The best beaches on Curaçao — and how far they are from Jan Thiel

Curaçao has more than thirty beaches, most of them small coves tucked between limestone cliffs on the sheltered south-west coast. They differ enormously: some are wild and free, others have loungers, restaurants and an entrance fee. Here are the ones we send our guests to, roughly from near to far.

Close to the villa (under 15 minutes)

Jan Thiel beach

Our home beach, ten minutes on foot: calm, shallow water, beach clubs, restaurants and a dive centre. Read the Jan Thiel beach guide for the details.

Caracasbaai and Directors Bay

Ten minutes by car. Caracasbaai is a local favourite with barbecue shacks, a fort on the headland and the famous Tugboat snorkel site — a small wreck in five metres of clear water. Directors Bay next door is a tiny, quiet beach with excellent snorkelling straight off the steps.

Mambo Beach

Ten minutes. A long, lively strip with shops, restaurants and a breakwater that keeps the water flat as a pool — good with small children, and next to the Sea Aquarium.

Halfway up the coast (30–45 minutes)

Porto Mari

A wide, organised beach with a restaurant, loungers and a double reef that makes for great snorkelling from the shore. Famous for its resident pigs, which wander the beach in the afternoon. Small entrance fee per person.

Cas Abao

Often called the prettiest organised beach on the island: white sand, palms, turquoise water and good snorkelling along the rocks. There is a fee per car, a restaurant, massages and loungers. Arrive before eleven on weekends.

Daaibooi

A quieter, natural beach between the two, with shade, a snack bar and calm water. Free.

Westpunt (about 1 hour 15 minutes)

Grote Knip (Playa Kenepa Grandi)

The postcard: a crescent of white sand between cliffs, water in every shade of blue and a viewpoint at the top for the photo. Free, with a snack bar and limited shade — bring an umbrella. Its little sister Kleine Knip is a few hundred metres away and often quieter.

Playa Lagun

A narrow inlet between high cliffs where fishing boats bob in the shallows. One of the best places on the island to snorkel with sea turtles, with a laid-back beach bar up on the rocks.

Playa Piskadó (Playa Grandi)

A working fishing beach where turtles gather to eat the scraps thrown from the boats. Not a lounging beach, but you will almost certainly swim with turtles here.

Playa Kalki

At the very tip of the island, a small beach with a dive shop and superb snorkelling on the "Alice in Wonderland" reef.

A few beach rules of thumb

• Go west early: leave the villa by nine, spend the morning at the Knip beaches and Lagun, lunch in Westpunt and drive back along the coast in the afternoon.
• Bring water shoes: many coves have a rocky entry and there can be sea urchins.
• Do not leave valuables in the car, and park where you can see it.
• Use reef-safe sunscreen and never touch or stand on coral.
• Sundays are family day for locals; expect music, barbecues and full car parks — and a wonderful atmosphere.