Key Indicators
Maritime sector contributes
Avg. 5%
To Curaçao’s GDP
Maritime Traffic
About 2500 vessels
are piloted inward annually
Cruise Terminal
over 300
cruise calls annually
Caribbean’s one-stop service port
The sector is vital for the country’s import and export businesses, and impacts on other sectors, such as tourism, oil refining, logistics and shipping.
The centrally located ports lay outside the major hurricane routes. The ports of Curaçao are naturally sheltered ports that offer safe, fast, and reliable handling of ships and cargo.
The ports available for commercial purposes include: Willemstad, Fuik Bay, Caracas Bay, Bullen Bay and St. Michiel’s Bay.
As part of the Dutch Kingdom, Curaçao offers a flexible, transparent, stable and favorable business environment in and via the island to the European Union, with a cultural and linguistic diversity that facilitates access to regional markets.
Through its well-established infrastructure, Curaçao has become the Caribbean’s one- stop service port. Facilities include RORO/ bulk/ break bulk/ container - terminal, drydock, free zone, passenger terminal, warehousing, storage, scrapping, ex-pipe, liquid bulk terminal, quays, jetties, deep-sea buoy and marinas.
The comprehensive cluster of experienced operators and service providers fortifies the port offering with a.o. tugboat services, pilotage, bunkering, ship repair & maintenance, underwater services, waste management, offshore services, training, surveys and ship supplies/ equipment.
Important links:
Maritime traffic
About 2500 vessels are piloted inward annually equaling a gross tonnage over 37 million GT. The cruise terminal enables over 300 cruise calls annually, including facilities for the largest vessels currently in operation, and about 800.000 passenger arrivals and in 2024, Curaçao was ranked among the best cruise destinations. About 100.000 TEU of containerized cargo passes through the ports yearly with over 900,000 metric tons.
The ports furthermore serve large ships and floating objects through its specialized marine service providers and offer one of the largest drydock facilities in the region.
Investment Opportunities
Grote Werf
Real Estate development opportunity at the Grote Werf Facility adjacent to “the Wharf” luxury apartment development. The property measures over 5000 m2 and is poised to add further value to the district with the possibility for development of restaurants, entertainment venues and multi-story complexes for urban housing and hospitality. The development area lies within the confines of the World Heritage Buffer zone.
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Motet/Nieuwe Werf
The potential development of 5000m2 office space and about 8000m2 of warehouse facilities at the Motet/Nieuwe Werf property can provide a logistical and knowledge nexus for shipping and industries supporting among others the offshore energy sector and should Combine a multi-use, multi-level facility with operational zones capable of facilitating small vessel activities.
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