Discovering Curacao's Most Beautiful Beaches

A portion of this article appeared in ‘True Blue’ in ROSE & IVY Journal No.11

The coastline in Curacao is a beach-lovers delight for both swimming, snorkeling and diving—the public beaches are free, while the private, typically run by a resort, charge a small fee for a chair rental. Beyond discovering endless sandy beaches, many natural wonders abound elsewhere, including hiking Mount Christoffel, the highest point on the island, taking a day trip to Klein Curaçao or visiting an aloe plantation. Another alluring element is the gentle, undulating breeze known as Noordoostpassaat Wind, that is ever present during the majority of the year.

The view over Director’s Bay

Tugboat Beach

See an abundance of aquatic life at Tugboat, an excellent snorkeling site on the eastern side of the island. Like the name suggests, here you’ll find a sunken boat that was purposely submerged in the ‘60s. Explore the vessel that is now home to colorful coral and mesmerizing schools of fish, like barracuda, blue tang, parrot and trunk fish. There are currently sustainable efforts underway to grow corral, so while swimming around you’ll see many corral trees that will eventually be planted elsewhere. This laidback spot also has a concession stand and a dive school.

Director’s Bay

Just around the bend from Tugboat is Director’s Bay, a crystal clear cove that beckons to be swam in, plus possible sea turtle sightings. This beach, which is covered in sun bleached coral, is smaller than most so the crowds aren’t as large—it’s also a great spot to see the sunset. 

Tugboat offers incredible snorkeling, in addition to a canteen to enjoy afterwards.

Playa Kalki

This sleepy sandy cove is near the Kura Hulanda resort on the western side of the island called Westpunt. This languid spot, named after limestone in Papiamento, is great for snorkeling and is marked with mushroom shaped coral.

Kura Hulanda Cave

Tucked away inside the Kura Hulanda Resort Only is an underground cave . From the parking lot, walk down the steep steps to this narrow gorge etched with century old corral rock. Depending on the the amount of rainfall, you can jump into the swimming hole for a quick cool down. Timing your visit to early afternoon will ensure you have the light beaming from above, which makes for a great photo capture. While the resort is private, tell the guards you want to visit and they will most likely let you in by paying a small fee—a friendly smile also could help your chances. 

The underwater cave at Kura Hulanda—if you time it just right, the sun beams through illuminating it in an incredible way.

Playa Knip, one of the most beautiful beaches on the island.

Playa Knip

Hailed as one of the best beaches in the Caribbean and even the world, Playa Knip is a Curaçao must with water that is an unfathomable shade of blue. Watch locals jump off one of the steep cliffs, linger under the shade of a palm tree or enjoy many blissful hours floating in the sea.

One of the draws of Porto Mari, besides the crystal clear water, are the floating docks.

Porto Mari

Take the dirt road lined with cactus and brush to one of the most popular beaches in the island and for good reasons—take the turquoise blue waters, a floating dock in the middle of the sea and excellent snorkeling around the rock formations. It’s also home to two nonchalant  pigs, Willy and Woody, who wandered to the area a few years back and decided to stay.

Swimming with sea turtles at Playa Piskado

Playa Piskado

Rockier than most, this inlet is where fisherman discard their fish leftovers, which has in turn attracted a family of sea turtles. You can swim very close to these graceful creatures, who idle not too far from the shore. Locals gather on the weekends at the beachside canteen to savor a piping hot bowl of their homemade fish soup served alongside local bread.

Photography by Alison Engstrom

This was produced in partnership with the Curacao Tourism Board. All opinions are our own.