Otrobanda

Otrobanda became Willemstad's first suburb in the late 17th century, when lepers and convicts banished from Punda began moving here. The area's low-rise architecture is the result of an 18th century order not to obstruct Fort Amsterdam's line of fire. Most of Willemstad's historic buildings are located in Otrobanda, including the 1734 St Anna Basilica, the oldest in the Antilles. The Riffort, a defensive post on the entrance to the sea, has been used as a telegraph station, radio station, desalination plant, WWII officers' digs, scout hall and is now a trendy shopping mall with a fancy restaurant on the sea side.

Otrabonda charm extends beyond its brochure-ready buildings. The maze of streets and lanes wiggling back from the waterfront are fun to wander - stores and houses run the gamut from pastel and spruce to crumbling and spooky. Also, much of the advertising and store signage is hand painted, giving the streets perky, individual characters.

Restoration projects in recent years have brought back much of Otrobanda's charm and beauty. One is the impressive Kura Hulanda project, which transformed part of historic Otrobanda into a five star town hotel (www.kurahulanda.com). Another is the rebuilding of Brion Square, which was destroyed in the May 1969 riots and never restored into its old glory. It is here, where the office of Trustmoore is located, in between St. Martinus University (www.martinus.edu) and Howard Johnson Plaza (www.hojo-curacao.com).

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