The Permanent Collection

Curaçao

An island, exhibited.
Curator's note
I

Forty miles off the coast of Venezuela, the trade wind keeps a small island permanently in bloom. Here colour is architecture, the sea is a gallery, and every street corner has been hung with light. This is Curaçao, arranged for viewing.

Now on view

Six exhibits

A study in colour

The island palette
Bay Blue
#2c5e97
Handels Gold
#e0a23b
Otrobanda
#d96a4c
Lagoon
#2c8c7e
Pietermaai
#d98ba0
Trade Wind
#e6c24e

Voices for Curaçao

In praise of the island

More than 500 people have already joined the members club — a quiet, growing circle drawn to the island.

A row of pastel facades leaning over the water, their reflections trembling in St. Anna Bay. Curaçao greets you in colour before it says a word.
The Handelskade
Willemstad wears its history lightly. A UNESCO World Heritage city where Punda and Otrobanda face each other across the harbour, joined and parted by a bridge that floats.
The Old Town
The Queen Emma pontoon bridge swings open for the ships and closes again for the walkers. The whole town learns to keep its patience and its rhythm.
Punda
Step off the shore and the reef is already there, close and unhurried, the water turning every shade of blue the eye can hold.
The Blue
Papiamentu is the island's own voice, woven from many and belonging to one. To hear it is to understand that Curaçao was never a copy of anywhere.
The Rhythm
Roughly three hundred days of sun, the trade winds steady, and the island set safely outside the hurricane belt. A climate that feels less like luck than design.
The Light
There is a blue that bears the island's name, poured from a peel that only ripens here. A small, bright proof of how particular this place insists on being.
The Table
Four hundred and forty-four square kilometres of the southern Caribbean, Dutch and Caribbean at once, fluent in four languages and at ease in all of them.
A first visit

Plan your visit

Admission
Hours
Open year round
Roughly 300 days of sun a year, cooled by a constant trade wind. There is no closing time.
Location
12°N 69°W
Southern Caribbean, outside the hurricane belt. A short flight from Miami, Amsterdam, and the continent.
Admission
Always free to wander
The streets, the colour, and the sea cost nothing. Members receive the rest.
Become a member

Step behind the colour.

Join the members club

Good to know

Before you come

Where is Curaçao?

Curaçao is a Dutch Caribbean island in the southern Caribbean Sea, about 65 kilometres north of the coast of Venezuela.

Is Curaçao outside the hurricane belt?

Yes. Curaçao sits outside the main Atlantic hurricane belt, which gives it a dry, sunny climate for most of the year.

What languages are spoken in Curaçao?

The island's own language is Papiamentu. Dutch, English and Spanish are also widely spoken.

What is Willemstad known for?

Willemstad, the capital, has a historic centre inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site — famous for the colourful Handelskade facades and the floating Queen Emma pontoon bridge.

When is the best time to visit Curaçao?

Curaçao is a year-round destination, with roughly 300 days of sun and steady trade winds. There is no real off-season.

What currency is used in Curaçao?

The Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG) is the local currency, and US dollars are widely accepted across the island.