The beautiful Penha building in Curaçao

One of the most impressive sights in Curaçao is the Penha Building. This building is very special and you will notice that immediately when you see it for the first time. The building doesn’t seem “real”. By this I mean it looks like a dollhouse, although it was meant to be a real house to live in. This is mainly due to the yellow color of the building and the beautiful window frames. The Penha Building in Curacao is a must visit place when you are in Willemstad, Curacao. It is located on the colorful Handelskade and can be found on the corner of Handelskade with Breedestraat. This special building is the most photographed building in Willemstad, thanks to its impressive appearance with the beautiful yellow color and window frames.

The History of the Penha Building

The Penha Building in Curaçao was built in 1708. They wanted to use this building as a commercial building and it was used as a warehouse. A while later this building was used as a residence. The first occupant of this beautiful house was the widow of a Dutch governor. Her son, then governor, lived next door to her in the Governor’s Palace.

This special yellow building is now internationally recognised. In 1997, the Penha Building was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the historic center.

In 1865 the company ‘Penha & Sons’ was founded. This company had 22 stores in the Caribbean Netherlands. They mainly sold high quality beauty and fashion products.

What is the purpose of the Penha building today?

Today, the Penha building certainly still has a function. You can still stop by the Penha shop! It’s a fancy shop where they now sell perfume. The best part is that you don’t have to pay VAT on the products! This colorful Penha store is no longer alone as there are multiple locations of this store scattered across the island. So you can shop in several places on Curacao at this chic store!

Can you visit the Penha building?

If you want to visit this beautiful building, I have good news for you: you can! First of all, you can view the building from the outside. This yellow building is perfect for taking photos because of its special color and frames. You can also enter the building and visit the chic perfume shop Penha. If you are in Willemstad on Curaçao, you should definitely visit the Penha building on the Handelskade!