Serena's Art Factory

The Chichi, a full-figured seated woman in bright patterns, was designed here in the early 2000s and became the island's most recognisable souvenir, and the studio that produces them is open to visitors: the figures are cast, then hand painted by local women trained and employed by the workshop, and visitors can paint one themselves in a session lasting a couple of hours. Chichi is the Papiamentu word for a family's eldest sister.

What you actually see

• The Chichi figures - the seated painted women the studio designed and produces.
• The painting workshop - the session where visitors decorate their own figure.
• The production floor - casting and hand painting by the studio's employees.
• The name - Chichi, the Papiamentu word for the eldest sister.

When to go

Year round; workshops run at set times and book up. The studio keeps daytime hours. It closes on some days of the week.

Honest expectations

Workshops must be booked ahead and fill in high season. The paint needs time to dry, which the schedule does not always allow before onward travel. Figures are heavy and awkward to pack.

Nearby

Jan Thiel Beach is south, and Spanish Water is southwest.