Walking Hanchi Punda.
A "hanchi" is a Papiamentu word for the narrow alleys that cut between the Dutch-Caribbean houses of Willemstad. Hanchi Punda is the most photographed of them, and the easiest to misread. Here's how to walk it properly.
Start at Hanchi Snoa
Begin where the synagogue is — the Mikvé Israel-Emanuel, one of the oldest continuously operating in the Americas. Hanchi Snoa runs alongside it, behind the Handelskade waterfront. This is the southern bookend of the route.
Walk north into Hanchi Punda
Past the synagogue, the alley narrows. The houses on either side were merchants' rear entrances in the 18th and 19th centuries — kitchens, storerooms, servants' stairs. The painted façades you photograph from the waterfront are actually the back of these buildings. The front doors are inside the alley.
Look up: the cornices and shutters change every fifty metres. Look down: the cobble is original. The cleanest version of the walk is around 17:30 on a weekday, when the light is low but the alley isn't yet full.
The middle stretch
Halfway up, Kuiperstraat cuts in from the east. This is where the modern alley wakes up — a handful of small businesses, two cafés, and a few doors that change tenants every couple of years. In summer 2026, Kuiperstraat 10 is where Bar de Copa 26 opens for thirty-nine nights.
Out at Madurostraat
Eventually Hanchi Punda spills onto Madurostraat. The northern end is quieter; the houses here have been converted into apartments and small offices. If you keep walking you'll reach Plasa Bieu, the old market, where the krioyo plates are.
What to photograph (and what not to)
The most-shared photo of Hanchi Punda is the laundry-line shot looking south, with the painted ochre walls converging. It's good but it's done. Try:
- The doorways. Each one is a different colour, painted by hand.
- The window grates — every one is wrought differently.
- The narrow strip of sky between the walls, especially after a quick rain.
What not to photograph: anyone's open door without permission. People still live in some of these houses; treat the alley like the street it actually is.
How long to walk it
Twenty minutes if you're moving. Two hours if you're stopping for coffee, looking at the synagogue, and reading the building plaques (worth doing). Best done before dinner, then revisited after.
Why we picked this street
Bar de Copa 26 sits in the middle of Hanchi Punda because the middle of the alley is where it gets interesting. We wanted thirty-eight seats in a room that you could only find on purpose. The door is here.