Curaçao Street Art

I love discovering street art when I travel, and I’m wowed by the street art in Curaçao! Downtown Willemstad is a treasure trove and since there is a lot, I’ve divided this post by neighborhood, so you can do your own walking tour when you go! if you’ve only got a day in Curaçao, this is the area to visit.

Want to see more posts about street art in The Caribbean? Check it out in Guadeloupe, Martinique and Bonaire.

The Top Curaçao Street Art is in Otrobanda

We stayed at an airbnb in Otrobanda, so this hip and growing neighborhood introduced us to the colorful street art of Curaçao. In our first days in the city, we wandered the streets taking photos and learning about the community. We also went on a Free Walking Tour and our guide showed off this trendy neighborhood and its street art.

Kayakaya in Otrobanda

Otrobanda’s residents make the neighborhood special by encouraging artists, opening their exterior walls and hosting regular street parties with music and art. They threw these parties called Kayakaya every few months. Oh the days before Covid! Even though we missed the street parties, we can still walk around and enjoy the art in Otrobanda. And so can you!

Colorful Steps, Otrobanda

Colorful Steps is one of the most popular Kayakaya installments in Otrobanda. Located close to Queen Juliana bridge, the stairs are not often empty because people visit them for photo sessions. We photographed a family commemorating their daughter’s Communion day and instagram shows what a popular photo shoot the stairs are in Curaçao.

Rasta Car Wash Otrobanda

After visiting the steps, stop by Rasta Car Wash. This project was done with local schoolchildren for a local resident. You may even get to meet the man behind Rasta Car Wash like we did!

Need I say there is a lot of art in this part of Curaçao? Here’s some more near the Queen Juliana bridge and canal.

Curaçao Street Art in Punda

Across the famous swinging bridge from Otrobanda is Willemstad’s center, Punda, another great neighborhood for public art.

More known for its government buildings, shops and restaurants, Punda also has colorful and engaging street art, from sculptures to murals. Brian and I found a lot of them through a really cool geocache street art puzzle, one of my favorite geocaches yet.

You don’t need to geocache to find the art. Just walk near the Queen Emma bridge, through the courtyards and alleyways to the DUSHI and CURAÇAO signs and you will see gorgeous murals and public art everywhere.

Punda and Pietermaii Art

As you walk further past the big signs, Punda bleeds into to the small upscale neighborhood of Pietermaii, so some of these murals may be from Pietermaii.

When we first arrive to a new place on our sailboat, I am excited to explore! I want to learn about the culture and the people who live there, hike the land and dive in the water. Curaçao’s residents comprise a mix of many cultures, evidenced by the variety of languages spoken and the diversity of the street art. We’ve been in Curaçao 6 weeks already, and I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface.

Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.

Edgar Degas

What did you see that resonated? Let me know in the comments!