Where to shop in Curaçao: Willemstad, the floating market and Blue Curaçao

Shopping in Curaçao is really shopping in Willemstad, in and around the painted streets of Punda. The things worth carrying home are the ones made here rather than the same duty-free brands sold everywhere.

What to look for

Blue Curaçao, the island’s own liqueur, is made from the dried peel of the laraha, a bitter orange that grows only here, and it is the local buy. So are Chichi dolls, the brightly painted figurines of the island’s women, hand-made by local artisans. Down at the harbour, the floating market is a row of Venezuelan boats selling fruit, fish and produce off the deck, a sight as much as a shop. Punda’s streets and the Rif Fort cover the rest.

The shops

Before you go

The floating market trades in the morning, when the boats are freshest. The number on each page is the shop’s own.