‘Willemstad’ surely deserves its listing on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the same list that boasts the Taj Mahal, pyramids in Egypt and the Great Wall of China, clearly setting it apart from anything you’ll encounter in the rest of the Caribbean!

The development of the city center of Willemstad started when the Dutch settled on the island in 1634 by building a fortress on the east bank of the harbor. ‘Fort Amsterdam’ as it was called, is still the official residence of the governor and home to the government.

On the peninsula around it, affectionately called ‘The Point’ (later ‘Punda’), the first homes and shops were established.

The trade quay or ‘Handelskade’ is still the calling card of the island with its pastel colored buildings that resemble the famous canal houses in Amsterdam. Famous in the down-town area is also the old Jewish synagogue Mikve Imanuel.