web design by papiamedia

Journey time:

40 minutes

Facilities:

On site: restaurant, bathrooms, showers, rinse tanks

Beach:

sandy. Beds available for rent, but we bring chairs for use free of charge

Shade:

Palm leaf parasols (Palm leaf parasols (palapas)) on the beach, palm trees, covered teaching area

Shore entry:

easy, sand (no booty fins required)

Swim out:

easy, 5-10 minutes

Dive:

gently sloping wall in shallows, steeper deeper, lots of hard corals, heaps of trigger fish, lots of morays

Non-divers:

good snorkelling, swimming, sunbathing

What’s so special?:

One of the prettiest beaches on the island, uncrowded, full facilities, floating pontoon for those who really want to get away from it all, easy, relaxing dive

Journey time:

50 minutes

Facilities:

none on site:. we bring all you need.

Beach:

rocky with some sand although sun-bathing spots can be found

Shade:

some trees, we provide shade

Shore entry:

rocky, you’ll need booty fins

Swim out:

easy, 5 minutes

Dive:

interesting coral formations – large coral heads, gently sloping wall, plenty of fish!

Non-divers:

good snorkelling, swimming, sunbathing, climbing the cliffs, walking, lots of photo opportunities

What’s so special?:

You wanted adventure? Seclusion? You got it. Manzalina is remote and wild, reachable only by a dirt track drive which is definitely not for the faint-hearted! Picturesque San Juan Landhuis en route

Journey time:

10 minutes, located in Piscadera Bay area

Facilities:

none on site:. we bring all you need.

Beach:

pretty, sandy, lots of palm

Shade:

some from the palm trees, we provide shade

Shore entry:

rocky in parts, bring booty fins if you have them

Swim out:

can be some swell on swim out/in. Otherwise, easy, 5 minutes

Dive:

dramatic reef with a good drop off, lots of lobster and crabs hiding in the corals. Can be strong currents present in which case, we drift dive it.

Non-divers:

good snorkelling, swimming, sunbathing

What’s so special?:

pretty, ocean is particularly azure blue here, lots of shallow, rocky areas for snorkelling

Journey time:

50 minutes

Facilities:

none on site:. we bring all you need.

Beach:

very pretty, rocky cove, medium-sized sandy beach, picnic benches if you’re quick. The ocean is particularly beautiful here.

Shade:

Palm leaf parasols (palapas) on the beach plus we provide shade also

Shore entry:

easy, sandy

Swim out:

easy, 5-10 minutes

Dive:

gently sloping wall, lots of hard and soft corals, look out for spotted eagle rays and flounder in the sandy shallows

Non-divers:

good snorkelling particularly around the edges of the cove, swimming, sunbathing, lots of climbing, walking and exploring around the surrounding wilderness which is full of wildlife, flora and fauna

What’s so special?:

really lovely beach and location for diving and chilling, but lots to explore if you want to.

Journey time:

45 minutes

Facilities:

some snack bars on site that aren’t always open, but the nearby coffee shop usually is

Beach:

long, narrow, rocky cove with a small, sandy beach full of small fishing boats

Shade:

lots of shade on the beach

Shore entry:

easy, sandy

Swim out:

easy but pretty long! You’ve got about 10 mins to relax and enjoy the view back over the cove and surrounding cliffs, or snorkel it.

Dive:

gently sloping wall, lots of hard and soft corals, look out for spotted eagle rays and flounder in the sandy shallows

Non-divers:

good snorkelling particularly around the edges of the cove where heaps of fish hang out in the rocks, swimming, sunbathing, and watching the fishermen come and go

What’s so special?:

excellent dive site, lots of mushroom-like hard coral formations, plenty of marine life hanging out and hiding out. Pretty beach, very photogenic. Home of the ‘famous’ Avis fishing boat…

Journey time:

60 minutes and worth it

Facilities:

toilet, snacks and showers on site

Beach:

long beach which is sometimes sandy and sometimes more coral depending on the weather!

Shade:

a little natural shade, some Palm leaf parasols (palapas) and an old dive shop

Shore entry:

loose coral so booties recommended unless you’ve got tough feet

Swim out:

easy and short.

Dive:

there’s too much to see on this flat, gentle, easy to dive reef, which is densely populated with colourful fish, mushroom-like hard coral formations. And turtles hang out here if you’re lucky.

Non-divers:

excellent snorkeling, swimming, sunbathing

What’s so special?:

this is the farthest West we can shore dive and is well worth the drive time, not only because it’s such an excellent dive site, but because you get to see a lot of the island along the way.

Check our Mushroom Forest dive, too.

Journey time:

50 minutes

Facilities:

none on site:. we bring all you need.

Beach:

small, rocky cove. Beach has some sharp stones so be careful, but sun-bathing spots can be found

Shade:

from the trees and cliffs, and we also provide shade

Shore entry:

rocky, you’ll need booty fins

Swim out:

easy, 5 minutes

Dive:

interesting coral formations – large coral heads, gently sloping wall, plenty of fish!

Non-divers:

good snorkelling, swimming, sunbathing, climbing the cliffs, walking, lots of photo opportunities

What’s so special?:

You wanted adventure? Seclusion? You got it. Shon Mosa is close to Manzalina and is equally remote and wild, but with a different character to its neighbour and definitely worth checking out. It’s the same dirt track access so expect a bumpy ride and look out for picturesque San Juan Landhuis along the way. (And wild pigs.)

Journey time:

50 minutes

Facilities:

none on site:. we bring all you need.

Beach:

quite long (for Curacao) and wide, a mixture of sand and rocks/coral. Definite sunbathing opportunities available.

Shade:

from the trees and cliffs, and we also provide shade

Shore entry:

rocky, you’ll need booty fins

Swim out:

easy, 5 minutes

Dive:

interesting coral formations – large coral heads, gently sloping wall, plenty of fish!

Non-divers:

good snorkelling, swimming, sunbathing, climbing the cliffs, walking, lots of photo opportunities

What’s so special?:

This is the 3rd of our remote, wild, secluded beaches, close to Manzalina and Shon Mosa. The beach is much longer and larger than the others, and it’s got a salt plain right by the beach where flamingos sometimes hang out. Good diving, great adventure site.

Journey time:

Located downtown Otrabanda near the cruise ship terminal.

Facilities:

none on site, we bring everything we need with us.

Beach:

none. Tatty and dirty.

Shade:

none on site. We bring our own if needed.

Shore entry:

challenging and not for the faint hearted. You DEFINITELY need boots for this shore entry, or sandals that you can clip to your BC. Strong swell, slippery, sharp rocks, this shore entry is a workout

Swim out:

about 10 mins but can also be a good work out when there’s swell and surface current.

Dive:

100 ft / 30m wreck dive. A 200+ ft long cargo ship that went down in 1977, rests in the sand at the bottom of a gently sloping wall. Max dive time 20 mins due to depth.

Non-divers:

honestly? Nothing.

What’s so special?:

so it’s not in the prettiest location and it can be quite a challenge to enter the ocean and swim out, BUT it’s Curacao’s best wreck site without question and is an excellent dive. Heaps of amazing coral formations on the ship which is home to a lot of fish. Penetration is NOT recommended as extensive rusting is causing the wreck to become increasingly unstable. Conditions and depth mean that it’s only suitable for experienced divers.

Note:

do not bring anything other than what you need for the dive along with you. The parking area is notorious for vehicle break-ins.

Journey time:

Caracasbaai area, 15 minutes drive from Punda/Piscadera.

Facilities:

bathrooms, snack bar, shower and rinse tank on site.

Beach:

beach itself is rubbly but there’s a pretty man-made sandy area on site for relaxing after the dive, and sunbeds available for rent.

Shade:

yes.

Shore entry:

little bit of rubble. Dive boots are best but you can do it barefoot if you’re tough enough

Swim out:

easy swim, 5 minutes, usually flat calm with no current

Dive:

a 3-part dive, starting with a vertical wall (watch your depth!) full of nooks and crannies where all sorts of marine life hangs out. The return leg takes us through a shallow garden teeming with life and corals, and finally we hit the little Tugboat sitting in only 12 feet / 3 meters of water. So plenty to see, a great dive and very easy.

Non-divers:

the Tugboat is shallow enough to snorkel and well worth checking out

What’s so special?:

this is one of Curacao’s world famous dive and snorkel sites. The Tugboat itself is very pretty and covered in corals. The fish there are used to being hand fed and come right up to you to grab lunch. Plenty of photo opps, great dive.

Boat ride:

40 mins to Mushroom Forest, 45 mins to Watamula, 5 mins back to Kalki from Watamula.

Dive:

Mushroom Forest is one of the most written about dive sites on Curacao. Its fame arises from the unusual shaped boulder corals, bored into huge mushroom shapes by worms and other creatures at their bases. Mushroom Forest is teeming with marine life, with moray eels running around everywhere, lobster hiding under the corals, and Creole wrasse flowing around the corals en masse. Great dive site.

Watamula is gorgeous, with just too much to take in all at once! Gently sloping with corals EVERYWHERE, you won’t know where to look first. This is your best chance for (nurse) sharks and turtles although of course, we can’t guarantee it. This is often done as a gentle drift dive.

Non-divers:

stay on the beach at Kalki and snorkel, explore or sunbathe. Mushroom Forest is too deep to see much as a snorkeler, and Watamula is usually a drift dive.

What’s so special?:

See above!

Journey time:

10 mins.

Facilities:

Bathroooms, restaurant

Beach:

Sandy, picnic benches with shade, lots of fishing boats.

Shade:

In restaurant and at benches.

Shore entry:

Very easy.

Swim out:

10-15 mins, maybe against surface current

Dive:

80-100ft, cars and trucks everywhere! Lots of marine life – take your camera but leave the spare parts for your car project back home

Non-divers:

Good snorkeling, chill out on beach

What’s so special?:

unusual dive site! Where else do you get the opportunity to dive an underwater car junk yard? ‘Locals’ beach so lots of people-watching opportunities, including Aqua Aerobics classes which they could sell audience tickets for – hilarious entertainment – and lots of local fishermen doing their thing.