Top Things to do in Curacao
The 10 Best Beaches in Curacao, Curacao
Serious divers have long flocked to Curacao. Whether you’re looking for a challenging wall dive or a shallow snorkeling spot, you’ll find it here. Beaches, of course, are another big draw. With sugar-fine sand and calm waters, they’re perfect for kids. And make sure to explore Willemstad, Curacao’s capital city. Its charming pastel buildings and equally colorful history earned it recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage City.
Restaurants in Curacao
1. Boka Sint Michiel
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
2. Santu Pretu
3. Cas Abao Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,495 reviews
Reviewed By gregc715
This is in top 10 beaches in Curacao. Nice amenities, lots of parking, lots of chairs and shade, shade both many trees as well as huts, bathrooms, shower, a restaurant, drinks and a dive shop. There are some kayaks to rent. Snorkeling is ok as in all of Curacao abundance fish life, but the actual coral and soft reefs are dead above 30’ and you can’t see coral past 20’ snorkeling. So go diving! There is a $6 entrance fee, but chairs are only $3 each
4. Playa Lagun
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 905 reviews
Reviewed By 839yannick - Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Canada
It's a small beach, clean and yes you have to pay to get the chairs (3$ US per day) It's the perfect location to dive/snorkle, there's a lot to see, bunch of nice fishes and corals.
5. Playa PortoMari
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,623 reviews
Reviewed By F7992UHcarmer - Barcelona, Spain
Ok, this might not be the prettiest beach on the island, but is definitely the best! The beach is clean, has all the services, the managers are very friendly, their restaurant offers surprisingly good food (not cheap though) AND they have "native" inhabitants... a couple of very friendly wild pigs, Willy & Woody, who have just became parents to at least 5 cute little piggies.
6. Kenepa Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,918 reviews
Inlet on the less-developed western side of the island.
Reviewed By 8-drank-was-merry - Naples, United States
It is one of the top rated beaches in the Caribbean for a reason. Just a note. Because of the mix of cultures and languages, many of the beaches have more than one name. There are two Kenepa beaches, the larger is Playa Kenepa Grandi or Grote Knip and the smaller more rustic beach is Playa Kenepa Chiki or Klein Knip. Grote Knip is a relatively large, nice sandy beach with great snorkeling and cliff jumping. Although the cliff jumping at Playa Forti is probably better. At least for cliff jumping. Admission is free, and lounge chairs, umbrellas, snorkeling equipment, kayaks and paddleboards are available for rent. Overall, we enjoyed Play Porto Mari more, but this is an amazing beach, as well.
7. Playa Kenepa Chiki
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 548 reviews
Reviewed By KeepUpWithKeeds - Woodbridge, United States
This was a wonderful beach day trip! The water is very clear and felt amazing. Bring water shoes as it is rocky. We forgot ours but were fine. Also, if you can bring your own snorkel equipment you should. They rent it at the beach for $15/day. We rented two chairs and umbrella for $30, i think (not more than that). I believe they close up at 5, we left right before then so not certain. I saw plenty people snorkeling but we did not have any equipment and chose not to rent any. I could still see some fish looking down into the water. We drove over from the Pietermaai district and it took about 40 minutes. We used the maps.me app which navigates even if you are not online (download ahead of time). There is another beach right near this one but we did not visit. There is a small stand selling drinks and food but we brought our own. There are also some tables with benches if you want to have a meal. There was a mixture of locals and tourists but it was not very crowded, we visited on a Saturday afternoon. I would definitely return!
8. Kleine Knip
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 275 reviews
Reviewed By Mark0416 - Buffalo, United States
This beach definitely takes a little effort to find (GPS recommended) but driving to the north end of the island to explore all of the beaches and coves is a great way to spend a morning/afternoon. We decided to spend a day popping around to all of the different beaches in the area as well as enjoy the views as we drove around the north end. When we ended up here we were absolutely stunned. It was like the beaches you see in a movie. Perfectly secluded and surrounded on either side by huge rocky bluffs, this felt like a private escape that only the locals know about. We spent a couple of prime hours here and never saw more than 20 or so other people on the beach at the same time. Renting chairs is relatively inexpensive ($5-10 USD for 2 chairs if I recall correctly, and roughly $15 total if we wanted an umbrella as well). Snorkeling here was phenomenal. There was some really cool coral and a large variety of fish to look at. Do yourself a favor and step away from the hotel managed beaches and take the time to drive out and find this hidden gem.
9. Playa Piscado/Playa Grandi
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 499 reviews
Reviewed By Munseyflora - Golden, United States
As its name indicates, Playa Piscado is where fisherman come to clean their catch. The beach itself is not spectacular-mostly pebbles-but what you come here for is offshore. An easy entry into the water with snorkeling gear and you are surrounded by sea turtles. These beautiful animals come here to feed on the scraps thrown into the water by the fisherman after they clean their catch. They're close enough to touch - but DON'T! A small beach with restrooms, visited mostly by locals. A special experience to see these animals in the wild. The whole family loved it. Pick up food elsewhere and eat al fresco on the beach.
10. Playa Piskado
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 155 reviews
Reviewed By JenniferInMontreal - Montreal, Canada
Swimming with turtles so close you could touch them (though we shouldn't) was such a cool experience. Some were so huge! A few little ones as well. The locals know them by name and there is a bit sign identifying which are which, but we found it impossible to match up the turtles with their names. We went in the late afternoon and there were people there, but not horrible. Maybe 10 of us in the water and another 10 on the bridge watching. Definitely get in the water to experience this!
