Things to do · Curaçao
14 best things to do in Curaçao
14 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Dolly442, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Curaçao are Handelskade, Queen Emma Bridge and Playa Kenepa. Of the 14 picks below, 8 are free, 3 work on a rainy day and 6 suit children. Allow about 7 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Handelskade
- Free sights
- 8
- Good on a rainy day
- Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue
- Time to see the highlights
- 7 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handelskade | Punda | 30–60 minutes | Free |
| Queen Emma Bridge | Punda | 20 minutes | Free |
| Playa Kenepa | Westpunt and Banda Abou | Half a day | Free |
| Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue | Punda | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Fort Amsterdam | Punda | 30–45 minutes | Free |
| Rif Fort | Otrobanda | 45 minutes | Free |
| Scharloo | Punda | 1 hour | Free |
| Christoffel National Park | Westpunt and Banda Abou | Half a day | Low cost |
| Shete Boka National Park | Westpunt and Banda Abou | 1–2 hours | Low cost |
| Hato Caves | Hato | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Playa Piskadó | Westpunt and Banda Abou | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Tugboat wreck at Caracas Bay | Jan Thiel | 1–2 hours | Low cost |
| Landhuis Chobolobo | Salinja | 45 minutes–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Flamingos at the Jan Kok salt pans | Westpunt and Banda Abou | 20–30 minutes | Free |
The 14 best things to do
Waterfront · Punda
1.Handelskade
The row of brightly painted, gabled Dutch-colonial merchant houses facing the Sint Anna Bay is Curaçao's postcard image and the centrepiece of Willemstad's UNESCO-listed historic area. Cafés line the quay, and ships pass close by on their way into the harbour.
For the classic photo, cross the Queen Emma Bridge to the Otrobanda side and shoot back across the water in the late-afternoon light.
- Time needed
- 30–60 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Photo spot
- Architecture
- History
Landmark · Punda
2.Queen Emma Bridge
Opened in 1888, this pedestrian pontoon bridge floats on boats and swings aside to let ships into the harbour, linking Punda and Otrobanda. When it is open, free ferries carry pedestrians across, and at night it is lit with coloured lights.
Stay on the bridge when the warning signal sounds and ride along as it swings open — it is allowed and a memorable short ride.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Kids
- After dark
- Photo spot
Beach · Westpunt and Banda Abou
3.Playa Kenepa
Grote Knip, or Kenepa Grandi, is the island's most photographed beach: a white-sand cove framed by cliffs and turquoise water, with a viewpoint above it. Smaller Kleine Knip is just down the road, and the nearby Landhuis Knip is where the 1795 slave uprising led by Tula began.
Arrive early on weekends, when the beach fills with local families, and bring snorkel gear for the rocks on either side.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Kids
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
Religious site · Punda
4.Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue
Completed in 1732, this synagogue is the oldest in continuous use in the Americas, with a sand-covered floor, mahogany furnishings and brass chandeliers. The adjoining Jewish Cultural Historical Museum displays ritual objects from the island's Sephardic community.
Visit outside service times and allow time for the small museum in the courtyard, which explains the sand floor.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
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Historic site · Punda
5.Fort Amsterdam
Built by the Dutch West India Company in the 1630s at the harbour entrance, the fort now houses the governor's residence and government offices behind its yellow walls. The Fortkerk church inside still has a cannonball lodged in its wall.
Walk through the gate to the inner courtyard and look for the cannonball in the Fortkerk's façade.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
Historic site · Otrobanda
6.Rif Fort
This 19th-century fort guarding the Otrobanda side of the harbour mouth now houses shops and restaurants inside its walls. Its ramparts give a wide view over the bay, Handelskade and the ships entering the harbour.
Climb onto the ramparts at sunset for views of Handelskade, then eat at one of the restaurants inside the fort.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Shopping
- After dark
Neighbourhood · Punda
7.Scharloo
Across a small bridge from Punda, Scharloo was the district of wealthy Jewish merchants in the 19th century, and its Scharlooweg is lined with restored mansions in pastel colours, including the green 'Wedding Cake House'. Large murals cover walls in the side streets.
Walk along Scharlooweg in the early morning when the light is soft and the street is quiet.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Photo spot
- Off the beaten path
Nature · Westpunt and Banda Abou
8.Christoffel National Park
The island's largest protected area covers cactus forest, plantation history and the Christoffelberg, at about 372 metres the highest point on Curaçao. The summit trail is short but steep and rocky, and lower trails and drives look for white-tailed deer, orchids and birds.
Start the Christoffelberg climb as early as the park allows; access to the summit trail is usually cut off later in the morning because of heat.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Active
- Views
- Outdoors
Nature · Westpunt and Banda Abou
1.Shete Boka National Park
On the wild north coast, Shete Boka's limestone inlets channel Atlantic waves into thundering spray, best seen at Boka Tabla, where a cave lets you watch the surf crash in from inside the cliff. Sea turtles nest on some of the small beaches.
Visit on a windy day for the biggest waves, and stay behind barriers; swimming is not possible on this coast.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Views
- Kids
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
Nature · Hato
2.Hato Caves
Guided tours lead through limestone caves formed under an ancient coral reef near the airport, with stalactites, an underground pool and a colony of fruit bats. Petroglyphs left by the Indigenous Caquetío people are near the entrance.
Ask your guide about the Caquetío rock drawings on the trail outside; many visitors miss them.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
- History
Beach · Westpunt and Banda Abou
3.Playa Piskadó
At Westpunt, local fishermen clean their catch on the small pier at Playa Piskadó (Playa Grandi), drawing green sea turtles into the shallows, where snorkellers can watch them. The beach is small, pebbly and informal.
Keep a respectful distance from the turtles and never feed or touch them; the fishermen's pier is a working area.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Experience · Jan Thiel
4.Tugboat wreck at Caracas Bay
A small sunken tugboat lies upright in about five metres of water near the Caracas Bay pier, covered with corals and fish. It is reachable from shore and shallow enough for snorkellers, as well as being one of the island's best-known easy dives.
Go on a calm morning and with a dive or snorkel guide if you are unsure of the entry; the wreck is a short swim along the shore.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Active
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Experience · Salinja
5.Landhuis Chobolobo
The original Blue Curaçao liqueur is distilled at this 19th-century country house from the dried peel of the bitter Laraha orange, descended from Spanish Valencia oranges planted centuries ago. Tours explain the process and end with tastings and cocktails.
Book the cocktail workshop rather than just the short tour if you want to taste more than one flavour.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- History
- Rainy day
Nature · Westpunt and Banda Abou
6.Flamingos at the Jan Kok salt pans
Flocks of wild Caribbean flamingos feed in the shallow salt pans beside the road near Sint Willibrordus, on the way to the west-end beaches. A roadside pull-off gives good views without disturbing the birds.
Stop on the way to Westpunt in the morning, and bring binoculars or a zoom lens; never walk out into the pans.
- Time needed
- 20–30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Nature
- Photo spot
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| History | Handelskade, Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, Fort Amsterdam and Hato Caves |
| Views | Rif Fort, Christoffel National Park and Shete Boka National Park |
| Outdoors and nature | Playa Kenepa, Christoffel National Park, Shete Boka National Park and Hato Caves |
| Food and markets | Landhuis Chobolobo |
| After dark | Queen Emma Bridge and Rif Fort |
| With children | Queen Emma Bridge, Shete Boka National Park, Hato Caves and Playa Kenepa |
| On a rainy day | Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, Hato Caves and Landhuis Chobolobo |
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Curaçao?
Handelskade. The row of brightly painted, gabled Dutch-colonial merchant houses facing the Sint Anna Bay is Curaçao's postcard image and the centrepiece of Willemstad's UNESCO-listed historic area.
+What can you do for free in Curaçao?
Handelskade, Queen Emma Bridge, Playa Kenepa, Fort Amsterdam and Rif Fort. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Curaçao when it rains?
Head indoors to Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, Hato Caves and Landhuis Chobolobo.
+What is there to do in Curaçao at night?
Queen Emma Bridge and Rif Fort are best after dark.