Port of call 4 · Day 06 · The wedding
Curaçao · Willemstad
The last port, and the reason for the voyage. A Dutch Caribbean harbor town of pastel façades, a swinging pontoon bridge, and a 1732 synagogue with sand on the floor.
[Arrival time and all-aboard TBD]
Willemstad
Two halves of a town, joined by a bridge that floats.
Willemstad sits on either side of St. Anna Bay: Punda, the older quarter with the Handelskade’s row of Dutch-colonial façades in yellow, ochre and blue, and Otrobanda — literally “the other side” — where the cruise ships tie up. The Queen Emma pontoon bridge swings open for passing ships and closes again for pedestrians, which is how most of us will cross to the ceremony.
The whole historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is small enough to walk end to end in an hour, which leaves plenty of time to get lost in it before we all put on our good shoes.
Arrive
[TBD]
All aboard
[TBD]
Currency
Guilder · USD accepted
Languages
Papiamentu · Dutch · English
Willemstad, Curaçao — the Handelskade, the Queen Emma bridge, and St. Anna Bay
01
The Handelskade & Punda
The postcard row of gabled houses along the water, best seen from the Otrobanda side in the morning light. Behind it, Punda’s narrow streets, the floating market, and the synagogue itself.
02
The Queen Emma pontoon bridge
Locals call it the Swinging Old Lady. It floats on pontoons and swings aside for ships; if it is open when you arrive, a free ferry runs across. Cross it at dusk when the lights come on.
03
Pietermaai & Otrobanda
Restored mansions, street murals, and small cafés a ten-minute walk from the pier. [Our favourite coffee and lunch spots TBD.]