White stretches of sand, beautiful azure blue Curaçao waters; on Klein Curacao, Mambo beach, and all the other Caribbean beaches in Curacao, you are in paradise. Imagine yourself with a cocktail in your hand on the perfect bright white sand beach of Cas Abou, or treat yourself to a delicious and healthy lunch under the palm trees at Koko’s.
Curacao is packed with beautiful and tropical beaches. Some of them are part of a resort, such as Avila Beach, where you have to pay a small fee to visit them. However, some of them have free access and are just as beautiful. But how do you know which beach is best for you? Therefore, we will show you many of these gems with all their own advantages.
Klein Curacao: the ultimate tropical Caribbean beach
In my opinion, this is probably one of the most untouched and magical beaches in Curacao. It will also take some time to get here, and obviously, this is not for free. It takes around 2 hours with a boat, and many different boat companies want to bring you to this tiny, tropical island. We listed a few of them already for you because it can be difficult to sort this out while you’re already used to the lay-back and tranquil lifestyle on Curacao.
Visit Klein Curacao with a race boat
With this race boat tour, you will arrive on the island in around 60 minutes! In this way, you will have all the time you want on the island. Drinks are included but beware that there is no lunch included, you should bring your own.
Travel from Willemstad to Klein Curacao during a comfortable boat trip
If you want to combine a day trip to Klein Curacao with a relaxing boat tour, this tour is a great option. There are snacks and drinks during the boat trip, and you will get a barbecue lunch.
If you arrive at Klein Curacao, you will feel like you are in another world. Make a walk on the beach along the vast white sand or visit the famous Curacao lighthouse. You can also go snorkeling in the azure blue water, where you have a great chance to find sea turtles. If you just want to relax, it is also great to just lay down on the snow-white sand to enjoy the sun.
Combining beach, shopping, drinks, and food at Mambo Beach
Mambo beach is an excellent second option if you want to see the beautiful white beach but are not capable of the long day trip to Klein Curacao. This beautiful man-made lagoon and boulevard has it all; snow-white sand, azure blue waters, but also enough bars, restaurants, and shops. We will highlight our favorite locations on this beach.
Hemingway Beach: The Ideal Location To Be Pampered
If you want a worry-free day and want to be pampered, you should visit Hemingway. With their luxurious sunbeds and great beach service, you will make the best out of your day. For a break from the sun, have lunch at their restaurant where you can sit at the water with the most stunning views over the water. You should also try some of their delicious cocktails ☺
Visit Chill Beach Bar To Completely Relax
The same company also has a small beach bar called Chill, where you have, as the name already tells, a relaxed and casual atmosphere. The sunbeds have a better price, but the service and food and drinks are of similar quality. If you go there on a Friday, stay for their well-known happy hour from 5 till 6 pm. The place gets crowded and cozy, and your drinks are not that expensive!
Can’t get enough of these two bars on Mambo beach? You can also stay here for your entire holiday because there is a great resort located on this part of the beach. LionsDive Beach resort has excellent rooms and also options for including dinner at your vacation in the different restaurants located there, such as Hemingway, chill, but also a few more.
Other Shops At Mambo Beach
There are even more options to stay for the day and stay overnight at Mambo beach; however, these were our favorites. The boulevard is also filled with cute and typical Curacao shops, so you can find it all here if you need new beach dresses, a bikini, or flip-flops. Keep in mind that prices are pretty high here.
Avila beach hotel: the most beautiful man-made lagoon of Curacao
Another option for a resort with a beach is Avila Beach resort. This man-made lagoon is beautiful, and most of the time, it is hushed and calm here. You can stay in the resort, but you can also visit the beach with a day pass. This area also has 2 restaurants that you can visit, the food is delicious! For those who want to stay in shape during their holiday, Avila beach also has a fully equipped gym.
The snow-white sands and azure blue waters of Cas About
Cas Abou is on the list of one of the 25 most beautiful beaches in the world. And it is not a lie. The pearl-white beaches, the crystal-clear blue waters, and many palm trees get you immersed in the real Caribbean vibe. However, the beach is full of sunbeds, and in our opinion, not our favorite place to stay. The sunbeds aren’t really comfortable, and the food you can get here is quite basic. You do pay a small entrance fee, but it is worth taking a picture of this picturesque beach.
Get yourself immersed in the real Caribbean lifestyle at Kokomo Beach
Kokomo beach is the best option for a perfect low-key beach bar, where you can lay on the beach but also can sip from your cocktail while chilling in one of their great lounge areas. Many locals also visit this place on Sunday, then they have live music. If you want to extend your visit with a luxurious massage, or if you want to explore the underwater world, it is possible here. Go diving with Trunkdivers for an experience you will never forget.
The hidden gems of Curacao: Santa Pretu Boka Hulu and Boka Pos Spaño
If you want to visit the island’s hidden gems, you should get moving. There are a few non-touristic and beautiful beaches on the southwestern side of the island, but those are located on the private terrain of San Nicolas. Getting access by car is quite complicated, so you better walk from Playa Santa Cruz. If you enjoy hiking, read our blog on the best hikes on Curacao here.
The first beach you will encounter is Playa Santa Pretu which hasn’t got the snow-white sand as all the other beaches, which gives this beach an interesting look. If you want the white sand beaches, you should follow the trail leading to Boka Hulu and Pos Spano. These two beaches are often empty and are a true Walhalla for divers. You should keep in mind that these hikes will take around 2 hours to reach the beaches, and you need to go back as well.
The most famous and the most beautiful beach in Curacao: Grote knip and Kleine knip
If you visit Curacao, you should go to the island’s western side at least once! Here you also find many different beaches of which we will show you two. The most famous beach in curaçao on the west side is Grote Knip. Still, our favorite one of curaçao is Kleine Knip.
Grote knip
This is probably the most famous beach in Curacao, and you can see that because this beach is crowded most of the time. You can put your towel here and enjoy the sun, the white beach, and the perfect blue waters. However, we just wanted to enjoy the views of this place from the viewpoint before we headed to our favorite beach in Curacao.
Kleine knip
This is our number one beach in Curacao. Kleine Knip is not as touristic as Grote Knip, but it has the same white sand and azure blue waters. The palapa’s (sort of parasol made of dried palm leaves) and the views make this place like paradise. A true Caribbean beach. If you can, bring your cool box, or maybe even a bbq, to experience the real Caribbean, Curacao lifestyle.
Touristic but fully equipped beach in Curacao: Jan Thiel Baai
We already mentioned one of the touristic boulevards, Mambo beach, but there is one more famous touristic area: Jan Thiel Beach. In this area, you can find different beach bars which all have their own advantages. You have to pay a small fee to enter Jan Thiel Beach, but it is worth it because there is enough to do and experience here for the entire day.
Kokos
I think our favorite one is Kokos. It just looks so cozy and tropical! It is located on the quiet end of Jan Thiel Beach and is filled with palm trees. The sunbeds are definitely the best on the island, very luxurious, and they serve great street food and delicious cocktails. If you want to be pampered for a day, you should go there.
Another great thing about Koko’s is that if you want a break from just sunbathing, you can follow a small trail that brings you to a quiet place with views over the whole of Jan Thiel Beach. Many hikers have made man-made stacks of stones, also called cairns, here, making this place even more picturesque.
Papagayo
On the other side of the beach, you can find a more luxurious resort with a more modern appearance. Papagayo beach resort is also the place to stay if you want to spend your holiday on this side of the island. In that case, there is enough to do so you don’t have to be bored during your holiday. You can enjoy their spa and wellness, go to the gym, enjoy the many shops, visit the casino, or go fun diving. Here you can find the rooms that they have.
Zanzibar Beach And Restaurant
Zanzibar beach is located just in the middle of the other two and the perfect location for families. You can enjoy the sun, go swimming but there are also more activities here such as flyboarding and beach tennis. The restaurant serves delicious lunch and dinner, and on Saturday there is a famous happy hour with live music. It is touristic, but also very easy and worry-free.
Beach and golf paradise at Blue Bay Curacao
Another famous beach in Curacao is Blue Bay. It is a former plantation, but nowadays you can enjoy the beaches, delicious food, drinks, or if you like golfing, this is also paradise. They have different bars and restaurants and different activities such as diving and water sports. Can’t get enough of this place? You can also stay at Blue bay resort.
Overnight Stay At Blue Bay Resort.
Blue Bay Curacao is also a popular place to stay, and they have different options.
If you want to enjoy the most luxurious holiday you can imagine, you should book a villa at Blue Bay. These private villas can have up to 8 guests and have a private swimming pool. If you want to enjoy all the facilities at Blue Bay but have a smaller and a bit cheaper room, you can also book the apartments.
The 4 hidden beaches in Curacao of San Juan
Probably not visited much by tourists, but definitely worth it, are the beaches in the private area of San Juan. These beaches are quite deserted, perhaps because you need a good vehicle to reach them. There are four different beaches, and they are all just as beautiful. Go to Playa Manzaliña, which is large but quiet and stunning. Go to playa Shon Mosa to visit the smallest and intimate beach or Playa Largu, which has enough shade spots to be the ideal location for a picnic.
All of the beaches in Curacao are worth a visit, and depending on your requirements for a perfect beach day, you should choose the right place to go. Klein Curacao for the real Caribbean beach, Avila beach resort for luxury, or Kleine Knip for a less touristic option. Do you think that we are missing a beach? Please let us know by leaving a comment! 🙂
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