This past Saturday morning, I went to Punda—Curaçao’s historic city center—hoping to do some shopping and enjoy the charm of the capital. What I found instead was a ghost town. Apart from a handful of tourists walking around aimlessly, the streets were eerily quiet. Most shops were empty. One desperate shop owner stood outside begging me to come inside, repeating over and over, “Everything 50% off.”
Punda empty street
It was heartbreaking.
Punda, once the vibrant heartbeat of Curaçao, now feels forgotten and neglected. The charm, the elegance, the identity that once made our capital known as “the boutique of the Caribbean” is fading fast. What do we have instead? A city center overcrowded with cheap souvenir shops, knock-off products, and crumbling buildings. This is what we now present to our visitors? This is what we offer ourselves?
It’s unacceptable. And it’s a disgrace.
We hear a lot about hotel construction, tourism investment, and big announcements about economic growth. That’s great. But what about our city center? Where is the vision to revive Punda? Where is the urgency to restore pride in one of the most beautiful and historically significant areas of our island? This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Doesn’t that mean something? Doesn’t that deserve action?
If locals no longer find a reason to shop downtown, then let’s reinvent it for the visitors. Turn the empty stores into experiences—museums, cultural exhibitions, galleries, cafés, live music, and outdoor restaurants. Create activities that breathe life into the streets. Make Punda a place you want to walk through, explore, photograph, and remember.
And what about the abandoned and decaying buildings? Why not turn them into modern apartments and studios that attract young professionals, students, or tourists looking for a longer stay? Why not create incentives for private investment that respects the historical character of the city?
We need more than just pretty plans on paper—we need action. We need leadership. The Downtown Management Organization (DMO), the Government, business leaders, and the community must come together now before we lose Punda forever.
Punda is not just a few streets with colored buildings. Punda is our story. Our legacy. Our treasure.
It’s time to wake up and treat it that way.
