Tours and Things to Do in Willemstad, Curaçao

Willemstad is where most visits to Curaçao begin: the colorful Handelskade, the floating Queen Emma Bridge and the old forts around St. Anna Bay. This guide covers the capital's neighborhoods, the places our tours and itineraries visit there, and how pickups from the hotels in and around town work.

The city around the bay

Stand on the Queen Emma Bridge on a breezy morning and you can feel it shift under your feet. The bridge floats on pontoons, and when a ship needs to pass, it swings aside and opens St. Anna Bay to the sea. Ships, trade and color have shaped Willemstad for centuries, and the capital is still the easiest place to start getting to know Curaçao.

The historic inner city and harbor have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1997. Whether you come ashore from a cruise ship, stay at a hotel along the coast or drive in for dinner, give the city at least half a day.

Where Willemstad is and what it covers

Willemstad lies on the south coast, roughly in the middle of the island. St. Anna Bay, the narrow channel that leads from the sea into the large inner harbor, splits the old city in two, and each side has its own character.

• Punda is the east bank, with the Handelskade waterfront, Fort Amsterdam, busy shopping streets and the Floating Market.
• Otrobanda, Papiamentu for "the other side", is the west bank, with Rif Fort and the cruise terminals.
• Pietermaai, just east of Punda, is a historic district of restored merchant houses, many of them now restaurants, bars and small hotels.
• Scharloo, across a small inlet from Punda, is known for its grand merchant mansions.

Greater Willemstad reaches further. Along the coast it runs west to the hotels of Piscadera and east to Mambo Beach and the Seaquarium area; inland it takes in old country houses (landhuizen) such as Landhuis Chobolobo and Landhuis Rooi Catootje. In this guide, all of that counts as Willemstad.

The places our tours and walks visit

Rif Fort and the Otrobanda waterfront

Our cruise-stop itinerary begins beside the two cannons at Rif Fort's entrance, facing the Renaissance resort and its fountain plaza. The fort was built in 1828 to defend Otrobanda and the harbor entrance. Today shops and restaurants sit inside its thick stone walls, a narrow staircase with worn steps climbs to the upper level, and when that level is open you look straight across St. Anna Bay to Punda.

The Queen Emma Bridge

First built in 1888, the floating pedestrian bridge between Otrobanda and Punda is known as the "Swinging Old Lady" because it swings aside to let vessels pass. Its wooden walkway and curved arches give you the classic view along the bay. Before you cross, look for the Curaçao flag by the waterfront: blue for the sky and sea, a yellow stripe for sunshine, and two white stars for Curaçao and Klein Curaçao.

The Handelskade and the Penha building

The row of brightly painted facades along the Punda side of the bay is the picture most people have of Curaçao. On the corner stands the Penha building, bright yellow with white trim and curved gables, dating from the early 18th century. Nearby, a display of love locks covered in names, dates and small messages makes a light-hearted photo stop.

Wilhelminaplein, the Curaçao sign and Dushi

On Wilhelminaplein, the square beside the historic courthouse with its "21 Trapi" steps, oversized blue and yellow Curaçao letters wait for your group photo. The Dushi sign is close by. Dushi is one of the first Papiamentu words you will pick up here: it can mean sweet, lovely or nice, and people use it warmly for the good things in life.

Punda's streets and the Floating Market

Away from the water, Punda's pedestrian streets reward a slow walk. Look above the shop windows for painted facades, decorative balconies and small architectural details. The Floating Market on the waterfront has a long connection with traders bringing fruit and vegetables from nearby Venezuela; the boats, the stalls and what is on offer vary from day to day.

The Rumlocker on St. Anna Bay

At Plaza Jojo Correa 1–5 in Punda, a 3-minute walk from the Queen Emma Bridge, AnnaBay Club tells the story of its rum at the Rumlocker and shows how it is made, from distillation to aging in oak.

Landhuis Chobolobo

This yellow plantation house is where Curaçao liqueur is made, flavored with the dried peels of the laraha, a bitter orange that grows on the island. The full-day island tour below includes a stop at the liqueur factory, and its page shows Landhuis Chobolobo.

Landhuis Rooi Catootje

In greater Willemstad, on Schottegatweg Oost, the country house of Landhuis Rooi Catootje is home to the Historic House Museum Mongui Maduro, which you can explore at your own pace.

Tours and itineraries in Willemstad

A self-guided cruise stop

With one day in port, our self-guided cruise-stop walk strings together the Otrobanda and Punda stops above, from Rif Fort's cannons across the bridge to the Handelskade, Wilhelminaplein, the Dushi sign, Punda's streets and the Floating Market. Plan around three hours for walking and photo stops, and allow extra time for shopping, refreshments, bridge openings and the walk back to your own terminal. The suggested stop times are estimates, and the fort's upper viewpoint involves stairs.

Rum tasting in Punda

AnnaBay Club's rum tasting at the Rumlocker shows you up close how its rum is distilled and aged. Then you taste the White, the Amber, the Aged 5 Years and a flavored rum, plus rum poured straight from the barrel. It runs Monday to Friday at 3 pm for 45 minutes to 1 hour, with up to 12 guests per tour, and you must be 18 or older to taste. It fits neatly after a morning walk through Punda.

A house museum at your own pace

For a quieter hour away from the waterfront, book a self-guided visit to the Mongui Maduro museum at Landhuis Rooi Catootje. You pick a time and book instantly, then pay at the museum.

Willemstad as part of a full island day

Yellow Adventures' Complete Island Tour shows you the city and then the contrast with the rest of the island. It includes Willemstad and a stop at the liqueur factory, the east and the west side, the entrance to Shete Boka National Park, land houses, a photo stop at Knip Beach and the flamingo sanctuary. There is a lunch stop, but lunch is not included. It runs daily from 9 AM to 3 PM.

If you like history and local flavor, browse our culture, history and rum experiences; to see more of the island with a guide, look at the island tours that cover all of Curaçao.

Getting there and pickup

• Cruise passengers: the walk starts at Rif Fort, on the Otrobanda side of the harbor where the cruise terminals are, so you can set off on foot. Check your ship's all-aboard time before you go.
• The Rumlocker: AnnaBay Club offers free pickup from participating hotels, arranged in advance, between 2 and 2:30 pm depending on the distance and the number of guests. In the Piscadera area that means Dreams, Marriott Beach & Courtyard, Corendon and Renaissance; in the Mambo and Jan Thiel area, Avila, Lions Dive, Dolphin Suites, Papagayo Resort, Morena Resort, Chogogo and Livingstone. Name your hotel in your request. AnnaBay can organize the ride back at their regular fixed price.
• The Complete Island Tour: Yellow Adventures picks you up at most major hotels in the morning and brings you back in the afternoon; the pickup time depends on your hotel.
• The Mongui Maduro museum: no pickup is listed, so plan your own way to Landhuis Rooi Catootje by car or taxi.

Practical tips for a day in town

• Go early or late. The waterfront and the bridge have little shade, and the midday sun is strong all year round.
• Carry water, a hat and sunscreen, even for a short city walk.
• Wear comfortable flat shoes. Rif Fort's staircase is narrow, with worn steps.
• Leave slack for the bridge. When it swings open for a ship, crossing on foot pauses until it swings back.
• Learn two words. "Bon dia" means good morning and "danki" means thank you; both are warmly received in shops and cafés.
• Expect some change. Market activity and access to viewpoints vary from day to day, so treat the itinerary's stop times as a guide.

Beyond Willemstad

The capital makes a good base for the rest of the island. Southeast of town, Jan Thiel and Spanish Water are where the boat to Klein Curaçao, the sea-scooter snorkel tour and beginner dives start. To the west, the beaches and national parks of Banda Abou make an easy day out, with or without a guide. To see how it all fits together, open our illustrated map of Curaçao.