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Our Willemstad tips

Posted on August 4, 2023

During your visit to Curaçao you cannot miss the capital of the island, Willemstad. In the center of the city you can enjoy shopping, spot beautiful street art and really become part of the daily life of the residents. You feel this vibe a lot less at Mambo Beach & Jan Thiel! In this blog we give our Willemstad tips!

Spot street art

You will find beautiful murals in the Otrobanda district. You can also see a lot of colorful street art in other neighborhoods such as Punda and Scharloo. Would you like to take a photo walk? Book your tour with a company like Dushi Walk Curacao .

Kura Hulunda Museum

One of the must visits in Willemstad is the Kura Hulanda Museum . The Museum Kura Hulanda is located on the harbor, exactly where Dutch entrepreneurs traded and shipped enslaved Africans along with other commercial goods. This museum impressively shows the Transatlantic Slave Trade in its entirety, from the capture of slaves in Africa, through shipping to resettlement in the New World. Read more on the museum's website

The Pontjes Bridge

The Pontjes Bridge, also known as Queen Emma Bridge, is one of the icons of the city. This graceful floating bridge connects the Punda and Otrabanda districts. The Pontjes Bridge is the only wooden swing bridge in the world. Swing bridge? Yes, the bridge turns to the side when ships want to pass. From the bridge you have a beautiful view of the Handelskade.

The Handelskade

A photo of the Handelskade cannot be missed! The Handelskade forms a colorful whole with a series of houses in different bright colors!

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Renaissance Mall & Rif Fort

The Rif Fort , an impressive UNESCO World Heritage fortress from the 19th century, is now home to a collection of boutiques and restaurants. From the fort you also have a beautiful view of the ocean! The adjacent Renaissance Mall offers an array of high-end shops and boutiques.

Scoring souvenirs
In Willemstad you will find various souvenir shops, but nothing is as nice as really supporting the locals. Between the Pontjes Bridge and the Rif Fort you will find a number of stalls where local ladies paint driftwood signs. The driftwood signs can be found throughout Curaçao and are therefore a nice souvenir.

The Venezuelan market

It is always nice to visit local markets, including the Venezuelan market where you will find fresh fruit and vegetables that are a lot cheaper than in supermarkets such as Van Den Tweel.

Eating out in Willemstad

There are several restaurants in Willemstad, but our favorite was De Gouverneur . Here you will find a menu with delicious meat and fish dishes, and you also have a beautiful view of the Handelskade.

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