Willemstad's floating market sits along the Sha Caprileskade quay, in the historic district of Punda, just a few minutes' walk from the Queen Emma Bridge. The name is a bit misleading: it's not the stalls that float, but the small wooden boats moored just behind them, arriving from Venezuela loaded with fresh fruit, vegetables, and fish.
This trade between the two countries has existed for a century, kept alive by Venezuelan families who make the crossing and sometimes stay in Willemstad for several weeks, sleeping aboard their boats. The closure of the maritime border between Venezuela and Curaçao in 2019 caused the boats to disappear from the quay. Since the reopening, the market has come back to life, with fewer boats than before but real activity every morning.
In 2025, the municipality redeveloped the Sha Caprileskade quay to clearly separate the space reserved for vendors from the pedestrian area, making it easier to move between the stalls and the waterfront.
The best time to visit is still the morning, when the boats have just arrived and the colors of the papayas, plantains, and citrus fruits are still fresh under the tarps. People come as much for the atmosphere as for the produce: exchanging a few words of Spanish with a vendor is already a way to feel just how connected Curaçao and Venezuela remain, separated by only a short stretch of sea.
