Punda is the eastern half of the historic centre, the side with the Handelskade, the Floating Market, Fort Amsterdam, and the narrow shopping streets that were Willemstad's commercial heart for three centuries. The name means "the point" in Papiamentu — a reference to the promontory between the harbour entrance and the Schottegat.
Walking through Punda feels like a slightly faded version of a Dutch provincial town transplanted to the tropics: gabled facades, wrought-iron balconies, shop signs in Dutch and Papiamentu. The main shopping streets (Heerenstraat, Breedestraat) are busy during the day and quiet in the evenings when the cruise ships have gone. The best time to visit is early morning before the crowds, or late afternoon when the light turns golden on the harbour.