Curaçao: an island full of color

Blue Curaçao, my ass! The Caribbean island, which is primarily associated with the color blue, unfolds a kaleidoscope of colors and stories. From the famous liqueurs to the artistically painted facades in Willemstad and the blue, white and yellow flag – the island is alive with color. Colonial past and modern present merge here.

The decorative Dushi Curaçao sign is a popular photo motif, especially among cruise ship tourists / © Photo: Georg Berg
The decorative Dushi Curaçao sign on the parliament building is a popular photo motif, especially among cruise ship tourists / © Photo: Georg Berg

Many cruise tourists only stay for a few hours, enjoy the sun and return to the ship. But if you take a closer look, you will discover more than just postcard motifs. Traces of the Dutch-influenced past, closely linked to the slave trade, encourage visitors to engage with history. Curaçao changed from a Dutch trading hub to an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Papiamentu language, which is only spoken here, and its own traditions strengthen a self-confidence that is slowly healing the wounds of the colonial era.

Blue is the color of Curaçao as here on the beach and the lagoon of Grote Knip / © Photo: Georg Berg
Blue is the defining color of Curaçao as here on the beach and the lagoon of Grote Knip / © Photo: Georg Berg
Two cruise ships have docked in the capital of Curaçao / © Photo: Georg Berg
Two cruise ships have docked in the capital of Curaçao. Even from a bird’s eye view, the colorful facades of the houses are striking / © Photo: Georg Berg

Willemstad’s colorful architecture

The colorful houses of Willemstad have an interesting historical background. In 1817, Governor Albert Kikkert issued the decree to paint all houses in different colors. He allegedly suffered from migraines, which were intensified by the bright sunlight on the originally white facades. Over time, the color scheme of the houses grew into a complex system of social and cultural meanings.

In Curaçao, the license plates of the cars under the national flag also show the colorful house facades of the Handelskade in the capital Willemstad / © Photo: Georg Berg
In Curaçao, the license plates of the cars under the national flag also show the colorful house facades of the Handelskade in Willemstad / © Photo: Georg Berg

More than just a facade!

The gaudy house facades that characterize Willemstad have gradually been replaced by artistically designed murals. In the UNESCO World Heritage-listed districts of Punda, Otrabanda, Pietermaai and Scharloo, walls are being transformed into canvases on which traditional façade design merges with South American muralismo. Some murals tell the story of the island’s history and culture, they address resistance, emancipation and community cohesion.

A motif from the slave past of the former Dutch colony of Curaçao. Freedom and Transformation is the title of the mural on a wall next to the colorful houses on Pietermaai Street / © Photo: Georg Berg
A motif from the slave past of the former Dutch colony of Curaçao. Freedom and Transformation is the title of the mural on a wall next to the colorful houses on Pietermaai Street / © Photo: Georg Berg

The districts of Willemstad are distinguished by their peculiar color combinations. The historic district of Punda is known for the iconic, pastel-colored facades on the Trade Arcade. Colors such as ochre, orange, light blue and pink dominate here, reflecting the colonial heritage and Dutch influence. On the other side of St. Anna Bay is Otrobanda with its vibrant street art and bolder colors. Many buildings in Pietermaai are currently being renovated and painted in eye-catching colors such as turquoise, pink and purple, which should give the district a modern flair.

Curaçao’s white houses

The now famous colorful houses of Curaçao once shone in plain white. The Kas di Pal’i Maishi museum, also known as the Kunuku House, tells the story of the life of the freed slaves after 1863. It is a traditional adobe house, built around 130 years ago, and shows how the Afro-Curaçaoan rural population lived and worked until the middle of the 20th century. Visitors can also learn how wall paint was made in the past: In a fireplace, coral was burned with charcoal to make lime, ground and mixed with aloe vera juice to make a water-repellent paint. The white wall paint became popular on Curaçao for practical reasons: It protects against the weather, reflects sunlight and lowers the temperatures in the houses.

The first white wall paint on Curacao was made by burning coral with charcoal and then slurrying the white powder in aloe vera / © Photo: Georg Berg
The first white wall paint on Curacao was made by burning coral with charcoal and then slurrying the white powder in aloe vera / © Photo: Georg Berg

The true story of Curaçao liqueur

One misconception less: real Curaçao liqueur from the island of Curaçao does not have to be blue. Although the bright blue color is inextricably linked to the island’s identity and is known worldwide, the liqueur, distilled from the peel of Laraha oranges, was originally crystal clear. It was only for marketing reasons that it was dyed with food coloring – in yellow, green, red and blue.

Genuine Curaçao liqueur produced on Curaçao by Senior at Landhuis Chobolobo Distillery is an initially colorless distillate made from macerated Lahara orange peel. Added food coloring can color it red, yellow, green or (most famously) blue / © Photo: Georg Berg
Real Curaçao liqueur produced on Curaçao by Senior at Landhuis Chobolobo Distillery is an initially colorless distillate made from macerated Lahara orange peels. Added food coloring can color it red, yellow, green or (most famously) blue / © Photo: Georg Berg

Awa ta Bida – water of life

The tap water on Curaçao is of the best quality and easy to drink. As the island does not have sufficient freshwater sources, seawater has been desalinated to produce drinking water since 1928. The history of the water supply is depicted in a long mural in the old desalination plant, designed by artist Sander van Beusekom on behalf of the water supplier.

Water is life. The history of drinking water supply on Curaçao is told on a long mural in front of the old seawater desalination plant / © Photo: Georg Berg
Water is life. The history of drinking water supply on Curaçao is told on a long mural in front of the old seawater desalination plant / © Photo: Georg Berg

Industrialization begins with an oil refinery

Curaçao is located in close proximity to Venezuela, a country with large oil reserves. In contrast to the politically unstable Venezuela, Curaçao, as a Dutch colony at the beginning of the 20th century, offered a safe environment for a refinery. The Shell refinery marked a radical turning point in Curaçao’s history in 1915. The transformation from a commercial to an industrial island brought about profound economic, social and environmental changes, the effects of which can still be felt today.

Behind the Juliana highway bridge, parts of the Shell refinery can be seen, which is of great importance to Curaçao's recent history / © Photo: Georg Berg
Behind the Juliana highway bridge, parts of the Shell refinery can be seen, which is of great importance to Curaçao’s recent history / © Photo: Georg Berg

Floating Market

With the expansion of the refinery, Curaçao’s agricultural structure changed, as increasing industrialization led to a decline in agricultural land and an increased dependence on food imports. As a direct response, the Floating Market was created as a unique trading system. Since then, traders from Venezuela have brought fresh food to Curaçao and form an important counterbalance to the supermarkets. Today, the stalls of the Venezuelan traders are a tourist highlight and an important part of the cultural identity as a link to Venezuela.

Traders from Venezuela bring their fresh products by boat to the floating market in Willemstad, around 70 kilometers away, and then offer them at numerous market stalls over a length of 200 meters / © Photo: Georg Berg
Venezuelan traders bring their fresh produce by boat to the floating market in Willemstad, some 70 kilometers away, and then offer it at numerous market stalls along a length of 200 meters / © Photo: Georg Berg

The colors of the national flag

The Dutch flag flew on Curaçao until 1984. The desire for its own identity led to the introduction of the current flag on July 2, 1984. Blue symbolizes the Caribbean Sea and the sky, yellow the sun. The two stars stand for the main island and the uninhabited Klein Curaçao. Its five points represent the continents from which the inhabitants of Curaçao originate.

On the flag of Curaçao, a yellow line separates the blue of the sea from the blue of the sky. The large and the small star symbolize the large and the small island, which together form Curaçao / © Photo: Georg Berg
On the flag of Curaçao, a yellow line separates the blue of the sea from the blue of the sky / © Photo: Georg Berg

Further perspectives on Curaçao

While street art on weathered walls illuminates Willemstad’s street art scene, Swinging Old Lady of Curaçao portrays the historic Queen Emma Bridge. Culinary Journey through Curaçao explores the Creole-Dutch fusion cuisine and Curaçao: Island full of colors shows the characteristic color spectrum of the Caribbean island.

The research was supported by the Curaçao Tourist Board

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