Willemstad
is life in vivid color
Welcome to Willemstad
Gazing across Sint Annabaai at the colorful townhouses lined up on the shore, you might think that you're in the Old Country. Until you remember that the sun is shining, it's 28°C (82°F), and you're on your way to the beach. Despite the flawless weather, Willemstad feels like a Dutch city, complete with waterways and street cafes.
Top experiences in Willemstad
Amazing hotels and hostels
We've pre-picked the best hotels, hostels and bed and breakfasts to make your stay as enjoyable as possible.
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Willemstad activities
Curacao Shore Excursion: Curacao TukTuk City Tour
Receive information of the Queen Emma Bridge (Pontoon bridge or "Swinging Old Lady"), Queen Juliana Bridge (arched over the bay) and the Queen Wilhelmina Bridge (Draw bridge). Visit the Floating Market and the impressive colonial mansions in the neighborhood of Scharloo (including the famous "Wedding Cake" building), the Cathedral of Pietermaai, the new (round), and old market, the court house and the old Jewish Temple of "Emanu-El", Fort Amsterdam and the Governor's Palace.Enjoy the blend of Spanish and Dutch colonial style architecture reflected on most of these buildings combined with the story of the vast history of this unique city.
Curacao TukTuk City Tour
Receive information of the Queen Emma Bridge (Pontoon bridge or "Swinging Old Lady"), Queen Juliana Bridge (arched over the bay) and the Queen Wilhelmina Bridge (Draw bridge). Visit the Floating Market and the impressive colonial mansions in the neighborhood of Scharloo (including the famous "Wedding Cake" building), the Cathedral of Pietermaai, the new (round), and old market, the court house and the old Jewish Temple of "Emanu-El", Fort Amsterdam and the Governor's Palace.Enjoy the blend of Spanish and Dutch colonial style architecture reflected on most of these buildings combined with the story of the vast history of this unique city.
Curacao Shore Excursion: Jet Ski or Aquaboat Snorkel Tour
When your cruise ship docks at the Curacao port, make your way to the boat shop and meet your expert guide. You will receive a safety briefing and introduction to steering a Seadoo GTI jet ski or a custom-made aquaboat, depending on the option selected. Aquaboats are wider than jet skis and perfect for touring for a more comfortable ride, whereas a jet ski drives more like a sports car on the water. Whichever one you choose, just climb aboard your 2-person craft and enjoy the ride! You or your fellow passenger will pilot your own watercraft, following your guide for approximately 2 hours. Jet over the picturesque coastal waters off the southern coast of Curacao while taking in the amazing views. You’ll pass coves, bays, beaches, mangroves and small Islands on your route. Check out attractions including a Dutch queen’s vacation home and luxurious yachts upon reaching the lagoon.Here, at the famous Tafelberg, take a beach break for a delectable swim. You’ll have the opportunity to snorkel at one of Curacao's best snorkeling sites — a tugboat shipwreck. Located on the protected southeast side of Caracas Bay, the sunken tugboat is home to a wide array of marine life. It is common to see colorful coral, morays, scorpion fish, lobsters and schools of tropical fish during your approximate 40-minute snorkel tour.On our return trip, enjoy the view of an old manorial estate and Fort Beekenburg, a well-preserved 18th-century fort that was built to protect the inner bay.Worry-free Shore Excursion:We will ensure your excursion ends with ample time for you to return to the Curacao port for your ship’s departure. In the extremely unlikely event your ship has departed, we will arrange for transportation to the next port-of-call. If your ship is delayed and you are unable to attend this activity, your money will be refunded. See our terms and conditions for full details.
Breath of Curacao and Shete Boka Natural Park Jeep Tour
This is a half day tour from 9am to 1pm with pick-up time between 8am and 9am depending on your accommodation. For cruise passengers the pick up time will be adjusted according to your arrival time to the cruise port.Mini desert of Curacao: After pickup from your accommodation and a safety briefing, your adventure starts off at the wide-open desert planes where your guide will tell you about the volcanic and coral geological origins of the island with three distinct terraces running for miles along the north coastline of Curacao. Supladó: You then visit the natural jacuzzi where the sea-water and foam are spray through a chute into the air displaying colourful fountains and rainbows. You can stand in the shallow warm water surrounding the Supladó and watch the spectacular show from close by. Boka Tabla: Then you head towards the Shete Boka National Park where you visit a cave when half of it is immersed in water with a narrow opening towards the sea, allowing powerful breaking waves to rush into the cave with a pounding and roaring resonance. This beautiful sight set in its natural theater is an unforgetable memory of Curacao. Boka Pistol: An inlet where the waves smash against the coral rock wall and explode into a furious fountain that sounds like a gun shot, hence the name. You can photograph the spectacle from a lookout point or stand facing the water with the risk of getting very wet.
Curacao Departure Transfer
When you are ready to depart Curacao, you'll be met by an English-speaking representative at your hotel and be taken directly to the airport for your flight home. Complete hotel group list:Area 1: Banda Bou GroupBahia ApartmentsDanielDive 2 Lagoon ApartmentsFlamingo Park CuracaoHabitat Dive ResortKura Hulanda Lodge & Beach Club, GHL HotelLagoon Ocean ResortMarazul Dive ResortNos Krusero ApartmentsPunta West Bed and Breakfast Rancho El Sobrino Resort & RestaurantArea 2: Piscadera GroupBlue Bay HotelClarion Hotel & Suites CuracaoCuracao Marriott Beach ResortFloris Suite HotelHilton CuracaoHoliday Beach Hotel & Veneto CasinoWaterside Apartments & DiveArea 3: Willemstad/OtrabandaCuracao Howard Johnson - Americana Hotel & CasinoCuracao SuitesKura Hulanda Village & Spa, GHL HotelOtrabanda Hotel & CAsinoRenaissance Curacao Resort & CasinoWAVE Hotel & CaféArea 4:Willemstand/PundaAcademy Hotel CuracaoAcoya CuraçaoAvila Beach HotelHotel ScharlooHotel 't KloosterPlaza Hotel & CasinoSaint Tropez Apartments & Suites San Marco Hotel & CasinoScuba LodgeThe Strand of CuracaoVilla TokaraArea 5: Bapor Kibra GroupBaoase Luxury ResortBon Bini Sea Side ResortBreezes Curacao ResortDolphin SuitesKontiki Beach ResortLions Dive Hotel CuracaoRoyal Resort (Sea Aquarium)The Beach HouseArea 6: Central/SchottegatIguana Inn ResortLido Hotel Resort & CasinoQuints Travelodge CuracaoTropical Inn HotelArea 7: Banda Ariba/Jan Thiel GroupChogogo ResortLimestone Holiday ResortLivingstone Jan Thiel ResortPapagayo Beach ResortMorena ResortRecompensa ParkAmalia Vacation ApartmentsArea 8: Santa Barbara Plantation Resort
Shete Boka Park, Playa Lagun Snorkel Tour with Curacao Pickup
After hotel pickup, climb aboard a large, open-air Jeep and zoom across the red-clay-colored mini-desert of Curacao with your guide. Pass plains of cacti and unruly shrubbery, and enter Shete Boka National Park, encompassing 6 miles (10 km) of rocky terrain along the island's northern coast.Disembark to enter one of several caves located along this rugged landscape. Inside, learn about the geological history of these ancient rock formations. Follow your guide on foot across the rocky shoreline and stop at remote inlets, where you’ll capture great vistas of the surf pounding against cliffs formed by compressed masses of coral and limestone. As your guide points out frigatebirds, herons and hawks swooping high above, note a salty taste in your mouth from the drops of ocean water suspended in the air. Then head to a nearby pocket beach where you might spot sea turtles crawling along, or perhaps find sand-covered pits where they laid their eggs at night.Back in the Jeep, continue onto Supladó, a crater in a coral massif with an opening, from where warm ocean water shoots upward and out into the crater. Relax in the shallows of this natural hot tub and watch a show of wild fountains and rainbows arching over Supladó. A lunch stop will be made at a local restaurant. A menu will be provided and lunch will be ordered to be ready for your arrival at restaurant. Cost of lunch is not included. End your tour at family-friendly Playa Lagun, a peaceful small cove with clear and shallow water near the shoreline, an ideal spot for snorkeling. Floating along in the gentle and warm current, observe plenty of tropical fish and sea turtles, and admire coral formations. After your exploration of Curacao’s natural wonders, you’re taken back to your hotel.