When is the best time to visit Willemstad?
Willemstad has a subtropical, hot, steppe climate. The average yearly temperature is 27.6 degrees, making this a pleasant area to visit all year round. Willemstad receives approximately 552 mm of rain in a year. Located in the southern Caribbean Sea, the summer months are idyllic in the city and the winter months offer good temperatures and plenty of activities that may still be enjoyed. Peak summer season is ideal for swimming, diving, sailing and enjoying the beaches and view around the city but the winter months herald the opportunity to enjoy warm hotels, restaurants and socialising. December to April in Willemstad can be very crowded.
The off-peak season in Willemstad runs from May to November and this time of year is likely to be the least expensive. Hotels, spas, activities and airfare are at the highest during the summer months of December to April. During the off-peak season, rates in Willemstad can be as much as 20-50% lower than during the high season and as the weather is still quite good during this time, it is possible to enjoy a great holiday outside of peak times. During this time there are fewer crowds and cheap flights are easier to come by.
Why visit Willemstad?
As the capital city of the Caribbean island of Curacao, Willemstad is an interesting, peaceful and beautiful city. Willemstad is a large metropolitan city and as it's located on an island you will be able to take advantage of the best of a modern city with an island aura. Beautiful Caribbean waters await, as you take a guided half-day kayak tour or fishing tour or a boat tour to Klein Curacao. A visit to the Queen Juliana Bridge will keep you entertained. Measuring 185 feet (56 m), you will be standing on the highest bridge in the Caribbean. The Queen Emma Bridge is a floating pontoon bridge which you can watch open and close or take a ferry across the channel.
Dotted with colourful colonial buildings, the relaxed town of Willemstad is a pleasure to tour on foot and by bicycle stopping at eateries and coffee shops for a pastry or bowl of soup along the way. The meticulously kept, neat, narrow streets of Punda offer a good day trip as you learn more about the culture of the area. Otrobanda or the "other side" is the other district in the city, where you will find residential streets. The area has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site for its historical architecture.