 | Curaçao Things To Do | Tips 51 - 60 of 123 |  |
Popular Things To Do | Other Things To Do Tips | All Tips (123) This is the main touristy area of the island. There are old buildings, a floating farmer's market and vendors to buy souvenirs. Take the ferry over to the Otroband side and take a picture of the Punda side. There are forts on both sides. I went to the Riffort on the Otroband side and it was completely dead. There are shops here and nice restaurants. But they were all closed (maybe open in the evening?). There are several places where you can use the internet.
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This is an interesting area to walk around. If its a hot day think twice about visiting the park because there is absolutely no shade. In some areas there are lots of cactus but mostly there's just a lot of rocks. Bring lots of water because you cannot buy any there. You can spend about 2 hours here walking around (or you can even drive to each sight). There is one main trail that leads you to three areas along the water. The most southern sight is called Boka Pistol. Here is a cool area where the ocean meets the rocks and creates a blowhole where the water shoots up and out. The next sight is called Boka Kalki. Here is another beach stop. People have left pebbles and rocks as messages on the beach. The last sight is Boka Wandomi. This was my favorite. Make sure you climb sown the stairs to the sand. One side of the cliff has man made chairs and seats that are fun. You can also see a natural bridge that reaches out into the ocean. There is also a cave that you can go into. Entrance fee was NAfl 2,65. Directions: Near Westpunt on the east side of the island. If you are coming from the east drive past the entrance for Christoffel Park.
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There are interesting caves and good to see with children. There is a fee that pays for the guide who brings you to the cave and walks around with you. The caves are humid and warm. Inside the park there is a snack area where you can buy drinks. You can also walk around the park. I didn't have time but its would have been nice to walk to the Indian paintings. Some of the highlights of the cave is a statue that looks like the Virgin Mary and the bats that fly around. Directions: Near the ariport
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This is a must see when you go to Willemstad. The museum is located in many different buildings and its is absolutely beautiful. The museum spans ancient history to mostly slave history and specifically slaves in Curacao. You could potentially spend a lot of time here or not much time at all. There is a gift shop, sculpture garden, coffee shop and cafe area. Directions: On the Otroband side of Willemstad. Take the ferry from Punda and turn right. Follow the signs.
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...try a walk from Otrobanda trough Punda to Scharloo, using our famous bridges!
Willemstad is well known for its three bridges: the old Emma pontoonbridge (built by the U.S. consul L.B. Smith in 1888), still swinging open to let ships pass through. The Juliana bridge (1974), the highest in te region (by the way: Queen Emma was Queen Juliana's grandmother). And the Queen Wilhelminabrug (you guessed right: she's Juliana's mom), dating from 1928, which now has been replaced with a new version. The new bridge enables access to the Waaigat laguna, so it can be developed into a small boats and yacht harbor.
For more beautiful pictures click on
curaçao architecture or curaçao monuments Leave a Comment Address: Just downtown!
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Architecture! Our capital of Willemstad is on the UNESCO World Heritage List as of 1997. I assure you: it's worth it!
You can either visit some wonderful buildings downtown or our beautiful countryhouses in the countryside; several of them house musea, restaurants or shops, so you can combine architecture with history. This townhouse is an art gallery. Leave a Comment Other Contact: Kurá Hulanda Museum..African art
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Anchoring the famous Handelskade ["Merchants' Street"] skyline is the arresting architecture of the Penha Building with its curlicued gables and arched galleries. This picturesque building proudly displays its birth date of 1708 and finds itself still in commercial use today. Be sure to notice the elaborate decoration of this building from all three of its viewable sides. This is one of the most often photographed buildings in Curacao!
Most of the buildings in the Punda date from the 18th and 19th centuries. All of the buildings are a kaleidoscope of colors ranging from pastel tints to vibrant blues, greens, reds, purples, jades, and buffs in a wide variety of shades. Leave a Comment Directions: You cannot miss it. It is the mustard-colored building right on the corner as you cross the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge into Punda .
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Punda's Breedestraat is a main shopping thoroughfare, likely to be crowded with tourists and cruise ship passengers most any time of the day. The road is partially blocked off for pedestrian traffic.
The shopping is not duty-free, but is "duty-relaxed", meaning the shopkeepers pay low duty. And since there is no sales tax on Curacao, you should be able to get some fairly good deals. You'll also find an array of shops on the Punda side, particularly at the Waterfort Arches on the harbor front. Many town shops also have branches in hotels around the island.
On Breedestraat, try Boolchand's for cameras and electronic equipment, Little Holland for fine cigars, Eccolet for designer shoes for men and women, and Little Switzerland for watches, china, leather goods, and jewelry. One of the more intriguing stores is J.L. Penha and Sons, in a large, circa 1700 building. This store is a large department store, with jewelry, per-fumes, electronic equipment, and more.
Also for local crafts, try the Public Market in Punda, near the Wilhelmina bridge. Remember that the Public Market closes at 2 p.m.
On Trompstraat in Punda, is one of the town's better art galleries. You'll find contemporary work from Curacao and from around the world, including oils, sculpture, and photography. Leave a Comment Directions: Punda district, east side of the harbor.
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The Queen Juliana Highway Bridge was named after Queen Juliana who was queen in Holland from 1948 to 1980. This bridge is one of the highest bridges in the world. It is 185 feet (56 m) above the sea level of St. Anna Bay, weighs 3,400 tons and has 4 traffic lanes. It took almost a decade to build this bridge that was officially opened in 1974.
Although I never traveled on the Queen Juliana Bridge, I was told that a person will always be delighted with the breathtaking view. Depending from which side you come from, you can see the entire panorama of Punda, Otrobanda and the Schottegat. I believe that on the Otrobanda side you can pull over to make photos or videos of the harbor and historic districts. Leave a Comment Directions: North part of the bay, beyond the Punda district.
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I would highly recommend taking a half day city tour of Willenstad. I booked mine through the resort, but I know that there are heaps of places to book them.
The tour lasted about 3.5 hours, and was a good introduction to the city and the island. We learned a lot about the history, the people, and the culture as well as giving a good orientation to the city. They took us through most of the city, both the Punda and the Otrabanda. He gave us a lot of information about the historical and current significance of a lot of the buildings, and it gave me a good idea of what I wanted to return to on my own and what I wanted to skip.
We also went to some areas out of the town that I wouldn't have gone to on my own. Leave a Comment
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