In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Curaçao
Willemstad
Willemstad is a two-day harbour town: do Punda and Otrobanda on foot before 11:00 and after 16:00, spend the hot middle of the day at a beach or indoors, and rent a car for anything outside town.
Willemstad's old town is small and flat: two shores joined by a floating bridge, both walkable in a morning. The trips that go wrong walk the harbour at noon in full sun, plan around a bridge that swings open for ships, or try to reach the west-end beaches without a car. Four clusters cover a first visit: Punda and Otrobanda for the sights, Pietermaai for bars and dinner, and Scharloo for the quiet old houses.
- Country
- Curaçao
- Best months
- Jan · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep
- Time zone
- America/Curacao
- Stay
- 1 days: Punda and Otrobanda on foot, dinner in Pietermaai
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- XCG
- Money
- Cards work in hotels, restaurants and shops; carry XCG 50–100 in small notes or US dollars for market lunches, beach entry and tips. The Caribbean guilder (XCG) replaced the Netherlands Antillean guilder in 2025 and is pegged at 1.79 to the US dollar. Small US bills are accepted almost everywhere; change comes back in XCG.
- Daily spend
- Budget XCG 90–150 excl. bed · Mid XCG 150–300 excl. bed · High XCG 300+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- US and Canadian carriers charge roaming rates; an eSIM or a local prepaid SIM from the airport or a phone shop is cheaper (passport needed). Coverage is good in town.
- Emergency
- Police / ambulance / fire 911 (check; ask your hotel for the direct medical number) · Curaçao Medical Center Save the number from your hotel or insurer offline
- Plugs
- 127 V, 50 Hz. US and Canadian plugs (type A and B) fit; UK and EU visitors need an adapter and should check that chargers accept 127 V.
- Tipping
- Many restaurants add a service charge of about 10–12% (check the bill). If not, leave 10–15% for good service. Round up taxis.
- Water
- Tap water is safe to drink (desalinated seawater). Bottled water is sold everywhere.
- Toilets
- Cafés, museums, Rif Fort and the Old Market area; carry small change for pay toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or cappuccino | XCG 6–10 (US$3–6) |
| Local lunch plate (Plasa Bieu) | XCG 18–30 (US$10–17) |
| Restaurant dinner main | XCG 35–70 (US$20–40) |
| Local beer, bar | XCG 6–10 (US$3–6) |
| Taxi, short ride in town | US$8–15 |
| Rental car, per day | US$40–75 |
| Museum entry | about US$8–12 |
| Bottle of water, shop | XCG 2–4 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- Curaçao International Airport (CUR)
- CUR to Willemstad: one taxi on a fixed zone fare or a hotel-booked car, 15–35 minutes for about 12 km (7.5 mi) — the risk is not the ride but a late flight and a hotel with no night desk.CUR to Willemstad: one taxi on a fixed zone fare or a hotel-booked car, 15–35 minutes for about 7.5 mi (12 km) — the risk is not the ride but a late flight and a hotel with no night desk.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Hato airport (CUR) (Curaçao International Airport) | Direct flights from US, Canada, Europe and Caribbean hubs | Taxi 15–30 min |
| Bus terminals (Konvooi terminals in Punda and Otrobanda) | Minibus routes across the island | On the edge of Punda |
| Cruise terminals (Curaçao Cruise Terminal and Mega Pier) | Cruise passengers | Rif Fort area is next to the Otrobanda terminal |
Typical fares
- Airport (Hato) to Punda or Pietermaai
- About US$25–35, fixed fare, 15–30 min
- Pietermaai to Otrobanda by taxi
- About US$8–12
- Rental car, per day
- US$40–75
Show 8 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Eat, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk inside Punda, Otrobanda and Pietermaai; use a taxi or the free ferry between shores when the pontoon bridge is open; rent a car for the beaches.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | Inside the old town before 11:00 and after 16:00Inside the old town before 11:00 AM and after 4:00 PM |
| Taxi | US$8–15 in town; posted zone fares to beaches | Between shores, at night and to the airport |
| Free pontoon ferry | Free | Crossing Sint Annabaai when the bridge is open |
| Public bus (konvooi) | About XCG 3–4 | Cheap trips along fixed routes |
| Rental car | US$40–75 a day | West-end beaches and parks |
| Ride-hailing | n/a | Not available |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- No pass. Taxis run on fixed zone fares: ask the fare before you get in.
- Late at night
- No rail; buses thin out after dark: use a taxi arranged by your hotel or restaurant.
See and do
01Handelskade at sunriseHandelskade
The pastel gables facing the harbour, best before the cruise crowd.
Hours: best Before 09:00 · Price: Free · Time: 30–45 minHours: best Before 9:00 AM · Price: Free · Time: 30–45 min · 12.1043, -68.9341
02Queen Emma BridgeKoningin Emmabrug (Pont Emma)
A floating bridge that swings open for ships and joins the two shores.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Free · Time: 15 min · 12.1039, -68.9351
03Mikvé Israel-Emanuel SynagogueMikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue (Snoa)
A working synagogue with a sand floor, built in 1732.
Hours: best Morning, weekdays · Price: about US$8–12 · Time: 45 min · 12.1051, -68.9337
04Kura Hulanda Museum
A serious museum on the Atlantic slave trade in Curaçao’s own setting.
Hours: best Late morning · Price: about US$8–12 · Time: 1.5 h · 12.1048, -68.9393
05Lunch at Plasa BieuPlasa Bieu (Old Market)
Local stews, funchi and fried fish at shared tables.
Hours: best 11:30–13:00 · Price: XCG 18–30 · Time: 45 minHours: best 11:30 AM–1:00 PM · Price: XCG 18–30 · Time: 45 min · 12.1026, -68.9332
06Rif Fort at sunsetRif Fort (Riffort Village)
A drink with a view of the channel and the bridge lights.
Hours: best 17:00–18:30 · Price: Free entry · Time: 45 minHours: best 5:00 PM–6:30 PM · Price: Free entry · Time: 45 min · 12.1052, -68.9373
07Floating marketMarshe Flotante (Floating Market)
Boats selling fruit and fish from the quay (check current scale).
Hours: best Early morning · Price: Free · Time: 30 min · 12.1028, -68.9323
08Dinner in PietermaaiPietermaai restaurant terrace
Terraces in restored townhouses after dark.
Hours: best Evening · Price: XCG 90–200 · Time: 2 h · 12.1058, -68.9295
09Scharloo housesScharloo
Big restored merchant houses on quiet streets.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Free · Time: 45 min · 12.1078, -68.9315
10Playa Kenepa (Grote Knip)
The best-known beach on the island, 45–60 minutes west by car.
Hours: best Before 10:00 · Price: Car hire; small parking or beach fee (check) · Time: Full dayHours: best Before 10:00 AM · Price: Car hire; small parking or beach fee (check) · Time: Full day
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Playa Kenepa (Grote Knip) and the west-end beaches | Rental car west, 45–60 min | Full day |
| Christoffel National Park and Shete Boka | Rental car north-west, 45–60 min | Half day each |
| Klein Curaçao | Catamaran or fast boat from Jan Thiel or Willemstad, 90 min each way | Full day |
| Landhuis Chobolobo (Curaçao liqueur distillery) | Taxi or car, 10–15 min | 1 hour |
| Mambo Beach and Curaçao Sea Aquarium | Car or taxi, 15–20 min east | Half day |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plasa Bieu | Local lunch plate: stew, funchi and fried fish · Punda | XCG 18–30 | Budget |
| Neighbourhood bakery (panaderia) breakfast | Pastechi and coffee · Punda and Otrobanda | XCG 5–12 | Budget |
| Truk’i pan (evening food trucks) | Bread trucks: grilled meat, chicken or fish in bread · Waaigat and Punda evenings | XCG 10–25 | Budget |
| Handelskade café lunch | Sandwich, salad or fish lunch · Punda, Handelskade | XCG 22–45 | Mid-range |
| Rif Fort terrace at sunset | Drinks and light plates at sunset · Otrobanda | XCG 35–75 | Mid-range |
| Pietermaai dinner terrace | Multi-course dinner · Pietermaai | XCG 90–200 | Splurge |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate. Menus and hours change: check the day before.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | US$70–120 | Otrobanda, Pietermaai guesthouses | Guesthouses and small hotels |
| mid | US$140–250 | Pietermaai, Otrobanda | Restored townhouse hotels |
| splurge | US$300–600+ | Pietermaai, resorts on Mambo Beach | Boutique or beach resorts |
Per room per night in US dollars, 2026 estimate.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Bon diabohn DEE-ah |
| Good afternoon | Bon tardibohn TAR-dee |
| Good evening | Bon nochibohn NO-chee |
| Thank you | DankiDAHN-kee |
| Please | Por faborpor fah-BOR |
| How much is it? | Kuantu ta?KWAHN-too tah |
| Goodbye | Ayóah-YOH |
| Sweet, lovely (used for people and places) | DushiDOO-shee |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greetings: Say Bon dia, Bon tardi or Bon nochi when you enter a shop or restaurant; it is the norm and it changes the service.
- Dress: Swimwear is for the beach; cover up in town, restaurants and the synagogue (shoulders and knees).
- Synagogue: Modest clothes, quiet voice; no flash photography inside (check the current rule).
- Photos: Ask before photographing people at the floating market or on doorsteps.
- Tipping: Check for a service charge on the bill; if none, 10–15%.
- Slavery memorials: Treat Kura Hulanda and Tula memorials as places of remembrance, not photo sets.
Red lines
- Cover up away from the beach: swimwear is not for town or restaurants.
- Ask before photographing people at the floating market.
- Stay off the rough north coast for swimming.
Scams and watch-outs
- Taxis follow a posted zone fare list: ask for the fare before you get in and ask for the list if the driver quotes above it. Ask the hotel for the usual fare to your beach.
- Cruise-ship days bring pushy tour touts at the Otrobanda and Punda waterfront: book beach and boat trips through your hotel or a licensed operator with a written price.
- Do not leave anything visible in a parked rental car at beaches or lookout points; break-ins happen even with people nearby.
- Restaurants may add a service charge plus a 6% turnover tax: check the bottom of the bill before you add a tip.
One and two days
1 day
A cruise stop or long layover. Skip: The west-end beaches: they need a car and a full day.
- 08:008:00 AMHandelskade and Queen Emma Bridge
- 09:009:00 AMSynagogue and museum
- 11:3011:30 AMLunch at Plasa Bieu
- 13:001:00 PMKura Hulanda in the air-conditioned galleries
- 16:304:30 PMRif Fort at golden hour
- 19:007:00 PMDinner in Pietermaai
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Curaçao Tourist Board (official): www.curacao.com/
- Wikivoyage — Willemstad: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Willemstad
- US State Department — Curaçao travel advisory: travel.state.gov/
- UK FCDO travel advice — Curaçao: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/curacao
- UNESCO — Historic Area of Willemstad, Inner City and Harbour: whc.unesco.org/en/list/819
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Willemstad
Por fabor, bai ku mi na
Please take me to
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- HandelskadeHandelskade waterfront
- Koningin Emmabrug (Pont Emma)Queen Emma Bridge
- Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue (Snoa)Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue
- Plasa Bieu (Old Market)Plasa Bieu
- Rif Fort (Riffort Village)Rif Fort
- Marshe Flotante (Floating Market)Floating market
- Police / ambulance / fire911 (check; ask your hotel for the direct medical number)
- Curaçao Medical CenterSave the number from your hotel or insurer offline
Write your country’s consulate or the nearest embassy number and address here.
US dollars and XCG are both accepted. Write down the number of your hotel and the fixed taxi fare list.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/willemstad). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.