Which to buy← Curaçao

Checked October 20, 2026 · 29 compared

Curaçao beaches: which beach is right for you?

We compared 29 Curaçao beaches. Most west-side beaches are free; paid beaches charge $3 to $4.50 per person or $6 per car (Cas Abao). Grote Knip rates highest (4.5 from 5,098 reviews), Porto Mari and Cas Abao work best with kids, and for turtles head to Playa Piskado or Playa Lagun.

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Your top 3

1. uninhabited island

Klein Curaçao

4.6★ · 1,453 reviews

uninhabited island · 25 km zuidoost, alleen per boot · $135 per person (boat trip, $135 to $170) · Boat access only · Lighthouse and shipwreck

  • Clear water and sea turtles
  • Long white beach with no buildings
  • Crossing is often rough

2. cove, white sand

Grote Knip (Kenepa Grandi)

4.5★ · 5,098 reviews

cove, white sand · Westpunt · $0 free entry · Most photographed beach · Snack bar, chair rental · Little shade

  • Clear turquoise water and snorkeling along the rocks
  • Quiet on weekdays
  • Busy on weekends and when tour buses arrive

3. managed beach

Playa Porto Marie

4.5★ · 1,833 reviews

managed beach · Landgoed Porto Mari · $3 per person, under 5 free · Double reef from shore · Lounge chair $3.50 · Wild pigs roam the beach

  • Very gentle entry, a family favorite
  • Snorkeling between two reefs
  • Crowded, especially Friday afternoons

Everything compared

Klein Curaçao

uninhabited island · 25 km zuidoost, alleen per boot · $135 per person (boat trip, $135 to $170) · Boat access only · Lighthouse and shipwreck
4.6 ★ 1,453
  • Clear water and sea turtles
  • Crossing is often rough
All pros, cons and scores
  • Long white beach with no buildings
  • Little shade

Tripadvisor 4.6 (1,453)

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Grote Knip (Kenepa Grandi)

cove, white sand · Westpunt · $0 free entry · Most photographed beach · Snack bar, chair rental · Little shade
4.5 ★ 5,098
  • Clear turquoise water and snorkeling along the rocks
  • Busy on weekends and when tour buses arrive
All pros, cons and scores
  • Quiet on weekdays
  • Water gets deep fast, pebbly entry

Tripadvisor 4.5 (5,098)

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Playa Porto Marie

managed beach · Landgoed Porto Mari · $3 per person, under 5 free · Double reef from shore · Lounge chair $3.50 · Wild pigs roam the beach
4.5 ★ 1,833
  • Very gentle entry, a family favorite
  • Crowded, especially Friday afternoons
All pros, cons and scores
  • Snorkeling between two reefs
  • Clean, tidy facilities
  • Pigs go after food in bags

Tripadvisor 4.5 (1,833)

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Cas Abao

managed beach · Banda Abou · $6 per car (up to 4 people), $7 on Sundays · Open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. · Lounge chair $3 extra · Dive center and showers
4.4 ★ 2,842
  • Soft sand and gentle entry, good with kids
  • Busy when cruise buses arrive
All pros, cons and scores
  • Good snorkeling along the rocks
  • Every facility in one place
  • No cell service

Tripadvisor 4.4 (2,842)

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Playa Lagun

narrow fishing cove · Lagun · $0 free entry · Restaurants just above the beach · Water shoes help
4.3 ★ 1,021
  • Rich reef with lots of fish on both sides
  • Fishing boats share the sand
All pros, cons and scores
  • Calm water in almost any weather

Tripadvisor 4.3 (1,021)

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Kleine Knip (Kenepa Chiki)

small cove · Westpunt · $0 free entry · Guard at the parking lot · Snack bar
4.5 ★ 28
  • Calm water and soft sand
  • Watch out for manchineel trees
All pros, cons and scores
  • Less crowded than Grote Knip
  • Good snorkeling along the cliffs

Tripadvisor 4.5 (28)

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Blue Bay Beach

resort beach · Blue Bay, Sint Michiel · Loungers and restaurants
4.2 ★ 830
  • Easy swimming with resort comfort
All pros, cons and scores
  • Reef off the left point

Tripadvisor 4.2 (830)

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Playa Jeremi

bay · Lagun · $0 free entry · No facilities · Bring food and drinks
4.2 ★ 403
  • Quiet, mostly locals
  • No shade
All pros, cons and scores
  • Kids can play and climb the rocks

Tripadvisor 4.2 (403)

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Playa Daaibooi

local beach · Sint Willibrordus · $0 free entry · Free parking · Small beach bar
4.2 ★ 469
  • Calm, clear water
  • Packed with local families on Sundays
All pros, cons and scores
  • Turtles if you swim farther out
  • Shade from trees and palapas

Tripadvisor 4.2 (469)

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Kokomo Beach (Vaersenbaai)

beach club · Vaersenbaai · $0 free entry · Loungers cost extra · Known for its sea swing
4.2 ★ 600
  • Lively beach bar at sunset
  • Busy weekends with DJs
All pros, cons and scores
  • Good snorkeling on the right side

Tripadvisor 4.2 (600)

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Playa Forti

cliff beach · Westpunt · $0 free entry · Cliff jumping from 45 feet · Clifftop restaurant
4.2 ★ 240
  • View from the clifftop restaurant
  • Drops off fast, not for small kids

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Mambo Beach

beach strip · Bapor Kibra · $4.50 per person · About 40 shops and restaurants · Breakwater, flat water · Playground and inflatable water park
4.1 ★ 1,550
  • Shallow, calm water for small kids
  • Crowded and touristy
All pros, cons and scores
  • Everything within walking distance

Tripadvisor 4.1 (1,550)

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Playa Piskado (Playa Grandi)

fishing beach · Westpunt · $0 free entry · Turtles at the pier · Snack bar and souvenir shop
4.1 ★ 905
  • Green sea turtles almost every day
  • Very crowded when tour buses arrive
All pros, cons and scores
  • Rocky entry, not a lounging beach

Tripadvisor 4.1 (905)

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Playa Kalki

small cove · Westpunt · Stop on turtle tours
4.1 ★ 512
  • Quiet cove for snorkeling

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Playa Santu Pretu

black sand · Banda Abou · Dark sand, rare on Curaçao
4.5 ★ 4
  • Remote and quiet

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Boka Sint Michiel (Boka Sami)

fishing village · Sint Michiel · Aquafari meeting point
4.3 ★ 6
  • Local and quiet

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Jan Thiel Beach

beach clubs · Jan Thiel · $3 per person, free after 4:30 p.m. · Sheltered lagoon · Playground and ice cream shop · Loungers extra
3.9 ★ 1,238
  • Very calm water, easy for families
  • Very crowded and touristy
All pros, cons and scores
  • Plenty of beach clubs and restaurants

Tripadvisor 3.9 (1,238)

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Cabana Beach

beach club · Bapor Kibra · Next to Mambo Beach
3.8 ★ 37
  • Facilities close to town

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Playa Santa Cruz

local beach · Santa Cruz · $0 free entry · Boats leave for Blue Room · Palms and shelters
3.7 ★ 245
  • Quiet with few tourists
  • Litter on the beach

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Marie Pampoen Beach

city beach · Marie Pampoen, Willemstad
2.7 ★ 3
  • Close to Willemstad
  • Low score on few reviews

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Santa Barbara Beach

resort beach · Spaanse Water · Miss Ann boat departs here
1.0 ★ 3
  • Free parking for the boat
  • Very low score on few reviews

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Playa Kanoa

north coast · noordoostkust · Rough north coast
2.9 ★ 29
  • Remote and wild
  • Low Tripadvisor score

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No reviews found yet (5)

Karakter Beach Club (Coral Estate)

beach club · Rif Sint Marie · $0 free entry · Loungers free if you order · Stone steps into the sea
–
  • Calm setting with a restaurant
  • No sandy entry, steps only

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Baya Beach

beach club · Caracasbaai · Bar and loungers
–
  • Weekend vibe with music
  • Fills with locals from town on weekends

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Playa Caracasbaai

bay · Caracasbaai · Restaurant at the far end
–
  • Popular with snorkelers and divers

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Tugboat Beach

snorkel beach · Caracasbaai · $0 free entry · Shallow wreck nearby · Beach bar and dive center
–
  • One of the best free snorkel spots
  • Rubble entry

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Directors Bay

bay · Caracasbaai · $0 free entry · No facilities
–
  • Quiet and scenic
  • Current near the point

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Prices are "from" prices we saw at the source on the stated date; they vary by season.

Booking through a middleman

Tripadvisor

Reviews and ratings per beach; beaches need no booking.

Curatogo

Local beach guide with opening hours and entry fees.

Tours met strandstops (Viator, GetYourGuide)

Without a car you can reach the west side on a tour that often includes entry.

Good to know

  • Bring cash: you pay at the gate at Cas Abao, Porto Mari, Mambo and Jan Thiel.
  • Get to Grote Knip and Playa Piskado before 10 a.m.; the tour buses come after that.
  • Water shoes help at Grote Knip, Playa Lagun, Playa Piskado and Tugboat, where the entry is rocky or pebbly.
  • Jan Thiel is free after 4:30 p.m.
  • Don't sit under manchineel trees (Kleine Knip has them); the sap and fruit are toxic.
  • Leave nothing visible in your car at free west-side beaches.
  • On Sundays, Daaibooi and Grote Knip fill up with local families.

Frequently asked questions

What's the most beautiful beach in Curaçao?

Grote Knip (Kenepa Grandi) rates highest on Tripadvisor at 4.5 from 5,098 reviews. Porto Mari follows with 4.5 from 1,833.

Which Curaçao beaches are free?

Among others Grote Knip, Kleine Knip, Playa Lagun, Playa Piskado, Playa Jeremi, Daaibooi, Kokomo and Tugboat Beach. At Kokomo you only pay for loungers.

How much is entry at Cas Abao?

$6 per car with up to 4 people Monday to Saturday, $7 on Sundays and holidays. A lounge chair is $3 extra.

Where can you swim with turtles in Curaçao?

At Playa Piskado (Playa Grandi) in Westpunt, at Playa Lagun, farther out at Daaibooi, and on Klein Curaçao.

Which beach is best with small kids?

Porto Mari and Cas Abao have a gentle entry and full facilities. Mambo Beach and Jan Thiel have flat water behind a breakwater and a playground.

Where's the best snorkeling from shore?

Playa Lagun, Tugboat Beach (wreck), Porto Mari (double reef), Kleine Knip and Cas Abao.

How much is Mambo Beach?

About $4.50 per person. Loungers are rented separately from the beach clubs; the shopping boulevard is free.

Which beach is the quietest?

Playa Jeremi, Kleine Knip on weekdays, Santa Martha Bay, Directors Bay and Santu Pretu. Facilities there are few or none.

How we compare

We looked up every provider in Curaçao on Google Maps, Tripadvisor, Trustpilot, travel forums and the providers’ own sites. For each we show the score and number of reviews per platform and summarize, in our own words, what keeps coming back in reviews. Providers do not pay for a spot.

Sources (9)