Colourful houses
On the water.
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The Handelskade is a waterfront in the Punda quarter of Willemstad, the capital of Curaçao, lined with old merchant houses in bright colours along St. Anna Bay. The Queen Emma Bridge, a floating bridge, links it to the Otrobanda quarter opposite, and the area is part of Willemstad's historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. The houses were built in Dutch style, with stepped gables and tiled roofs, but painted in Caribbean colours of yellow, blue, pink and green. They stand right on the water, their colours reflected in the bay, and have become the island's best-known and most photographed sight. The Queen Emma Bridge is a pontoon bridge resting on boats, built in 1888 and named after the Dutch queen of the time. Two small engines swing it sideways to let ships through in a few minutes, free ferries carry pedestrians across while it is open, and the arches above it have been lit at night since 1955. Crossing and walking around are free. Walking over the bridge from Otrobanda gives the best view of the colourful waterfront, evenings are lovely when the bridge lights up, and you may wait a few minutes if it opens for a ship.
On the water.
Swings for ships.
Lit arches.
Punda, Willemstad, Curaçao
Yes, and the ferries are free when it opens.
From the bridge or the Otrobanda side.