Willemstad - the largest city and administrative center of Curaçao - the largest island of the Netherlands Antilles. Curaçao is a self-governing public entity located in the south of the Caribbean Sea near the shores of Venezuela. It has been a constituent state of the Kingdom of the Netherlands since 2010.
The population of Willemstad is 58 thousand people (2003), and in the urban agglomeration there are 130 thousand.
The Dutch founded a trading settlement in the beautiful natural harbor of the Caribbean island of Curaçao in 1634. In the following centuries it steadily grew and developed. As the island’s economy flourished, it attracted many Dutch and Jewish traders, and around the defensive structures a prosperous merchant city quickly grew, with numerous mansions and business districts.
Separated by the narrow and deep Sint-Anna Bay canal, or Schottegat, the city center forms two main districts: Punda on the eastern side and Otrobanda on the western. A magnificent waterfront along the entire bay is lined with typical Dutch buildings from the 18th-19th centuries and lavish mansions of merchant families, where today there are numerous shops, restaurants, museums, and cafés.
In 1997, the Inner City and Harbor of Willemstad were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Today Willemstad is the center of public, commercial, and cultural activity in Curaçao. In addition, it remains the island’s largest trading port. The main industries of the city’s economy include oil extraction and processing, fishing and other seafood, as well as tourism. Every year, Willemstad is visited by a huge number of young people, active-lifestyle enthusiasts, eco-tourists hoping to see the island’s stunning nature, and families with small children who will enjoy having fun in the many city amusement parks.
ClimateThe climate of Willemstad is subtropical. Here it is very hot all year round. The average daily air temperature in summer exceeds +27 °C, and in winter the thermometer rarely drops below +20 °C.
On the territory of Willemstad, as on the entire island, there are two climatic seasons-dry and wet. Rainfall in the city is brought by the north-eastern trade winds blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The rainy season begins in September and ends in mid-December. During this time, the amount of precipitation is about 300 mm. Willemstad has a favorable geographic location. It is significantly away from the belt of tropical hurricanes, so destructive storms are not recorded here.
Many tourists call the period from January to September the best time to visit the capital of Curaçao, when the city has an optimal air temperature and there are no downpours that could interfere with rest.
