City: Willemstad
Top Things to do in Willemstad
Top 10 Budget-friendly Things to do in Willemstad, Curacao
The lively capital of Curacao is a welcoming, upbeat destination with two distinct historic districts divided by the lovely St. Anna Bay. Punda, site of neat, narrow streets, is crammed with shops and museums. Otrobanda, or "The Other Side," is a maze of twisting residential streets, contrasting with the organized grid across the bay. Willemstad's colorful colonial architecture has won it UNESCO Heritage site designations. Diving and swimming with dolphins are popular activities in the bay.
Restaurants in Willemstad
1. Queen Juliana Bridge
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,103 reviews
The highest bridge in the Caribbean.
Reviewed By TimDore - Marana, United States
Beautiful views of the oil refineries and ship cranes on one side and the open ocean and cruise ships on the other. The bridge is very tall in the center over the St. Anna Bay to allow large ships to pass under. We crossed it twice on an Atlantis bus Tour so was able to enjoy the view. The bridge connects Otrabanda to Punda allowing four lanes of traffic to cross. Highly recommend crossing for the views.
2. Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,724 reviews
Swings wide many times daily to allow access to one of the busiest ports in the world. It also separates the two halves of the city.
Reviewed By tsobis - King of Prussia, United States
Queen Emma bridge, popularly known as the “Swinging Old Lady”, is a pedestrian pontoon bridge on the St. Anna bay that opens laterally for passage of ships and boats. It connects the two halves of the capital city Willemstad, Punda and Otrobanda. It’s a major thoroughfare for local pedestrians and tourists alike and has breathtaking instagrammable views from any angle on the bridge. Oops! Stuck on the bridge while it opens? Just enjoy the views and wave at the people on the ship. It’ll close up shortly. If you happen to want to cross while its open, don’t worry there are water taxi’s that will get you across the bay for FREE! Wanna stunt on the gram with minimal photo bombers? Go at sunrise, preferably on a Sunday; the views against the sunrise is phenomenal. The early rise is well worth it - the bridge has amazing backdrops from every angle! You can thank me later!
3. Handelskade
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 894 reviews
Harborfront street lined with brightly painted 18th century buildings that today, house boutiques, art galleries and sidewalk cafes.
Reviewed By powerjag - Bogota, Colombia
Beautiful buildings and great atmosphere. We enjoyed having drinks/snacks at both Handelskade and Otrobanda (where some places provide great views of Handelskade).
4. Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 629 reviews
The Western Hemisphere's oldest synagogue in continuous use was founded in 1651 by 12 families from Amsterdam.
Reviewed By W5824MKmichaels
Oldest synagogue in the Western Hemisphere, it is Sephardic and has sand covered floors. Attached museum is well worth the $10pp, we spent 2 hours there, definitely the best museum in Curacao that we visited. The congregation welcomes visitors for Shabbat services on Friday and Saturday.
5. Punda
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,407 reviews
Fall in love with the historic neighborhood Punda. Streets that are full of life and colors; fantastic murals and colorful building all over the town. Punda is the location of the world famous Handelskade: the waterfront collection of multi-colored buildings that has become Curaçao’s most characteristic image. But there is so much more to discover!
Reviewed By ReginaL872 - Corpus Christi, United States
Punda offers the old & new markets shopping,dining and easy access to the rest of the island. I highly recommend the Punda Apartments. Do shop the local markets and eat the fresh and homemade food at the old market. Walking the neighborhood you will find great little places to shop and people to talk to.
6. Kas di Pal'i Maishi
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 79 reviews
This country house is open to all as a museum, bar and simple restaurant.
Reviewed By jcourtney6 - Mount Pleasant, United States
Our guide, Florence, was very informative and explained everything very well in both English & Spanish! The history here in Curaçao is plenty and this outdoor-oriented museum does a great job demonstrating what life was like back in the day for rural curaçao. Highly recommend. Takes about 35-45 minutes.
7. Jewish Cultural Historical Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 168 reviews
Reviewed By W5824MKmichaels
Amazing history in this little island and very well-presented in the museum. Don't miss the George Maduro video. Definitely worth the entrance fee.
8. Kura Hulanda Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,261 reviews
Exhibits trace Curaçaoans African roots and the legacy of the slave trade in the region.
Reviewed By dutch_colleen - Boston, United States
This is a must see museum located in Willemstad There is many many artifacts from before BC Middle eastern artifacts and artifacts from the slave trade that used curaçao as a main buy and sell location The slave trade history is told through documents photos and artifacts This museum will leave you with true look at history They also have a wonderful statue garden
9. Shete Boka National Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,311 reviews
Reviewed By UniversalTraversal - Oakville, Canada
The Shete Boka National Park contains several viewing areas with different attractions. My two personal favourites were the cave near the entrance - you can see huge waves coming directly towards you (though they always break before they hit the platform) and the Boka Pistol, a nook in a cliff where waves collide and spray upwards. There were even a small herd of goats following me around at one point! Be sure to wear shoes with thick soles - my shoes had fairly thin soles and the path to the Pistol has a lot of thorns on the floor and... yeah, that was painful. The Christoffel National Park is only a 5 min drive away and you can do both in one day if you're quick to move. Do Christoffel in the
10. Kenepa Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,918 reviews
Inlet on the less-developed western side of the island.
Reviewed By 8-drank-was-merry - Naples, United States
It is one of the top rated beaches in the Caribbean for a reason. Just a note. Because of the mix of cultures and languages, many of the beaches have more than one name. There are two Kenepa beaches, the larger is Playa Kenepa Grandi or Grote Knip and the smaller more rustic beach is Playa Kenepa Chiki or Klein Knip. Grote Knip is a relatively large, nice sandy beach with great snorkeling and cliff jumping. Although the cliff jumping at Playa Forti is probably better. At least for cliff jumping. Admission is free, and lounge chairs, umbrellas, snorkeling equipment, kayaks and paddleboards are available for rent. Overall, we enjoyed Play Porto Mari more, but this is an amazing beach, as well.
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