland (British Columbia)
 * Cumberland (Ontario)
 * Cumberland County (Nova Scotia)
 * Cumberland House (Saskatchewan)

United Kingdom

 * Cumberland, a historic county in England - see Cumbria, North West (England)

United States of America

 * Cumberland (Indiana)
 * Cumberland (Iowa)
 * Cumberland (Kentucky)
 * Cumberland (Maine)
 * Cumberland (Maryland)
 * Cumberland (New Jersey)
 * Cumberland (Ohio)
 * Cumberland (Rhode Island) - a city in Rhode Island
 * Cumberland (Wisconsin)
 * Cumberland Township (Adams County, Pennsylvania)
 * Cumberland Township (Greene County, Pennsylvania)

title: Cumberland


text:
Cumberland (Maryland)

Cumberland is a city in Western Maryland. It is on the banks of the North Branch Potomac River and Wills Creek in Allegany County.

Understand

 * Visitor information

By car
The easiest and most accessible way to travel to and around Cumberland is by car. Main thoroughfares coming into Cumberland are US 220, US 40, Interstate 68, MD 36, and WV 28.

By bicycle
Many travellers to Cumberland arrive as part of a long-distance bike trip. Cumberland connects the 184-mile C&O Canal towpath, which follows the Potomac River all the way to Washington, D.C., and the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage to Pittsburgh. Cumberland is an (approximate) midpoint in this 334-mile, all-off-road bicycle tour through the Appalachians, or an origin/destination to travellers only doing one of the two trails.

By train

 * Routes stopping at Cumberland:
 * Capitol Limited operates daily between Chicago and Washington, D.C. including stops in South Bend, Elkhart, Waterloo, Toledo, Sandusky, Elyria, Cleveland, Alliance, Pittsburgh, Connellsville, Cumberland, Martinsburg, Harpers Ferry, and Rockville. Eastbound trains towards Washington, D.C. leave Cumberland mid-morning while westbound trains to Chicago depart Cumberland early evening.
 * Capitol Limited operates daily between Chicago and Washington, D.C. including stops in South Bend, Elkhart, Waterloo, Toledo, Sandusky, Elyria, Cleveland, Alliance, Pittsburgh, Connellsville, Cumberland, Martinsburg, Harpers Ferry, and Rockville. Eastbound trains towards Washington, D.C. leave Cumberland mid-morning while westbound trains to Chicago depart Cumberland early evening.

By plane
Greater Cumberland Regional Airport has not had any scheduled commercial service since 2003, but its airport terminal has a 40%-scale replica of the Wright Brothers' 1903 Wright Flyer airplane.

Get around
Walking is not only the best method, but also the only method for exploring the downtown area. The Baltimore Street commercial district is closed to traffic and is a pedestrian-only mall. Within a few blocks of this area, one can easily walk to the Canal Place Heritage Area, the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, the Washington Street Historic District, as well as a variety of other shops and restaurants. It is important to note that while it is possible to walk from the train station to the only downtown hotel, the Holiday Inn, one has to cross a high-traffic section of railroad tracks to access the hotel as well as the rest of the downtown area.

In order to explore the rest of the city and region, however, having a car is advised. Be aware that in the downtown area, parking can sometimes be difficult to find. One public parking garage is available: the Center City Garage on the corner of Pershing and George Streets. There is also a small parking lot accessible from Liberty Street, but the parking garage at this location is now by permit only. There is visitor parking at the Western Maryland Station on Mechanic Street, and metered parking under the Crosstown Bridge (I-68), and along many side streets.

By bus
Allegany County Transit  provides bus service in and around Cumberland. Their phone number is: +1 301-722-6360, hours are M-F 8AM-noon and 1PM-4PM. Fare is $2. A pass is available for $27.50 that is good for $30-worth of rides. Buy passes at the transit office at 1000 LaFayette Avenue. The main transfer station is Roses in the Cumberland Shopping Center. The blue line buses and the red line buses serve Cumberland and run M-F, 7:30AM and 4PM. Other routes are primarily for commuters traveling to and from Cumberland and the other cities and towns.

See
Washington Street Historic District is an approximately 35-acre (140,000 m2) residential area to the west of downtown Cumberland and contains large-scale 19th- and 20th-century houses.

Buy

 * The Country Club Mall is the only indoor shopping mall in at least a 70-mile radius of Cumberland. It is in suburban La Vale, which is about 5 minutes driving time from downtown.  Anchor stores include JC Penney, Sears, The Bon-Ton, and Walmart Supercenter.

Eat
Most dining in the city itself is in the downtown area. Ethnic restaurants (Chinese) and American cuisine are widely available. Be aware that most restaurants on the downtown mall can be pricey, especially for dinner. For the more budget-conscious traveler, five fast food establishments are also located close to downtown, and the Culinary Cafe, a unique educational restaurant for students at Allegany College of Maryland, is also not costly, and is on the downtown mall. Many other common chain restaurants are located in LaVale.

Drink
Many pubs and bars are located downtown and throughout the city. For those who prefer non-alcoholic beverages, try Mark's Daily Grind or the Queen City Creamery for coffee.

Sleep
As stated above, the only downtown hotel is the Cumberland Holiday Inn. All other hotels are located in the surrounding area. Best Western, Comfort Inn, Super 8, Slumberland Motel, and the Red Roof Inn all offer great accommodations in LaVale, about five minutes driving time from downtown. Days Inn and Hampton Inn are located in Frostburg, about 15 minutes away. In addition, the Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort in Flintstone offers luxury accommodations.

Go next

 * Rocky Gap State Park 12500 Pleasant Valley Rd. +1 301-722-1480 is just seven miles east of the city on I-68, and offers a couple nice 4-5 mile hikes. Fishing is another great activity here, on Lake Habeeb.
 * Cumberland Narrows. The narrows are a tight pass through the Wills Mountains, just to the west of Cumberland on US-40. Great views over Cumberland and the surrounding countryside from the overlook there.

title: Cumberland (Maryland)


text:
Cumberland (Rhode Island)

Cumberland is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island. It includes the villages of Cumberland Hill and Valley Falls.

Get in
Located off Interstate 295, exits 10 and 11, Cumberland is in the northeast corner of the state. There are bus routes running from Providence, but Cumberland is best accessed by car.

See

 * In addition to a sight of relaxation during the day, the night holds fast to a site called Nine Men's Misery. On March 26, 1776, ten colonists were confronted by the Narragansett Indian Tribe where nine men were captured during the King Philip's War.  These nine men were brutally tortured, skinned, and left to rot on each of their own respected wood polls.  The surviving colonist returned to his folk, and informed them what had happened.  Promptly the men were buried, but many say that their spirits still haunt the site where they were tortured.  On occasion, to this day, skinned squirrels and other small animals can be found at this site; a work that is done in the dead of night by the cults, ritualist, and people of the like.
 * In addition to a sight of relaxation during the day, the night holds fast to a site called Nine Men's Misery. On March 26, 1776, ten colonists were confronted by the Narragansett Indian Tribe where nine men were captured during the King Philip's War.  These nine men were brutally tortured, skinned, and left to rot on each of their own respected wood polls.  The surviving colonist returned to his folk, and informed them what had happened.  Promptly the men were buried, but many say that their spirits still haunt the site where they were tortured.  On occasion, to this day, skinned squirrels and other small animals can be found at this site; a work that is done in the dead of night by the cults, ritualist, and people of the like.
 * In addition to a sight of relaxation during the day, the night holds fast to a site called Nine Men's Misery. On March 26, 1776, ten colonists were confronted by the Narragansett Indian Tribe where nine men were captured during the King Philip's War.  These nine men were brutally tortured, skinned, and left to rot on each of their own respected wood polls.  The surviving colonist returned to his folk, and informed them what had happened.  Promptly the men were buried, but many say that their spirits still haunt the site where they were tortured.  On occasion, to this day, skinned squirrels and other small animals can be found at this site; a work that is done in the dead of night by the cults, ritualist, and people of the like.

Eat

title: Cumberland (Rhode Island)


text:
Cumberland County

There's more than one place called Cumberland County:

Australia

 * County of Cumberland - see Sydney, New South Wales

Canada

 * Cumberland County (Nova Scotia)

United Kingdom

 * Cumberland, a historic county in England - see Cumbria, North West (England)

United States of America

 * Cumberland County (Illinois)
 * Cumberland County (Kentucky)
 * Cumberland County (Maine)
 * Cumberland County (New Jersey)
 * Cumberland County (North Carolina)
 * Cumberland County (Pennsylvania)
 * Cumberland County (Tennessee)
 * Cumberland County (Virginia)

title: Cumberland County


text:
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park, spanning the states of Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia.

Climate
Summers at Cumberland Gap are hot and humid, with temperatures commonly in the mid to upper 90s (°F). Winters are generally mild with rain and some periods of snow January through March. Temperatures usually range in the 30s and 40s. Weather can sometimes be unpredictable, especially at higher elevations.

If hiking in the backcountry, please remember that temperatures at higher elevations are five to ten degrees cooler.

Get in
The closest major airport is in Knoxville, Tennessee, approximately 85 miles away.

Visitors traveling on Interstate 75 in Kentucky should exit on Highway 25E at Corbin. Cumberland Gap is 50 miles south of Corbin on 25E.

There is no public transportation in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

Get around
Backcountry trails lead to remote, wilderness areas. Backcountry camping is allowed in designated sites with a permit. Permits are free of charge and must be obtained at the park visitor center.

Fees and permits
Cumberland Gap has no entrance fees. Backcountry camping requires a free permit, obtainable from the Visitor Center (see below).

Do
Skyland Road and the Pinnacle Overlook: be sure to take this beautiful road up! You can see Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee.

There are also about 85 miles of hiking trails that cover the 24,000-acre national park. Distances range from a 1/4-mile loop trail to the 21-mile-long Ridge Trail.

Camping
Wilderness Road Campground

The Wilderness Road Campground is approximately 3 miles from the park visitor center off of Highway 58 in Virginia. It has 160 sites in a beautiful wooded setting. 30 and 50 amp electrical hookups are available at 41 of the sites. Hot showers and potable water are located in the comfort stations. A dump station is located near the campground entrance. Campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Campground is open year around. Camping fees are $12 per night per site for tent sites with no electricity and $17 per night per site for electrical hookup.

Backcountry camping

Backcountry trails lead to remote, wilderness areas. Backcountry camping is allowed in designated sites with a permit. Permits are free of charge and must be obtained at the park visitor center.

Stay safe
Bears are active in the park. Please be sure to store food in a secure location when not in use and dispose of garbage appropriately (either take it with you or place into a park bear proof container). There are two venomous snakes in the park: The Northern Copperhead and the Timber Rattler. These snakes are not a problem if left alone.

title: Cumberland Gap National Historical Park


text:
Cumberland Island National Seashore

Cumberland Island National Seashore is in Coastal Georgia of USA.

Visitor information

 * Park website

Go next

 * Jacksonville
 * Brunswick
 * Jekyll Island
 * St. Simons Island

title: Cumberland Island National Seashore


text:
Cumbernauld

Cumbernauld is a town on Clydeside in central Scotland, 13 miles northeast of Glasgow, with a population of 50,530 in 2020. The town lies close to attractive countryside along the canal and up in the Campsie Fells.

Understand
The name is Gaelic, comar nan allt meaning the meeting of waters, and it's near the watershed of the Clyde and Forth river catchments. The town grew up as a weaving centre in the 19th century as the railway arrived, then expanded rapidly from 1955 when it was designated a "New Town". Cumbernauld was the third of five such towns built to alleviate Scotland's housing shortage, preceded by East Kilbride and Glenrothes, and followed by Livingston and Irvine; the intended sixth at Stonehouse was never built. Cumbernauld shares their drab brutalist architecture, and was especially influenced by the 1963 Buchanan Report "Traffic in Towns." In many ways this report was far-sighted, but implementation was shoddy, and 1960s politicians were in thrall to the car. The town's vertical segregation of pedestrians and vehicles meant few pedestrian crossings but many bridges, flyovers and underpasses, which became linear lavatories for the town drunks, and the place was mocked as "Noddytown". It might have overcome this with other attractions, but these are frankly lacking, and most visitors are just stopping over at the M80 hotels.

Cumbernauld town centre draws those who are curious to see post-war New Town architecture: all drab plazas and shopping centres and brutalist concrete slabs.

Get in
By plane: see below for the direct bus X24 from Glasgow Airport to Cumbernauld and St Andrews. It may be quicker to take Bus 500 into city centre and change. Cumbernauld Airport only has private aviation.

Trains run from Glasgow Queen Street every 30 min, taking 30 min via Stepps and Greenfaulds, and continuing east via Falkirk Grahamston, Polmont and Linlithgow to Edinburgh, 50 min.

Trains also run from Glasgow Central every 30 min, taking an hour to orbit the southern suburbs via Rutherglen, Hamilton, Motherwell, Coatbridge and Greenfaulds. Coming from London, the Midlands and northwest England, change for this train at Motherwell.

From Stirling, Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen and the Highlands, change at Falkirk Grahamston.

is off South Carbrain Street on the east edge of town. It has a ticket office and machines, toilets and a waiting room. There are ramps to the platforms.

Greenfaulds station is a mile further southwest.

is on B802 a couple of miles northwest of town, with frequent trains between Glasgow Queen Street, Stirling and Edinburgh.

Buses: Stagecoach Bus X25 / 25A runs from Glasgow Buchanan station (every 15 min M-Sa and every 30 min Sunday) via Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Greenfaulds to Cumbernauld town centre, taking 25 min, and continuing into the eastern suburbs of South Carbrain and Abronhill. Some of these buses start from Glasgow University. Bus X28 runs from Glasgow (every 30 min M-Sa, every couple of hours Sunday) via Mollinsburn, Condorrat and Greenfaulds, taking 35 min.

First Glasgow Bus X3 runs to Cumbernauld every 30 min daily via Muirhead, Moodiesburn and Greenfaulds, taking an hour.

First Scotland East Bus X37 runs hourly daily from Glasgow to Cumbernauld on a similar route to X3, then continues via Bonnybridge to Falkirk.

First Scotland East Bus X36 runs hourly daily from Glasgow to Cumbernauld then continues via Bonnybridge and Denny to Stirling. But don't get on the X36 operated by Stagecoach West Scotland, or you'll end up in Ardrossan.

Stagecoach Fife Bus X27 runs from Glasgow (M-Sa every 30 min, Su hourly) via Cumbernauld to Dunfermline, Halbeath Interchange, Kirkcaldy and Leven.

Bus X24 runs hourly daily from Glasgow Airport via Buchanan station and Cumbernauld to Dunfermline, Halbeath Interchange, Glenrothes and St Andrews.

Canavan Travel Bus 43 shuttles M-Sa every 15 min between Cumbernauld, Croy railway station and Kilsyth.

By road: most approaches are along M80 which passes northwest of town. By bike or on foot you might follow the canal towpath.

Get around
You can walk or take the buses which circle the town, to little point as there's nothing to see. But with your own wheels - and a bike will do nicely - you can quickly escape into nearby countryside, north to the canal towpath and Campsie Fells.

See

 * , a mile northeast of town, has open and wooded areas for strolling. It's ranged around 18th-century Cumbernauld House, which is nowadays private apartments, and continues into a bosky glen.
 * has a petting farm, wildlife areas, woodland and open heath. It's two miles east of town next to the golf course, and open daily 9AM-5PM, free.
 * has a petting farm, wildlife areas, woodland and open heath. It's two miles east of town next to the golf course, and open daily 9AM-5PM, free.

Do

 * Football is only played at amateur level, as Clyde FC (based here 1994-2022) have relocated to Hamilton. Cumbernauld United play soccer at Guy's Meadow, and Cumbernauld RFC play rugby union at Condorrat.
 * Golf: Palacerigg GC (see park, above) is 5972 yards, par 71 / 72.
 * Fannyside Loch just east of the golf course has sailing and windsurfing, but the footpaths are in poor condition.

Buy

 * The main shopping centre is along the lyrically named "Central Way", with ASDA 200 yards north open daily 6AM-midnight.

Eat

 * Town centre eating places include La Bella (daily noon-10PM), Beefeater Dovecote (daily 7AM-11PM) and the usual fast-food chains and takeaways.
 * There's a Little Asia huddled around the railway station.
 * The Village, the historic core before the New Town grew up further south, has Coorie In @ The Black Bull (daily 11:30AM-midnight) and Invitation Indian & Nepalese (Su Tu-Th 4-10PM, F Sa 4-11PM).

Connect
As of Aug 2022, Cumbernauld and its approach roads have 4G from O2 and Vodafone, and 5G from EE and Three.

Go next

 * Glasgow and Edinburgh are within an hour and both deserve an extended stay.
 * Stirling is a miniature Edinburgh, and has routes into the Highlands.
 * The Roman Antonine Wall runs a few miles to the north through Kilsyth, with the Campsie Fells beyond.
 * To discover if they made a better job of Scotland's other four New Towns, see East Kilbride, Glenrothes, Livingston and  Irvine. But to be fair to the planners, also go and see what unplanned expansion looks like, for example in Dumbarton.

title: Cumbernauld


text:
Cumbres de Majalca National Park

Cumbres de Majalca National Park is in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. The park showcases extraordinary rock formations that have been shaped by wind and water erosion.

Understand
The park is characterized by pine and oak forest. The park is one of the few areas in Mexico that are inhabited by black bear.

History
The park is part of the Mexico national parks system; it was created by presidential decree in 1939 encompassing 4,772 hectares to protect the endemic flora and fauna.

Landscape
The park is found in the Sierra de Majalca mountain range a subdivision of the Sierra Madre Occidental. Mountain peaks in the park reach an elevation of above sea level. The park is part of the dominant Bavícora-Bustillos Transition which is characterized by many small elevated valleys surrounded by volcanic mountains. The highest peaks in the park are: Cerro Las Escobas, Cerro La Puerta, Cerro Los Almíceres, and Cerro del Agua. The park is almost completely covered by volcanic rocks that have been shaped into amazing formations by wind and water erosion.

Sierra de Majalca is the point of origin of the Sacramento River that flows towards the state capital city. The Sacramento River empties into the Chuvíscar River before reaching Chihuahua.

Flora
Pine forests are found from the high elevations to the transition zone between the mountains and the steppe. The lower elevations have a steppe vegetation with a variety of grasses and small bushes. Several species of Juniperus dot the steppe and the transition zone.

Fauna
The park is part of a fragile ecosystem which includes a few endangered species like: American black bear and cougar. Other mammals that can be found in the park are: white-tailed deer, eastern cottontail, North American porcupine, bobcat, and coyote. There are few reptile species that inhabit the lower elevations mostly small lizards. One known reptilian species is the Northern Mexican Pine Snake, Pituophis deppei jani. The most common avian species observed in the park are: peregrine falcon, golden eagle, wild turkey, common pheasant, Arizona woodpecker, strickland's woodpecker, and ladder-backed woodpecker.

Climate
The park has two different climates. The lower elevations in the park have a semiarid climate where temperatures can reach 35 °C (95 °F) in the summer and temperatures fluctuate largely in the winter from cool to hot. The steppe zones in the park have a rainy season at the end of the summer and few winter snowfalls. The higher elevations have a humid subtropical climate with hot summers and cold winters. Temperatures there can fall to −10 °C (14 °F) in the winter, and they have an average 112 days under 0 °C (32 °F). During the winter in the higher elevations, snowstorms come frequently increasing in the at the end of the season.

Get in
Off Mexico Highway 45 that goes from Chihuahua to Ciudad Juárez. The turn-off is approximately 88 km north of Chihuahua.

See
One of the few areas to see black bears in Mexico. Nature viewing and bird watching are available.

Do
The park is popular with rock climbers, hikers, and campers; there are 53 km of roads for hiking and mountain biking.

Lodging
Rental lodges are available. Reservations can be made at.

Camping
Camping is permitted both at the rather rudimentary camp sites in the center of the park and in the backcountry. There are rental cabins available.

Las Hadas Canyon is suitable for camping, as it has toilets and stone tables for those who wish to spend the night in the place.

Go next

 * Basaseachic Falls National Park
 * Copper Canyon
 * Creel
 * Chihuahua

title: Cumbres de Majalca National Park


text:
Cumbria

Cumbria is a county in the North West of England. Its most famous tourist attraction is the Lake District National Park.

Towns

 * – The administrative centre and only city.
 * – Market town in the Pennines.
 * – in the Lake District National Park.
 * – Former county town, market town in the Eden Valley
 * – in the Lake District National Park.
 * – Coastal shipbuilding town.
 * – Market town in the North East.
 * – Market town in the North West.
 * – Lake District Peninsulas
 * – Gateway to the Lake District from the South.
 * – in the Lake District National Park.
 * – at the southern edge of the county.
 * – Gateway to the Lake District from the North.
 * – in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
 * – Market town in the South West.
 * – Coastal town and port.
 * – town near to the large lake of the same name. Also in the Lake District National Park
 * – Coastal town and port.

Villages

 * – in the South.
 * – Village in the Lake District National Park
 * – a small village in the western lakes.
 * – and lake of the same name.
 * – Village to the north of Esthwaite Water
 * – Coastal village in the Lake District National Park
 * – Village on the Irish Sea coastline south of Sellafield.
 * – Coastal village on the Irish Sea with Norman Priory and Elizabethan school. Start of the Coast to Coast walk, and site of the only Heritage Coast in North West England.

Other destinations

 * is a UNESCO World Heritage area of sharply glaciated dales and mountains.
 * Hadrian's Wall was built by the Romans from 122 AD to defend their northern frontier. It stretches 80 miles from Bowness-on-Solway through Carlisle and Brampton, clear over to Tyneside. A hiking trail follows its route, but the Cumbria sections are no more than earthworks through farmland. The best of it, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is further east between Greenhead and Hexham in Northumberland.
 * – the northern section of the spine of hills that divides Northern England.
 * is the wide valley between the Lake District and the Pennines.
 * has been extended, so part of the park is now in Cumbria.
 * is a small Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the border of Cumbria and Lancashire.

Understand
This modern county was formed in local government reforms in the 1970s, and comprises the traditional counties of Cumberland (to the north and the west), Westmorland (to the east), and parts of Lancashire (to the south). Geographically, it is dominated by the Lake District at its centre, England's only true mountain range that presents a natural barrier to travel across the county.

To the west of the county, the towns of Workington and Whitehaven lie on a disused coalfield, which in the last twenty years has led to relatively high unemployment and low property values. Farther south, along the coast, are the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant and the shipbuilding town of Barrow-in-Furness.

To the east lies the Eden Valley and the western slopes of the Pennine Hills.

To the north is a low-lying plain containing the border city of Carlisle before the Solway Firth forms the natural border with Scotland.

Visitor information

 * Explore Cumbria website

Talk
Isolated by its geography, the inhabitants developed a strong regional accent and dialect commonly called 'Westmerian' after the former county name of Westmorland. The region's main language was Cumbric (Cwmbraích in Cumbric) until about 1100 AD, which was a Brythonic Celtic language very similar to Welsh and, to an extent, Lowland Scots Gaelic (Gàidhealig). Today, Cumbric no longer exists as a spoken language but has been reconstructed in various forms in the past with limited success at taking off. Norse also became a main language after Cumbric, to be eventually replaced by English although Cumbrian English still preserves a large number of Scandinavian words as well as a few Celtic ones.

By car
Motorway M6 from the North and South.

For the Lake District: Kendal is the main town to the South East (convenient for Windermere, Coniston etc.), Penrith is to the East, and Carlisle is to the North.

For Barrow and the West coast: Take A590 from junction 36 of the M6.

The motorway also provides access to the West side of the Pennines, and, from Carlisle, to Hadrian's Wall and to the North East corner of England.

By train
Cumbria is traversed North-South by the high speed West Coast Main Line. It skirts the eastern edge of the Lake district with stations at Oxenholme, Penrith and Carlisle. Fastest journey times from London are three hours to Carlisle.

Windermere station is most conveniently located for the Southern Lakes. The train from here travels to Oxenholme station on the main West Coast line. The Leeds-Settle-Carlisle line also links Cumbria to Yorkshire, as does the line from Leeds to Barrow via Hellifield.

The South and West Lakes is accessed by one of the most scenic railways in the country. Starting from Carnforth the line travels across the Lake District peninsulas by a series of impressive viaducts to Barrow in Furness. The Cumbria Coast line then travels via Millom to Whitehaven, and re-joins the West Coast Main line at Carlisle. At Foxfield the old market town of Broughton in Furness and the Duddon valley is accessible. From Millom northwards some of the most interesting of the western valleys can be seen and accessed from such as Drigg, Seascale and Ravenglass stations. Further north the line literally runs along the beach at Braystones and after a superb serpentine section next to the Irish Sea it passes through St Bees with its Heritage Coast and ancient priory, and thence to Whitehaven. The line then follows the coast to Maryport and thence to Carlisle via Aspatria and Wigton.

See

 * Cumbria's Living Heritage. A collection of houses, gardens, museums and cultural attractions in and around Cumbria and the Lake District.

Do

 * Walking: the Lake District has some busy hill and lakeside paths, but the rest of the county has many good public footpaths that offer quieter walks.
 * Boat trips can be made on scheduled services on several lakes, and you can also hire a rowing boat for an hour or day in lakeside towns like Keswick.
 * Appleby Horse Fair is held over the first weekend in June.
 * Westmoreland County Show is held in early September at Crooklands 7 miles south of Kendal.

Drink
Cumbria is home to 23 breweries and brew-pubs including The Bitter End Pub & Brewery in Cockermouth.

Damson Gin: the Lyth Valley is famous in Cumbria for damsons. Many pubs offer a locally made 'damson gin', which is particularly popular as a pre-dinner drink around Christmas.

Sleep
There is a huge range of accommodation available in Cumbria. See the individual city/town articles for listings.

Stay safe
A relatively quiet and rural county. As is usual in England, it's best to be wary around the centre of larger towns (such as Barrow-in-Furness, Workington and Carlisle) on weekend nights as they're prone to binge drinking culture.

Go next

 * To the east, Northumberland and County Durham
 * To the south is Lancashire and North Yorkshire
 * To the north is Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland

title: Cumbria


text:
Cumbuco

Cumbuco is a beach village of about 25,000 inhabitants in Ceará, some 30 km west of Fortaleza. It has been discovered by European developers, and small resorts are popping up. Larger projects are in the pipeline, such as a golf course and a beach volleyball arena with a training camp for players. To the west you can see the modern and steadily growing port of Pecém. Built by Companhia Siderúrgica do Pecém, a joint venture between Brazilian and South Korean companies, it has brought many Korean workers to Cumbuco. Thus, Korean letters can be seen throughout the village. With a steel mill and petroleum refinery to come, it promises a certain impact on the region.

Get in
All buses pass by the suburban beach of Icaraí.
 * From Fortaleza there are buses from Clube Ideal, leaving at 09:00, 11:00, 15:50 and 18:20. These first go all the way to the fish market along Beira Mar, then come back along Avenida Abolição and Avenida Historiador Raimundo Girão. About 1 hour, R$ 4,50. From Cumbuco, buses leave the main square at 06:30, 10:00, 14:35 and 17:00. More frequent buses to/from Av. do Imperador in the center of Fortaleza.
 * To get anywhere else by bus, you need to go to the center of nearby Caucaia.
 * Taxis to Fortaleza can be negotiated at R$ 50-80, often included waiting time and return to Cumbuco same day.

Get around
You can walk mostly anywhere. The local taxi stand is one block west of the main square. Negotiate prices up front. Buggies can also be hired for short runs, but are mostly more expensive than cabs.

Do

 * This is one of the best spots in the world for kite surfing. Several places rent equipment and give classes.
 * Kite House, with 8 years experience in teaching, offers excellent basic courses.
 * Since 5 years Extreme Control Kiteboarding offers Personal Training in Cumbuco
 * Horseback riding along the beach.
 * A jangada (traditional fishing raft with sail) will take you a kilometer or so into the sea to give you a different view of the beach. Nice photos from out there. R$ 10 or less per person.
 * A buggy with a driver can be rented for a day for about R$ 150, -fits 3-4 passengers. It will take you to 2-3 different fresh water lakes for swimming, and also for a ride up and down some dunes.
 * You can also rent a buggy and drive it yourself, but you will not have access to the dunes. It is prohibited to drive on the beach, but this is not enforced.
 * Rent an ATV to make sure that you disturb other people's beach experience.

Eat
Prices vary greatly. Lunch can be had from R$ 5 at a number of tiny local restaurants.

Drink
What little action there is into the wee hours, all happens along the side streets of the main square:

Sleep
Loads and loads of apartments for rent, mostly in the mid and upper range. Good deals can be found outside the peak and kiting seasons.

Cope
There is an ATM in the small bakery at the east end of the village, just around the corner from the main square. It is open until around 18:00. The only other ATM in the area is at a gas station (open every day 07:00-22:00, probably the only one ever seen selling kite surfing gear) some 25 minutes walk in the direction of Fortaleza. Any bus leaving from Cumbuco's main square passes by.

Connect
Slow internet in a couple of shops at R$ 2/hour.

title: Cumbuco


text:
Cundinamarca

Cundinamarca is a department of Colombia.

Cities

 * — the national capital, surrounded by but not part of the Cundinamarca Department.
 * — a friendly, but otherwise non-notable suburb of Bogotá.
 * — famous for its spring-like weather and its flowers (especially orchid plantations).
 * — tropical climate 3 hours from Bogota makes that town a popular destination.
 * — a popular week end destination for Bogotanos. Excellent rock climbing.
 * — 40 km north of Bogotá, and known for its Salt Cathedral.
 * — 40 km north of Bogotá, and known for its Salt Cathedral.

Get around
Some of the roads outside Bogota are quite basic and 4WD can be an advantage.

See
Salt Mines of Zipaquira and Nemocon

Lake at Guatavita

title: Cundinamarca


text:
Cunha

Cunha is a historic city in the state of São Paulo.

Understand
Cunha is a small town near the border with the state of Rio de Janeiro. It's known for the lavender production, its views of the mountain range and its amazing waterfalls.

By car

 * From São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro via BR-116 until Guaratinguetá, then take SP-171 for the last 43 km. Approximately 2.5 hours from São Paulo or 3.5 from Rio.
 * From Paraty via RJ-165, 47 km.
 * From Ubatuba or Taubaté via the Oswaldo Cruz Highway to Lagoinha, then the Paulo Virgínio Highway.

By bus
Local intermunicipal or interstate buses come only as close as Guaratinguetá. From there, there is only one bus line servicing Cunha, run by Viação São José. Check the schedules in advance to avoid a long wait in Guaratinguetá.

Get around
On foot, preferably.

Buy

 * Local ceramics.

Eat

 * Espaço Drão Restaurante e Ateliê, Alameda Lavapés. 560 (50 meters from Casa de Artesão) - Vila Rica, tel. +55 12 3111-1326 [mailto:draocunha@uol.com.br], Th-Sa 12:00-23:00, Sun 12:00-18:00
 * Espaço Drão Restaurante e Ateliê, Alameda Lavapés. 560 (50 meters from Casa de Artesão) - Vila Rica, tel. +55 12 3111-1326 [mailto:draocunha@uol.com.br], Th-Sa 12:00-23:00, Sun 12:00-18:00
 * Espaço Drão Restaurante e Ateliê, Alameda Lavapés. 560 (50 meters from Casa de Artesão) - Vila Rica, tel. +55 12 3111-1326 [mailto:draocunha@uol.com.br], Th-Sa 12:00-23:00, Sun 12:00-18:00
 * Espaço Drão Restaurante e Ateliê, Alameda Lavapés. 560 (50 meters from Casa de Artesão) - Vila Rica, tel. +55 12 3111-1326 [mailto:draocunha@uol.com.br], Th-Sa 12:00-23:00, Sun 12:00-18:00

Drink

 * Cervejaria WolkenburG.

 * Cervejaria Teixeira.

 * Cervejaria Reale.

Go next
Hostels and private rooms are available in:

in the south-east:

 * Paraty – 50 km. A fully-conserved 18th-century colonial town by the ocean, hidden by tall jungle-covered mountains which used to be a hideout for pirates after the Portuguese ships; a must-see for people interested in history and culture; also good for rainforest hiking and kayaking.

 * Trindade – 70 km. Popular beach in an old village. You can do surfing, hiking, swimming in natural pools, visiting waterfalls or just relaxing on one of the many beaches. Buses depart once per hour at around 45 after the hour.

in the north-west:

 * Aparecida – 50 km. It's the most popular religious pilgrimage site in Latin America. Pilgrims come to visit the Basilica containing the statue of Our Lady of Aparecida. Other attractions are a theme park, aquarium and museums. From Aparecida to Santo Antônio do Pinhal.

title: Cunha


text:
Cunnamulla

Cunnamulla is a town of 1,500 people in south-western Queensland. It is the largest town and civic centre of the Paroo Shire. The Warrego River flows through the centre of the town.

By car
Cunnamulla is from Charleville via the A71 Mitchell Highway. While it is a sealed two-lane road, the road is prone to flooding.

By train
Queensland Rail offer a mini-bus connection from the Westlander train to Charleville twice weekly.

Cunnamulla is around 2 hours drive from Charleville via Wyandra.

Get around
There is no car rental or public transport in Cunnamulla. Most of the attractions in the town are within walking distance. A car is required to see the surrounding area or to get to the weir.

Connect
All three mobile networks provide coverage in Cunnamulla.

Go next

 * It is from Cunnamulla to Eulo and the Paroo River.
 * Travel out to the Opal mining town of Yowah.

title: Cunnamulla


text:
Cupertino

Cupertino is a city in Silicon Valley at the southern tip of the San Francisco Bay. It is home to Apple Inc. and a handful of other tech companies.

Understand
Cupertino (population 60,000 in 2020) is situated up against the foothills of the Santa Cruz mountains. It is something of an anomaly being the one city in the South Bay that doesn't have a distinct town center or main street, though there are concentrations of upscale development in the works. It has a highly-rated local schools system and quiet neighborhoods.

Get in
It's 15 minutes west of San Jose and 45 minutes south of San Francisco. The nearest railway, Caltrain (connecting San Francisco with Gilroy), stops in downtown Sunnyvale, about a ten-minute drive from the city center. Bus service is provided by VTA.

Get around
Cupertino has 2 major streets: De Anza Blvd., which runs north-south, and Stevens Creek Blvd., which runs east-west. The intersection of these two streets is in the center of Cupertino, and most of the businesses and shopping centers in the city are located in the area.

Highways 85 and 280 cross through Cupertino. These provide excellent access to the western cities in the South Bay, and to downtown San Jose (respectively).

Public transportation in Cupertino, as is the case for much of Silicon Valley, is very poor. The predominant form of transportation is personal vehicles.

Traffic is not much of an issue and major streets come with bike lanes, so biking is relatively safe.

See
Due to its consistent tangerine/beige colors and the amount of money local authorities probably spend in maintainance, Cupertino is actually quite beautiful, with a peculiar charm distinct to that of its neighbors. The contrast with San Jose outskirts, Sunnyvale or South Los Altos can be striking at city edges.

The northeastern quarter of Cupertino (including the "city center" at the intersection of De Anza Blvd. and Stevens Creek Blvd.) hosts a large number of Apple Inc. offices. This is unusual given that tech giants tend to set their headquarters in outlying urban areas—usually beyond a freeway—and rarely approach downtown. Apple employees can easily make up the vast majority of bystanders in these locations, especially at lunchtime, and may be seen wandering around with half-open MacBooks and openly discussing confidential matters.

Do
Hiking trails can be found in the Fremont Older Open Space Preserve, with is connected with the Mid-Peninsula Open Space Preserve, offering even more options. Streets generally have bike lanes and (sparsely-used) sidewalks that can be good for jogging.

Buy
Apple's two campuses, the Apple Park and Infinite Loop, both feature a "Company Store". They sell corporate merchandise not available either at the company's standard retail stores or on the Internet, and each store sells different swag. This includes t-shirts (usually in limited edition), mugs, notebooks, caps, and other small gifts. They are open M-F 10AM to 5:30PM, and closed on some public holidays.

Eat
Cupertino has a large Chinese population and so has a lot of Asian food choices. It doesn't have a walkable downtown and most of the restaurants are in smaller strip malls.

Sleep

The following hotels and motels aren't in Cupertino proper but are very close, in San Jose, Santa Clara, and Sunnyvale. Downtown San Jose is home to the finest hotels in the area.

Stay safe
Be careful to check for ticks after hiking in fields in the bay area. There is a high rate of lyme disease transmission in the Bay Area. If a bull's-eye rash develops at the tick bite site, immediately seek medical help and treatment with antibiotics. There have been instances of mountain lion sightings in the western periphery of the city, in the foothills of the Santa Cruz mountains.

Cupertino is very safe, with violent crime virtually nonexistent. On the other hand, this means the local sheriff's deputies have little to do but hide behind bushes to catch drivers for moving violations. Be sure to obey traffic laws while in Cupertino.

Go next

 * One of the city's strongest assets is its accessibility to the Mid-Peninsula Open Space Preserve (aka Rancho San Antonio) which extends up and down the Santa Cruz mountains.
 * Not only is it one of the most accessible, Fremont Older Open Space Preserve is generally not as frequented as the other preserves on the peninsula, making for a quiet get-away very close to the heart of Silicon Valley.

title: Cupertino


text:
Curaçao

Curaçao is an island in the Caribbean Sea, among the group known as the ABC Islands alongside Aruba and Bonaire. This trio is located near Venezuela, and is considered to be outside the Caribbean's so-called "hurricane zone"; vacations to the island are rarely disrupted by tropical storms.

Cities

 * — the capital city of Curaçao.
 * — a town close to Curaçao's International Airport.

Understand
One of the most notable things about the island is its unique culture:

 * The architecture is distinctively Dutch but with the houses painted in beautiful pastel shades. Visitors often see it as a colorful, tropical version of Amsterdam.
 * The lifestyle is very laid back with lots of people just working enough to get by.
 * The local language is a creole called Papiamentu (see "Talk" below)

Climate
Curaçao is warm and sunny throughout the year. The average temperature is about 27° C (81° F). Trade winds with a cooling effect blow constantly from the east. The rainy season is between October and February. Showers during the rainy season occur mostly at night and are usually short. Total annual rainfall is around 570 mm (22 inches).

The island lies outside of the hurricane belt, and a hurricane has not made landfall in Curaçao since the United States National Hurricane Center started tracking hurricanes. Prehurricane tropical storms occasionally affect Curaçao; the last one to do so was Tomas in 2010.

Mainstream weather websites are largely inaccurate with Curaçao weather forecasts. One of the most accurate sources for weather is the Curaçao Meterological Department website.

Tourist information

 * Curaçao website

Talk
The native language, Papiamentu, is a mixture of Portuguese, Spanish (90%) and Dutch (10%), but with a very basic grammar and a limited vocabulary. It is exclusively spoken on Curaçao, Bonaire, and Aruba (where it is spelled Papiamento). Official spelling exists, but Aruba has a spelling that is different from Curaçao and Bonaire. Due to the limitations of Papiamentu, in education it is only used in the infant classes. Dutch is used in the higher classes and governmental affairs. One term often encountered is "dushi". "Dushi" is a generic term to describe everything good. It can be translated as "nice" (view), "beautiful", "sexy" (person), "delicious" (food), "honored" (guest). Another important word is "danki", which means "thank you" ("dushi danki" is thus "thank you very much").

Most people from the island also speak Dutch, English, and Spanish.

Get in
Countries eligible for a visa-free entry are shown in green on image to the right.

Other countries require obtaining a visa, which is valid for Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and the Caribbean Netherlands and allows multiple entry for a maximum period of 90 days within 180 days. The maximum uninterrupted stay in one of the individual countries is 30 days. The visa is not valid for the European part of the Netherlands.

By plane
Those who want to travel by air can enter at Curaçao's airport, Hato International Airport, located in Plaza Margareth Abraham, not far from the capital of Willemstad. It is served by international and regional carriers.

Before entering the island, a Digital Immigration Card must be filled out at the Curaçao Tourist Board's website. The paper-based ED-cards are no longer available as of 2019. It must be done at least 48 hours prior to departure.

Immigration can take a very, very long time (easily 2 hours). Handicapped people can wait for their turn in a seating area at the far end of the immigration hall (usually hidden by the 10 or so lines of people queuing up).

To get from the airport to Willemstad without a rental car, there are three options:

 * There is a public bus (Konvoi) departing once every 1-2 hours from the bus station on your right when exiting Arrivals, past the rental car desks. Cash only, see Get around > By bus.
 * Taxi (see Taxi section, including Click app)
 * Bus (see Get around section) drivers enter the airport to pick up passengers, though they are not taxis and might be chased away by airport staff. Despite that, they are a great way to get into the city cheaply if you have some cash, light luggage and enjoy an adventure. They usually go to the large Otrobanda bus terminal just west of Pietermaai.

By boat
Cruise ships arrive at Curaçao Mega Pier or the Curaçao Cruise Terminal. From these ports it's a short walk to many of the island's popular tourist destinations. Travelers can also enjoy nearby shopping at duty-free stores. Larger ships will arrive at the Mega Pier, and smaller ships will dock at the Cruise Terminal.

Sailors can enter at ports in Willemstad and has various marinas at which seafaring travelers can dock their ships.

There are no ferry services to other islands or to Venezuela.

By car
A car is pretty much needed to get around the island. While almost all of Curaçao is accessible by bus, departures are often 1-2 hours in between and getting to many of the spots, especially on the western part of the island, is very hard or impossible.

Cars can be rented for about USD45 per day, from a variety of hirers at Hato Airport and across the island. Driving in Willemstad is pretty similar to most Caribbean locations, with aggressive drivers, loosely enforced traffic laws and driving on the right side. Signs will be in Dutch using a European style. If you are involved in an accident, local laws prohibit moving your car. Dial 199 for road service. Do watch out for road hazards, such as donkeys, goats, and iguanas. If you stay outside of Willemstad, renting a car might be a good option as the taxi fares can be quite expensive and public transport is not very reliable.

By taxi
If public transit isn't your style, and you don't want to rent your own car, taxis are another popular and easy-to-find option. They, too, are marked, and their plates read "TX." Some taxi drivers will even be your tour guide for the day, if you ask. But remember to agree on a fee before heading out.

Click Curaçao is the local ride-sharing app (equivalent to Uber/Lyft) with cheaper fares than regular taxis.

By bus
There are two types of buses on the island, BUS and Konvoi. The easiest way to ride is to go to one of the two bus stations in Willemstad. These include Otrobanda Station, across the street from the Rif Fort (see Willemstad) and Punda Station, at the post office, across from the Circle Market. For the most part, the Punda bus station serves stops along the eastern side of the ring, and to the east including Salina, Zelandia, Mambo, while the Otrobanda station serves destinations West of the Bay, to include the Airport, Piscadera and even Westpunt. The destinations do not typically overlap, so a 10- to 15-minute walk between stations may be necessary for cross island trips.

 * Konvoi are large metro-style buses which run infrequently between major points in the city. Prices and routes are set at about 2 NAf, paid in cash only since the bus card requires residency. The ABC Curaçao app (Android / iOS) has a basic route planner and time tables which is helpful when traveling by public buses. 50 and 100 NAf bills are explicitly not accepted, so have smaller change ready.
 * BUS., on the other hand, are 9-12 passenger vans which look a lot like a taxi. You can spot a BUS. by a cardboard cutout in the front windshield listing a number of its stops, instead of the yellow Taxi sign in the windshield or on the roof, and/or by the BUS letters on the license plate.

Unlike taxis, the BUS. prices are not negotiable (1-3 NAf), but the route is. A common practice with bus drivers is to negotiate how close the driver can take you to your destination. Be sure to ask the bus driver if the bus stops near your destination before entering. You can pay the driver while the BUS. is en route, or before exiting the bus. You can board a bus anywhere on the island by waiting at one of the ubiquitous yellow 'Bushalte' signs and waiving at a coming BUS or Konvoi. Taxi drivers will also try to lure you in. So make sure to look at the sign in the window or a license plate (that says BUS.) to avoid paying high taxi fares. The bus schedule varies, from about 6AM-8PM for most stops, and until 11PM or even midnight (and sometimes later) to Salina and Mambo. If you are ever lost during daylight hours, just find a yellow bushalte sign, and the bus should take you to either Punda or Otrobanda.

By ferry
Ferries are a great way for shoppers to get to and from some of the island's main shopping areas.

See

 * Willemstad waterfront; a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
 * Westpunt: The westernmost point of the island has restaurants and beautiful small beaches abound.
 * Nordpunt: The northernmost point of the island, much rougher sea than at Westpunt but beautiful nature (not recommended for swimming!).
 * Watamulu, the "lungs of the island": Between Nordpunt and Westpunt hollow rocks and corals spit out water with every wave. An impressive sight and a must see when in the area. Note that one either needs a car or has to hike from Westpunt.

Do

 * Diving and snorkeling: The clear waters and maritime life make it an ideal diving destination. Divers are, after cruise ship tourists, the largest group of tourists. Plenty of dive schools offer courses and certifications.

Beaches
Curaçao's public beaches are concentrated on the southern coast, especially the western side. Find these from Rif St. Marie up to Westpunt.

Lots of land on the eastern coast is privately owned and access is prohibited; exploration of these areas is not encouraged as private security services patrol most of the area and are known not to take intrusions lightly.

 * Playa Kalki, also known as Alice in Wonderland, is located at the far west end of the island past the town of Westpunt. Ocean Encounters West is a full service dive shop. For a small fee, you have use of a dive locker for storage of personal items while diving/snorkeling and use of fresh water showers and equipment cleaning area.
 * Playa Grote Kenapa, also known as Big Knip is a large sand beach west of the town of Lagun.
 * Playa Kleine Kenapa, also known as Little Knip is another beach past the town of Lagun. It is a nice secluded beach with plenty of shade trees if you desire to stay out of the direct sun. The bar/restaurant on this site operates on a sporadic schedule, so visit prepared.
 * Playa Jeremi is a small secluded beach slightly north of Lagun. There are no facilities here.
 * Playa Lagun, is a secluded bay towards the western end of the island in the town of Lagun. It is a small sandy beach on a rectangular shaped bay with tall cliffs on each side. The waters adjacent to the cliffs is excellent place for snorkeling. Both sides of the bay along the cliffs are teaming with a wide variety of marine life and corals. The left side of the bay has a greater variety of underwater structure for a better experience.
 * Playa Porto Mari is a large beach with a full service restaurant, and a complete dive shop including fresh water showers and restrooms operated by Porto Mari Sports
 * Cas Abao is a beach on a plantation. It is a long stretched sandy beach with lots of facilities including huts, beach chairs, restaurant, fresh water showers and bathrooms.
 * Daaibooi Baai is near Habitat in Rif st. Marie. Limited facilities. Huts, restrooms, grill area. Beautiful protected cove with calm waters. Avg depth: 20m
 * Habitat Beach is located in Rif St. Marie on the SW coast. It is Curaçao's Newest beach and has a full service Dive Operator, DiveVersity, Habitat Dive Hotel, Oceans Restaurant, and in the gated community of Coral Estate.
 *  Kontiki Beach is about a ten minute drive east from downtown Willemstad near Breezes hotel. Kontiki is a full service beach offering watersports, shops, beach-bar and a restaurant. It is also serviced by Ocean Encounters dive center. Can get very crowded.
 *  Seaquarium Beach
 *  Jan Thiel Beach
 *  Caracasbaai
 *  Barbara Beach Private beach and future home to the Hyatt Hotel.
 * Klein Curaçao is an uninhabited island accessible only by boat.
 *  Barbara Beach Private beach and future home to the Hyatt Hotel.
 * Klein Curaçao is an uninhabited island accessible only by boat.

Money
The Netherlands Antilles guilder or florin, denoted by the symbol "ƒ" or "NAf" is the official currency, but the euro and U.S. dollar are readily accepted.

Coins of the Netherlands Antilles guilder come in denominations of 1-, 5-, 10-, 25 and 50 cents, NAf 1-, NAf 2$1/2$ and NAf 5. Banknotes of the Netherlands Antilles guilder come in denominations of NAf 10-, NAf 25-, NAf 50 and NAf 100.

Automatic teller machines are widely available throughout the island, and many machines will dispense guilders and the U.S. dollar. Beware that ATM fees are high (US$10 per withdrawal at MCB, US$6 at RBC as of April 2022), so it might be a good idea to bring cash since you won't need to use it that much – cards are widely accepted.

Visa and Mastercard credit cards are accepted nearly everywhere on the island, but foreign, non-Dutch, non-Maestro cards will often have to pay in USD. American Express is not widely accepted.

Currency can generally be exchanged at local hotels, casinos and places of business. The exchange rate is generally pegged at about 1.77 NAf to the USD and stable. It is unlikely for tourists to be taken advantage when changing currency, but it is best to be aware of the current rates prior to arrival.

Gas on the other hand requires cash (USD or NAf).

Shopping
There are a plethora of random shops and markets around Willemstad offering clothing, souvenirs, crafts, and other goods. These include a commonly-termed "duty free enclave" in the downtown area. Offerings emphasize European goods, to include jewelry, timepieces/watches and linens, plus the usual collection of souvenir shops. Perhaps not noted for great bargains, you may find items at decent prices you'll see nowhere else in the Caribbean.

A water front market lies on the near north side of the main shopping area. It's packed with fresh foods and flowers, best seen or shopped in the mornings.

On Sundays, however, most businesses other than restaurants in the city are closed.

Eat
Local cuisine in Curaçao is a mixture of European, West-Indian and East Asian (particularly Indonesian) flavors. Dutch influences are found in the use of cheeses, bread and seafood, which are also important in Curaçaoan food. Indonesian cuisine, a migrant from Suriname, another of the Netherlands' former colonies, can be found on the island, and explains the widespread availability of sate and peanut sauce along with the islands more Caribbean fare. Also, Chinese "snacks" can be found all over the island serving cheap Chinese food. They cater mostly to locals, but most serve good food.

If you are not staying close to the city center, buying groceries on one of the local supermarkets (Centrum supermarket, for example) might be cheaper than eating out.

Snacks
Curaçao is littered with 'Snacks,' small bar restaurants which serve Chinese food. These are typically inexpensive, double as convenience stores and bars, and are typically open later than most other restaurants which cater to local (rather than European) patrons.

Budget

 * Plasa Bieu, located in Punda, about 300 meters ENE of the floating bridge in Punda, is the favorite lunch spot of most, if not all, of the island's local-born population working in Punda. Open M-F, 10AM-3PM, the Plasa Bieu has about five restaurants within it, serving Chinese, Jamaican and Krioyo (local) food. Try the Cabritu Stoba (stewed goat) at Grasia di Dios, for an excellent example of the island's local cuisine, at one of the only restaurants in Punda which offer it. 8-14 NAf
 * Downtown Cafe at the Hotel Estoril Breedestraat 179 (O), located 200 west of the Arti Supermarket, on the Otrobanda Side's main shopping strip (the Breedestrat/Roodeweg) Open seven days per week 7AM-8PM, 'el Estoril,' as the locals calls it, packs its seven or so tables full from about 10AM-4PM, with Venezuelan, Colombian and Dominican expats. The Estoril serves a mix of local and Latin dishes, all served in a more typically Latin style. Order at the bar and sit down when a seat becomes available. You'll be expected to share a table if your party cannot fill it. 8-20 NAf.
 * Seaside Terrace is located next to Breezes Hotel and close to Lions Dive Hotel and Mambo Beach near the end of Penstraat. Seaside Terrace has a limited menu, but serves delicious fresh fish (red snapper, dradu, tuna, etc.) and, if available, very well prepared lobster against very fair prices. The owner "Amigo" is very friendly and makes you feel at home right away.

Mid-range

 * On y va picnic sells picnic baskets to take to the beach. Order your favorite basket one day in advance and pick it up along the way to the beach, or they will deliver it. Located on the way to the beaches on the west side of the island. 26-45 NAf
 * Gouverneur de Rouville is a popular restaurant in Willemstad that serves a variety of continental European dishes in a wonderful atmosphere. Ot is just north of the floating bridge on the Otrobanda Side, 25-45 NAf.
 * Oceans Restaurant, Habitat Dive Resort in Rif. St. Marie on the SW coast. Serves a wide variety of international and regional cuisine.  Overlooks the Caribbean Sea in an open air casual decor. Has full service bar.  15-35 NAf
 * Wilhelmina Plein Cafe is 200 meters east of the Floating Bridge in Punda; this cafe is a favorite among the island's many Dutch interns and businessmen. Wilhelmina Plein Cafe offers exclusively outside seating along a major pedestrian thoroughfare, with good food and one of the island's better beer selections. 18-28 NAf
 * Vincent's Cafe Copa Cabana is a relatively hidden cafe just east of the Iguana Lounge's Main bar along the water on the Punda side of the bay. Skip the overpriced and mediocre waterfront restaurants on the Punda side and go to Vincent's for great sandwiches and a number of good daily special entrees. Vincent's is an outdoor cafe under the shade of a number of trees and the two buildings between which it is sandwiched, which also create a very pleasant breeze. 8-20 NAf. M-Sa Lunch - 6:30PM.
 * Old Dutch Cafe on the Pietermaaiweg 500 m east of the Bay on the Punda Side, the Old Dutch Cafe serves inexpensive Dutch cuisine with a kitchen that stays open late into the night. 15-28 NAf. Closed Sundays.
 * Kontiki Beach Club is a seaside restaurant offering good food in an idyllic location right on the beach. It is a little outside of the city, but it is well worth the short drive.
 * La Granja is a Peruvian influenced chain restaurant with a very local feel, serving great Latin cuisine, including excellent whole chicken, Lomo Saltado, and other great dishes. Sta Rosaweg 15-25 NAf. Open 7 days.
 * Il Forno is a popular Italian/pizza restaurant with two locations, (Caracasbaai location and Doormanweg location) serving European (though not Italian) style pizzas with fresh and delicious ingredients. 15-30 NAf.
 * Kasbanini located in the Rif Fort, 100m south of the floating bridge on the Otrobanda Side, is probably the best of the Rif Fort's five or so mid-level restaurants. Offering typical seafood and chops with a bit of local flair. 30-40 NAf. 7 days/week, lunch and dinner.
 * La Pergola, in the Old Fort on the southwest side of Punda, is likely the island's best Italian restaurant. Offering good pasta dishes as well as a few innovative 'secondi', La Pergola's quaint waterfront view completes an excellent dining experience. 25-40 NAf.
 * Ay Caramba is an American restaurant offering excellent American pub-grub with Tex Mex offerings. Located just below the Governeur Restaurant.
 * Golden Star, on the Dr. W.P. Maalweg, on the way to Salinja. It serves local creole food and drinks, and is a good value for the amount of food you get.  Prices vary from 15-25 NAf for a main course with sides.

Splurge
.
 * Bistro le Clochard, located in the Rif Fort, offers outstanding French Cuisine with a beautiful waterfront view. Open daily. ANG50-80
 * Sculpture Garden Restaurant located in the Kura Hulanda Hotel one block West of the Governeur Restaurant. Excellent international cuisine with some very innovative specials

Drink
Tap water, which comes from a large seawater desalination distillation plant, is excellent tasting and perfectly safe for consumption.

Alcohol
Popular alcoholic drinks include:

Amstel Bright beer, which used to be locally brewed by Antillaanse Brouwerij, a subsidy of Heineken International. It is a pale style lager, usually served with a wedge of lime.

Polar Beer, which is brewed in neighbouring Venezuela. It is a 5% abv lager beer.

Brion beer is the official local beer, though it is brewed on Barbados.

Curaçao is famous for the alcoholic beverage of the same name, Blue Curaçao, Orange Curaçao, Green Curaçao and White Curaçao. It is made from bitter oranges grown on the island and, except for the white one, food coloring. It is mostly used in cocktails, though, and rarely drunk straight.

Stay safe
Safety is not a big issue on Curaçao. The locals are friendly, welcoming, and willing to give assistance. After all, a major part of their island's income comes from tourists. Just take normal precautions for a tropical island and use common sense.

Car break-ins are a reoccurring problem so that some car rental agencies even prohibit parking rental cars at some specific places. In general it is a good idea to never ever leave valuables in a car.

Cellular phones
Curaçao has two main cell providers, UTS and Digicel. International roaming is also available for many carriers but it is usually cheaper to purchase a prepaid SIM card from one of the local providers. Prepaid local SIM cards will need to be purchased at either a UTS Store or a Digicel Store. Refill cards can be bought at many stores and supermarkets around the island or it can be done online for both carriers.

Coverage
Both carriers have good coverage around the island although UTS is slightly better. Both carriers have started deploying LTE and it now covers most of the island.

Roaming
UTS offers roaming at no extra charge to countries in what they market as Chippieland. In addition to Curaçao, this includes, Bonaire, Saba, St. Eustatius, Dutch St. Maarten, French St. Martin, and St. Barts.

Digicel offers roaming at no extra charge to Aruba and Bonaire.

Go next
Leaving Curaçao will require you to pay an exit tax not included in your flight ticket with most airlines. As of 2016, it's USD39 for international flights (Visa and MasterCard accepted), USD10 to USD20 for flights to Aruba, and Bonaire, and USD5 for connections (in cash only). See the airport's website for the most up-to-date information.

 * Aruba (a few minutes away by air)
 * Bonaire (a paradise for divers)
 * Guyana (a former British colony in South America, known for its pristine jungle and impressive waterfalls)
 * Saint Martin (a former member of the Netherlands Antilles, with many gourmet, shopping, and beach options)
 * Suriname (a former Dutch colony in South America, culturally linked to the Dutch Caribbean)
 * Venezuela

Airport security in the departure area stops working after the last scheduled departure, no matter whether some flights are delayed by hours. If you have not cleared security by then there is no way to board your plane. Thus, even for heavily delayed flights, checking in and then heading out to a beach or into town is not a viable option.

title: Curaçao


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Curecanti National Recreation Area

Curecanti National Recreation Area is in Southwestern Colorado in the Rocky Mountains region of the United States of America.

Visitor information

 * Park website

Fees and permits
There is no entrance fee for Curecanti.

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 * Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

title: Curecanti National Recreation Area