Willemstad, Curaçao

Why go?

With its picturesque UNESCO World Heritage-listed waterfront, brightly coloured gabled buildings and stores selling Gouda cheese and Delft pottery,willemstad appears to present a classically Dutch scene. In fact it is much more interesting thanks to Curaçao’s cultural diversity – the island is home to over 50 nationalities and most residents speak English, Dutch, Spanish and Papiamentu (Creole). Easy to walk around, the city is split into two parts, Otrobanda and Punda, by the Sint Annabaai channel that is spanned by a swing bridge lit up at night.visitors can respectfully explore this diverse heritage further at the Mikvé Israel-emanuel, the oldest continuously used synagogue in the Western hemisphere, and the Museum Kurá Hulanda, which documents the island’s ties with West Africa through slavery.

Don’t miss: A stroll in the Pietermaai district, in the east of the city, which has many fine Dutch 18th and 19th century buildings and doesn’t get swamped with cruise ship visitors.there are also boutique hotels and small restaurants worth returning to for dinner; try Mosa, which offers sharing plates featuring local shrimp, octopus and ceviche (mosarestaurant.com).

Local flavours: Plasa Bieu is a casual, lunch-only former market in Punda serving hearty stews and island specialties like funchi (polenta) and cactus soup. Or book a half-day Caribbean cookery class with cheery Dutch chef Helmi Smeulders (helmismeulders.com).

Our tip: Willemstad is flat so cycling is a lovely way to explore – Art Now Tours offers insightful guided rides to see the vivid street art of Punda (facebook.com/arttourscuracao).

Repurposed premises (clockwise from right) Willemstad’s historic centre, including the Punda district, was originally built by the Dutch as a hub for the brutal slave trade – now it’s home to vibrant street art; in Curaçao, the beach is never far away; a street musician plays a benta, a one-stringed musical bow; Dutch settlers originally painted Willemstad’s houses bright colours to reduce the glare from the sun