After returning from my second trip and spending more than a month enjoying the best beaches of Curaçao again, I’d like to share with you some of my favorites.

First of all, I’d like to tell you that all the beaches in Curaçao are beautiful! Really, none of them disappoint. Some are a bit prettier than others, yes, some are livelier, some are more peaceful, some are better than others for snorkeling or diving. But in Curaçao, there are no ugly beaches.

Some of them are located in Westpunt, the northernmost and westernmost part of the island. But since the island is small, they’re only about 30 to 40 minutes away from Willemstad, the capital. Others are in Willemstad or nearby.

The beaches in Westpunt are much quieter than the most popular ones in Willemstad, and depending on what time you visit, they can be very peaceful. Though there are also some in Willemstad itself that can be quite tranquil as well.

Are you planning a visit to Curacao?

Check out the best beach tours:

1. Tour around several beaches in the Westpunt area (recommended!) – You’ll visit Grote Knip and Cas Abao beaches, plus Playa Grandi to swim with turtles and Jan Kok to spot flamingos.
2. The Ultimate Beach tour in the Westpunt – visit Santa Martha Bay, Cas Abao, Jeremi, Kokomo, Grote Knip, and Playa Forti beaches, plus swim with turtles at Playa Grandi.
3. Beach hop around the Westpunt riding an ATV – includes a visit to off-the-beated-path Curacao natural wonders.

Of course, since the island is a very popular cruise ship destination, there are beaches that are also super crowded and packed with people. However, the truth is that they’re equally beautiful regardless. Spending time exploring and enjoying them is definetely one of the best things to do in Curaçao.

Here I’ll tell you a bit about each of my favorites:

Table of Contents

Beaches of Curaçao You Can’t Miss

Kleine Knip – Westpunt

This is undoubtedly one of the favorites of most people. Located in Westpunt, it’s a small beach (“kleine” means “small” in Dutch) with fine sand and stunningly turquoise-blue water.

It’s also one of the best beaches for snorkeling, where just a few steps from the shore, even while standing in the sand, you can see colorful fish swimming around you because of how transparent the water is.

The beach has chairs, umbrellas, and loungers available for rent. Plus, it has a stand where you can buy beach towels, floaties, tote bags, and more. There’s also a food truck where you can buy all kinds of snacks and drinks. Next to the food truck are outdoor showers where you can rinse off the sand before getting in your car.

Grote Knip – Westpunt

This is the larger version of Kleine Knip (“grote” means “large” in Dutch). The sea also has a beautiful and impressive turquoise-blue color. The beach is quite a bit larger, which is why it’s a common stop for cruise ship tours from Willemstad.

The beach is also excellent for snorkeling. If you venture a bit deeper, near the rocks, you might even see eels. So if, like me, you’re not a fan of eels, stick to the center or don’t go too far out.

The parking lot is up above, and you need to walk down a few stairs to reach the beach. At the top, there are several food stands, and down on the beach, you can rent loungers and beach umbrellas.

If you are visiting from Willemstad, I recommend arriving early to the beach to find free loungers. There are also several tours that have this beach as a stop so that is also a good option.

➡️You can book one of those tours here (which include some other stops such as the Hato Caves).

➡️Or you can book a private tour to this beautiful beach here.

Jeremi – Westpunt

This is one of my favorite beaches in Curaçao. It’s much quieter than the two Knips, but it’s very small with a narrow sandy area (half of that part are actually stones/corals). Since few people go there, it’s not a problem at all.

It’s also quite good for snorkeling.

You can rent loungers or umbrellas here, but there are no food trucks or other services.

Lagun – Westpunt

I love Lagun. It’s nestled between two small cliffs and is as tranquil as a lagoon. The beach isn’t that large, and the only downside is that there isn’t much shade if you decide not to rent an umbrella.

It’s also excellent for snorkeling, and many people go diving there as well.

At the top of one of the small cliffs, there’s a restaurant with a beautiful view of the beach (if you’re vegetarian like me, don’t worry—there are some vegetarian options available).

You can rent loungers or umbrellas on the beach.

Santa Cruz – Westpunt

Santa Cruz Beach is one of those “hidden gems” of Curaçao. It’s a sandy beach, quite large, and peaceful. Rather than being filled with loungers and umbrellas, there are several palapas (benches with a thatched roof umbrella in the middle) available for free use. And even so, every time we went, we always found palapas available.

On weekends, there are more people, especially locals, but still far fewer than at the other beaches.

However, although you can see fish, this beach isn’t the best for snorkeling since there aren’t many (or almost no) corals, so you won’t find many fish. For me, the appeal of this beach is more about relaxing in a peaceful setting and enjoying nature.

Playa Kalki – Westpunt

This is a beach combined with a beach club (Playa Beach Club) that has free entry except on weekends.

At the top, there’s a pool, massages, and other services. At the bottom is the beach, which is filled with loungers and umbrellas you can rent. The beach is nice, but unfortunately, if you don’t want to rent a lounger, there’s really hardly any space to put your towel on the sand. Other than that, the sea is beautiful and very turquoise, and it’s also a good spot for snorkeling.

I read somewhere that if you snorkel, you can see a submerged airplane, but I didn’t get around to looking for it.

Daaibooi – About Half an Hour from Willemstad

Daaibooi is located between Willemstad and Westpunt, also on the western part of the island. It’s a nice beach, medium-sized with plenty of sand. It’s a good beach for snorkeling.

If you want to eat nearby, you can drive to the Coral Estate Resort, which has a restaurant right by the sea at Karakter beach. You can also combine your beach day with the resort’s spa (I spent my birthday there and it was a beautiful day, so I highly recommend it).

Parasasa – Willemstad

Parasasa beach, a quiet beach in Willlemstad

This is a small and quite peaceful beach, and it’s actually my favorite beach in Willemstad. It has free palapas and is mainly frequented by locals.

Caracasbaai – Willemstad

This is another peaceful beach with free palapas and frequented mainly by locals. The sandy area is quite narrow as you can see in the picture, but the lengthwise it is very wide.

Other Beaches in Curaçao

Mambo Beach – Willemstad

Mambo Beach is probably the most popular and crowded beach in Curaçao. It has tons of restaurants around it and even a small boulevard with some shops (like clothing boutiques, for example—very beautiful clothes but expensive). The beach is packed with people, has a lot of atmosphere and activity, and has loungers and umbrellas for rent.

It’s an excellent beach if you want to go to a place with lots of services and a lively atmosphere. If you’re visiting Curaçao as a cruise ship stop, there will likely be tours that take you to this beach for the day.

➡️ You can book a tour that includes some time at Mambo beach here .

I do recommend visiting it. However, if what you’re looking for is a peaceful beach, I don’t think this is your best option.

Marie Pampoen

Marie Pompoen is a central beach in Willemstad. It’s nice, but there isn’t much free space on the sand, since part of it is taken up by fishing boats that are beached there, and there also seemed to be a lot of mosquitos.

But the sea is nice and it also has a lot of atmosphere with local people and kids enjoying the beach.

Tugboat Beach – Willemstad

The main attraction of this beach is a shipwrecked boat near the shore. They say this makes it ideal for snorkeling in the area because of all the marine life you find around it, plus seeing the ship. I went excited to see it, but honestly, I snorkeled in the area and didn’t find it. I’m not sure if it was because there was a large oil tanker aground, maybe the shipwreck was a bit further away.

That’s the main attraction of the beach. Other than that, the beach didn’t seem especially attractive to me. There isn’t much sand—mostly small rocks. And the large oil tankers, for me, take away some of the beach’s appeal.

Playa Grandi / Piskadó – Westpunt

The main attraction of this beach is the sea turtles that roam around the pier, attracted by fishermen who feed them, and you can swim with them.

But the beach itself isn’t one of the prettiest—it doesn’t have sand but rather small rocks, and it’s very small (the main feature is the pier).

The first time I was in Curaçao, we went to this beach early, before most tourists arrived (who come on tours from Willemstad or from cruise ships).

Swimming with the turtles is beautiful.

However, I have doubts about whether it’s right to swim with them. The second time, we decided not to go. We read some online comments saying that apparently the turtles were so overfed that it looked like their shells were going to explode.

Other comments also mentioned that swimming surrounded by dead fish (which they use to feed the turtles) wasn’t very pleasant—something we hadn’t thought about. We also didn’t like how some tourists insisted on touching the turtles for a photo.

On the other hand, they’re not confined, and they can leave if they prefer. And it’s a beautiful experience to be so close to them. So it’s up to each person’s judgment!

➡️If you decide to go, you can book a tour to swim with the turtles here.

Cas Abao

This is one of the most famous and popular beaches in Curaçao, but it’s one of the few I’ve never been to. They say it’s very nice, large, and with very turquoise sea. Actually it’s been named one of the most beautiful beaches in the world by National Geographic.

The reason I’ve never been there it’s because it wasn’t so close to the place where we were staying and also because we prefer more quiet beaches.

But if you want to explore it, you can drive there in 40 minutes from the center of Willemstad.

There are also tours that include a stop at Cas Abao beach and you can even get to visit the Shete Boka National Park along the way.

➡️ You can book a tour to Cas Abao here.

Important Things to Know About Beaches in Curaçao

Machineel tree in Curacao — Machineel tree

If you’re driving, try not to leave valuable items visible in your car, as there can sometimes be theft in parking lots. I personally haven’t seen or experienced one, but I heard it from the manager of my hotel and also read about it on a Curacao Facebook group.
Be careful with Manchineel trees, which are very common on beaches and are extremely poisonous. Don’t touch them or eat their fruit. Be careful not to shelter from the rain under them either.
The beaches of Curaçao are ideal for snorkeling. If you don’t have one, I highly recommend buying one. You can find them even in supermarkets.

Where to Stay in the Westpunt

If you want to visit the beaches of Westpunt, the best option is to stay in that area. The area in general is quite peaceful and there isn’t much to do other than go to the beach (and visit the national parks), but of course that’s more than enough.

The second time I went, I stayed at Marazul Dive Resort, and I highly recommend it. It’s a resort with several small cottages, many of them with sea views. It doesn’t have a beach because it’s located above a small cliff, but it does have stairs to go down directly to the sea. It also has a pool. The cottages are super comfortable, with everything you need.

➡️ You can check prices or make a reservation at Marazul her e.

The first time I went, I stayed at Rancho El Sobrino, which is just a few steps away from Marazul. It’s also a good place, and it also has a pool, although it doesn’t have a view or direct access to the sea. Between the two, I liked Marazul much more, but Rancho El Sobrino is a little bit more budget-friendly and can also be a good option.

➡️ You can check prices or make a reservation at Rancho El Sobrino here.