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Curaçao has some of the best beaches in the Caribbean. During our time on the island, we were able to spend time at several of them. We didn’t have time to visit all of the beaches on our list, but we definitely feel like we got to the best ones.
Introduction to the Beaches on Curaçao
All of the beaches are on the west coast of the island. Unlike Aruba, which has a few long stretches of beach, most of the beaches on Curaçao are stunning natural coves. Some charge admission while public beaches are free to enter. You can also rent beach chairs and umbrellas at most of them, or take a towel and lie on the sand. Expect to pay a minimum of US$3 per chair or up to US$15 for two chairs and an umbrella (as of January 2025).
In this post, I’ll go over the details on every beach we had the chance to visit, starting from the north side of the island and working my way south.
Playa Grandi
First, at Westpunt you’ll find the popular Playa Grandi, a public beach also known as Playa Piskado. It’s a place where fishermen keep their boats and it’s known for snorkeling and diving. You’ll often see big tour buses hauling cruise ship passengers there to swim with sea turtles. There’s also a souvenir shop and snack bar.
The most popular activity at Playa Grandi is to view or swim with the sea turtles. If you’re not swimming, you can walk out onto the pier to see them. When we were there, a man was chopping up fish and throwing the pieces into the water. He would then bang loudly on the pier to call the turtles, and they would swim over and eat up the fish. The man also charged a fee to jump into the water and hold tourists while turtles swam over them. It was kind of creepy but amusing.
The beach itself is a bit rocky getting into the water. It can get extremely crowded when the tour buses are around, but when they leave it’s tolerable. Another negative is the pungent fishy smell, but that didn’t seem to deter any tourists.
Grote Knip
Grote Knip, also known as Kenepa Grandi, is regarded as one of the most beautiful beaches on Curaçao. It’s an isolated public beach with picture perfect views. Although it’s a little rocky, the clear blue water, white sand, and opportunities for snorkeling make it popular with tourists and locals alike. Grote Knip is about 45 minutes from Willemstad and there’s a snack bar. We didn’t swim there.
Kleine Knip
A few minutes away is Grote Knip’s little sister, Kleine Knip. Also known as Kenepa Chiki, it’s typically not as crowded as Grote Knip but just as beautiful. It’s also a public beach popular with tourists and locals. A security guard keeps an eye on the cars and there’s a snack bar. Just watch out for the manchineel trees!
With white powdery sand and calm water, Kleine Knip is a great place for families. It’s also good for snorkeling along the cliffs. We really enjoyed our morning there and consider it one of the more stunning beaches on Curaçao.
Playa Jeremi
The next beach south of Kleine Knip is Playa Jeremi, which is another public beach. We stopped for a quick swim late in the afternoon and spent an hour there.
There are no facilities at Playa Jeremi, which is popular with locals. There are small rocks but it’s not too bad, and also no shade. It’s a good spot for snorkeling and sunsets, and there are fantastic views of the beach from the cliff above.
It wasn’t crowded at all when we got there shortly before 4pm, but the chair rental guy tried to charge us for a full day for a chair and umbrella. He cut the price in half when we started walking back to the car.
Playa Lagun
Continuing down the coast is Playa Lagun, a public beach at a long narrow cove popular with locals and fishermen. There was some construction going on when we visited and it took away from the scenery, but overall it’s pleasant. If you’re snorkeling, you might spot turtles and there are plenty of reef fish. There are a couple restaurants just off the beach as well.
Playa Santa Cruz
Another public beach popular with locals, Playa Santa Cruz is a larger beach with a few palm trees and shelters. Captain Goodlife‘s restaurant, on the south end of the beach, is open daily except Mondays.
The beach is generally quiet but we found it to be unclean. There was lots of garbage in the sand. The water, however, was fantastic, although it’s a little rocky getting in.
Getting to Playa Santu Pretu and the Blue Room Cave
From Captain Goodlife’s place, it’s possible to walk to a smaller beach, Playa Santu Pretu, in about 15 minutes, and the Blue Room Cave, a popular snorkeling destination, in about 45 minutes. Keep in mind you have to climb a rope to access the beginning of the trail, and good shoes will be helpful.
If you don’t want to hike, Captain Goodlife runs boat tours to both at 1pm and 3pm daily for US$22 per person (as of July 2024). Just beware, he told me hiking isn’t safe because there are thieves and has told others that the trail is washed out. From what I’ve gathered, this is just a ploy to get people to pay for his boat tours. I’ve also heard rumors he can be rude and unpleasant, but he was very friendly to me.
Playa Cas Abao
Out of all the beaches on Curaçao, Playa Cas Abao was our favorite. Located about 40 minutes from Willemstad, it’s open daily from 8am to 6pm. It’s a stunning white sand beach with calm crystal clear water and one of the most popular on the island. Cas Abao has been named one of the top beaches in the world by National Geographic.
Access is via a rough gravel road. Entrance fees, payable at the beginning of the road, are US$6 per carload Monday through Friday and US$7 on Sundays (as of January 2025), max 4 people. Each additional person is ƒ2.50. Beach chairs are US$3 each (as of January 2025), and there are 18 palapas providing shade.
Cas Abao is great for families and popular for snorkeling and diving. There’s a restaurant on the beach selling decent food and drinks as well as a spa offering massages and treatments. You’ll also find changing rooms, showers, and a dive center. There’s no cell service but there’s free WiFi at the restaurant.
We spent about a half day at Cas Abao and enjoyed every minute. Yes, the parking lot filled up and it was crowded, but people weren’t on top of each other, which made a huge difference. If there was one negative, it was when three busloads of cruise ship passengers rolled up to invade the beach. They rushed to grab chairs and were pretty loud, but they were gone about an hour later. After that, it was peaceful again.
Playa Porto Mari
A bit further south is Playa Porto Mari, which is another of the most popular beaches on Curaçao. It’s got clear calm water and powdery white sand. The double reef, accessible from the shore, makes it great for snorkeling and diving.
The beach is located on the private estate of Porto Marie, where there’s a ruined plantation house hidden along the road to the beach. At the parking lot, you’ll find a lookout tower with fantastic views of the beach. Admission is US$3 per person while beach chairs are US$3.50 each (as of January 2025). There’s no admission for kids under 5. It’s open daily from 9:30am to 6:30pm.
Facilities at Playa Porto Mari include a bar and restaurant, dive shop, and souvenir and swimwear shops. There are two nature trails by the parking lot, and you’ll find friendly wild pigs running around the beach. It’s also nice to know that the beach is environmentally friendly, with all water recycled and used for toilets and irrigation, boardwalks created from discarded pallets, and solar panels providing electricity.
While Playa Porto Mari is obviously beautiful, we didn’t feel comfortable until the end of the day when people started leaving. The chairs were right next to each other and we had pretty much no personal space. That being said, it’s probably best to go earlier in the day and during the week rather than on a Friday afternoon like we did.
Mambo Beach
I’ve written about a few popular beaches above, but of all the beaches on Curaçao, Mambo Beach is by far the MOST popular. It’s a long stretch of white sandy beach protected by a breakwater. The water is calm, making it perfect for families with small children. There’s also decent snorkeling.
Mambo Beach is open daily. Admission to the beach is US$3.50 per person (as of January 2025), but it’s free to wander around the shops and visit the beach clubs and restaurants. If you want to rent a chair, you can do it through one of the many beach clubs. For the record, we spent a full day at a cabana at Bonita Beach Club.
The thing we liked best about Mambo Beach was that although the beach was very crowded, it didn’t feel that way because everyone was fairly spread out. There was enough personal space. Also, there was music but it wasn’t overbearing as at some beaches. It was our second favorite beach on the island.
As far as entertainment, there are about 40 shops and restaurants in addition to the beach clubs. They’re spread out over two levels. We found prices to be a bit steep in some of the shops, which is to be expected.
Jan Thiel Beach
Continuing further south is Jan Thiel Beach. This artificial beach is popular with Dutch tourists. Admission is US$3 per person and free after 4:30pm (as of January 2025).
We walked down to the beach and settled in to a couple beach chairs. It was very crowded and the chairs were right on top of each other. When we got in the water, it was a little rocky but pleasant.
After finishing up at the beach, we walked around a bit to check out some of the restaurants, shops, and resorts. We thought it was nice but not as nice as Mambo Beach. Overall, we didn’t like the vibe and some of the tourists were a bit on the unfriendly side. We spent a couple hours there and wouldn’t go back.
Playa Caracasbaai
Playa Caracasbaai is a public beach popular with locals. It’s made up of small pebbles and attracts snorkelers and divers. There’s also a good restaurant at the end of the beach. Some people complain about the view of the oil rigs nearby, but I think it adds an air of uniqueness.
Tugboat Beach
Finally, a few minutes south of Caracasbaai in the shadow of an oil platform is Tugboat Beach. This tiny stretch of rocky beach is named for the sunken tugboat just offshore, making it one of the most popular snorkeling and diving sites on Curaçao. In addition to the tugboat, there’s a beach bar and dive center. I didn’t actually spend time at Tugboat Beach but wanted to after spotting it from the old Quarantine Hospital on the cliff above. Hopefully I’ll have the chance to check it out someday.
