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Unlike many Caribbean islands, Curaçao is an independent country with an array of experiences to offer visitors beyond its beautiful beaches. For sophisticated travellers who enjoy learning about the places they visit, Curaçao’s range of interesting museums offers satisfying insight.

One visit to the extremely well-presented displays at the Kurá Hulanda museum confirms the respect for African cultures in contemporary Curaçao, where the majority of the population is of African descent. Curaçao has long been an important entrepot for trade between Europe and South America. Unfortunately, that trade included enslaved humans and the Kurá Hulanda Museum, whose motto is Learn, Empower, Change, does not shy away from the terrible realities of centuries ago. The museum displays related to slavery are quite the eye-openers for visitors unfamiliar with the conditions endured by slaves who managed to survive their horrors and those who did not. More uplifting are the evocative works of African art, which present the rich cultures of a continent left behind. The museum is located in Kurá Hulanda Village, a rejuvenated section of Willemstad’s Otrobanda district where a variety of shops and eateries cater to cruise passengers spending the day off their ships, as well as guests staying on the island seeking a relaxing stroll through the narrow lanes. Further west of Otrobanda is the Curaçao Museum, housed in a grand colonial-era building that reflects the island’s Dutch heritage. The Curaçao Museum displays items presenting life on the island as it was in the past.

: Curaçao Museum entrance

: Mikvé Israel-Emanuel synagogue interior

In the vibrant Pietermaai district, across the Queen Emma Bridge, is the fascinating Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue and museum. The oldest synagogue in the Americas, the original 1732 structure has been updated since its construction, but retains its traditional sand floor. The beautiful woodwork and large chandeliers create a contemplative air in a harmonious environment. Curaçao’s Jewish population was among the largest in the Caribbean, thanks to the Netherlands and its territories being sanctuaries for oppressed people in other parts of Europe.

: Maritime Museum interior

: Displays at Kura Hulanda museum

Today, the Jewish Museum Curaçao provides an informative summary of the lives of people who came to Curaçao to escape persecution and death at the hands of their enemies. Their desperation becomes very real for visitors in the reconstruction of the attic room where Anne Frank and her family hid from the Netherlands’ Nazi invaders until the family were purportedly betrayed by an employee of her father’s company and sent to their deaths in concentration camps.

Old gravestones at the Jewish Museum

How did Jewish people arrive on the island? Mainly by ship. Curaçao’s long connection to the sea is on display at the excellent Maritime Museum. Just a short walk from the Jewish Museum Curaçao, the Maritime Museum highlights 500 years of the island’s history, including its ships, trade routes, and developments through the centuries. Located in Scharloo, across a short footbridge from Pietermaai, the building’s exterior is as impressive as its contents, displayed in an open space reminiscent of a very large ship’s inner workings. An imperative for anyone remotely interested in maritime history and recommended for everyone else, the Maritime Museum is a great way to gain a better understanding of Curaçao before heading to one of the beaches sailors saw as they arrived at this special island in the Caribbean.