Shopping in Curaçao

While Curacao is not known as one of the top places to go in Caribbean for shopping bargains, some great deals can be found if you know where to look. 

Even if you don't find the best prices, the items available in island boutiques are high quality and worth the price.  Curacao has been a high-traffic trade center for generations, and island proprietors know how to choose the best products for their customers. 

The Goods

Products available in Curacao make up an international buffet.  Dutch Delft blue china, French perfumes, Italian silk, Japanese cameras are all available, as are a mixture of items coming from any of these countries and others around the world.  Visitors will find clothing, jewelry, leather goods, linens, liquor, and watches at island shops.

Where to Shop

The shopping in Willemstad is mainly concentrated in the Punda shopping district, along  Heerenstraat and Breedestraat.  This area has always been the main shopping area of the city, and today the streets are only available to pedestrians.  You will find a little bit of everything in the shops of Punda, including open air markets where locals sell their wares.  Check out Floating Market, New Market, and Old Market.

Otrobanda, on the other side of  St. Anna Bay from Punda, offers more shopping opportunities. Once considered to be the slums of Willemstad, a revamp has made the waterfront area home to some high end boutiques such as Tiffanys.  Renaissance Mall & Rif Fort is in Otrobanda, and offers over 50 stores, 15 bars and restaurants, and is known for its nightlife offerings. 

Saliña is the largest shopping area in Curacao after Punda.  A number of small shopping centers offer more every day goods than souvenirs, and they are located at larger distances from one another than the shops in Punda, so a car is necessary if you want to “mall hop.”  If you are on the hunt for souvenirs in Saliña, Saliña Galleries is where the European boutiques are located. 

The Promenade, Bloempot, and Zuikertuintje Shopping Centers are also malls situated throughout the islands, comprised of multiple stores selling a variety of international and local products. 

Duties, Taxes, and Tips

The official currency in Curacao is the Netherlands Antilles guilder (also called the florin), though the United States Dollar (USD) is almost universally accepted.  Payment can also be made by credit card.  The prices in island stores are fixed, and not a jumping-off point for bargaining.  Shopping in Curacao is not duty free, despite some shops in Willemstad claiming to be.

Shops in Curacao are typically open Monday through Saturday, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., with a two hour break in service mid-day.  Hours may vary when cruise ships dock, with the shops staying open through lunch, later in the day, and sometimes even on Sundays. 

If you plan to spend a chunk of your Caribbean vacation shopping, pick Curacao to do it.  While you may not find the best prices, they aren't outrageous either, and the product is always worthy.  On top of that, allowing yourself to get lost in the crowd as you wander from vendor to vendor is an experience all its own.