welcomecuraçao Book tours
ENNL
Handelskade, Punda

Handelskade, Punda

The pastel waterfront that put Willemstad on every postcard, best seen from across the bay in Otrobanda.

Photo: Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 4.0
  • AreaPunda, Willemstad
  • Best forPhotos, first-day orientation
  • Time1–2 h with Punda
  • CostFree

The Handelskade is the row of gabled, candy-coloured merchant houses that lines the Punda side of St Anna Bay. It is the image most people have of Curaçao before they arrive, and it is part of the historic inner city and harbour of Willemstad that UNESCO listed as World Heritage in 1997.

The buildings date mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries, when this quay was where ships loaded and unloaded. Their Dutch gables are softened by Caribbean colours; a popular local story says a 19th-century governor ordered the houses painted because the glare of white walls gave him headaches. Treat that as folklore rather than fact, but it is a good one.

How to see it

The best view of the Handelskade is not from the Handelskade. Walk across the Queen Emma Bridge pontoon bridge or take the free ferry to Otrobanda, then look back from the quay there: the whole row lines up in one frame. On the Punda side, the ground floors are cafés and shops, so you can sit at a terrace and watch tugboats and cruise ships slide past a few metres away.

  • Morning: soft light from the east on the facades and fewer people.
  • Sunset to evening: the bridge lights up and the waterfront terraces fill.
  • Cruise days: busy around midday; come early or late.

Combine it with

Punda is compact. Within ten minutes on foot you reach the yellow walls of Fort Amsterdam, the sand-floored Mikvé Israel-Emanuel synagogue and the shopping streets behind the quay. For context on what you are looking at, a guided walk is worth it: GetYourGuide lists several, or compare on Viator. Our Willemstad guide covers the rest of the city.

Tip: Park once (there are paid lots near the fort and at Waaigat) and do Punda and Otrobanda on foot. Driving between the two means a detour over the high Queen Juliana Bridge.

Want to wake up near the waterfront? Search Booking.com for hotels in Punda, Pietermaai and Otrobanda.

Tours: Handelskade, Punda

Compare guided trips, transfers and tickets.

Check availability

Frequently asked questions

Is the Handelskade free to visit?

Yes. It is a public waterfront; you only pay for whatever you eat or drink on the terraces.

Where is the best photo spot?

From the Otrobanda quay on the opposite side of St Anna Bay, or from the middle of the Queen Emma Bridge.

Is it part of the UNESCO site?

Yes. The historic area of Willemstad, inner city and harbour, has been UNESCO World Heritage since 1997.

Handelskade, Punda
Photo: Niels Karsdorp, Dh3201, CC BY-SA 3.0

Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.