Willemstad
Curacao · 5 m
Description
Willemstad is the capital of Curaçao and one of the best preserved Dutch colonial towns anywhere, on the UNESCO list since 1997 for the way seventeenth and eighteenth century gable houses were built in the tropics and then painted in strong colours. The Handelskade waterfront is the row everyone photographs, and the Queen Emma pontoon bridge that connects Punda to Otrobanda swings open on its own engine several times a day to let ships into the deep harbour behind. The Mikvé Israel-Emanuel synagogue of 1732 is the oldest in continuous use in the Americas and has a sand floor.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 5 days (optimal 3 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: January – August
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Handelskade waterfront houses (UNESCO World Heritage)
- Queen Emma pontoon bridge
- Punda and its shopping lanes
- Mikvé Israel-Emanuel synagogue and its sand floor
- Floating market of the Venezuelan boats
- Fort Amsterdam and the governor's quarter
- Pietermaai district bars and restaurants
- Landhuis Chobolobo and the Curaçao liqueur distillery
- Rif Fort and the Renaissance waterfront
- Plasa Bieu food hall and the Krioyo cooking
- Kura Hulanda slavery museum
- Scharloo mansions and their street art
- Queen Juliana Bridge viewpoint over the harbour
- Curaçao Maritime Museum
- Cruise terminal at Otrobanda
- Klein Curaçao day trip by catamaran(Day trip)
- Hato Caves and their limestone chambers(Day trip)
Getting there
- Airports:
- CUR
- Seaport:
- Reachable by ship or ferry