Undoubt­ed­ly the capital’s stand­out site, the hand­some Han­del­skade lies right in the his­toric heart of Willem­stad. Fea­tured on pret­ty much every Cura­cao post­card, the charm­ing col­lec­tion of col­or­ful colo­nial build­ings make for some fan­tas­tic pho­tos and view­ing.

Look­ing out over the glint­ing waters of St Anna Bay, its instant­ly rec­og­niz­able sev­en­­teenth-cen­­tu­ry build­ings are paint­ed in vivid yel­lows, blues, oranges and pinks. Part of the Pun­da dis­trict, its live­ly water­front is now home to count­less cafes, restau­rants, shops and art gal­leries.

Asides from wan­der­ing about and tak­ing in the pleas­ant ambi­ence and archi­tec­ture, you can sit and watch the Queen Emma Pon­toon Bridge from one of its chilled-out cafes. From here, you can eas­i­ly explore the cen­ter and vis­it most of the city’s main muse­ums and tourist attrac­tions.