One reason why I love being in the Caribbean is the fact that I love being in/on the water! After having traveled extensively in the Caribbean area, I was preoccupied and thought Curaçao would be more of the same. It turned out to be quite the opposite. The island is surprisingly diverse and there’s tons of stuff to do. You can read this separate article about free stuff to do in Curaçao. But when you find yourself in the Caribbean, you’ll surely look out for some sort of water activity. Let’s have a look what you can do in the wet in Curaçao!
Snorkel to Tugboat Wreck
Either you enter the water from the nearby beach or arrive to the location by small boat. You can snorkel along the reef but the real draw lies at the end. There is a sunken tugboat lying just 5m under the water surface! Tugboat wreck might just be the most amazing snorkel location in the Dutch Antilles. I did a guided snorkel tour with Myronchitrip and At Sea Curaçao and can definitely recommend these guys! These are private trips and photos are included in all trips!
Spanish water boat tour on Spaanse Water, Curaçao
At Sea Curaçao offers tours in and around the Spanish Water area with their small longboat Di Luca. The boat is painted in rasta colors and during the trip there’s some easygoing reggae music playing. You might even stop at the luxurious Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort for a little beach time. The tours are private so there’s only you and your company and this way it remains intimate. They even have a BBQ on board!
At Sea Curaçao also offers private yacht charters, if you’re craving a bit more exclusivity. With the stunningly designed First 50 Sailing Yacht you can do trips to Klein Curaçao or even from Bonaire to Aruba!
Jet Ski
Classic water activity. I rented one in the Jan Thiel area and I was not disappointed! The water in the Caracas Bay tends to be on the wilder side so it’s perfect for the more advanced practitioners like me. You can catch some really good air there! You don’t need a license and you basically have the entire bay at your disposal for some good fun! The water sport center can send a water taxi or jet ski to have you picked up from the nearby Santa Barbara Resort.
Swim with sea turtles in Curaçao
Best place to swim with sea turtles is Playa Piskado, also known as Playa Grandi, in the northwest of the island of Curaçao. Playa Piscado means ‘fishermen’s beach’ and that’s exactly why you’ve got a great chance to spot some turtles.
I mean, who doesn’t want to swim with the sea turtles?! And what’s best is that it’s completely free! Fishermen anchor their small boats near the tiny dock, the turtles know this and follow them around. Best time to see them is when the fishermen are cleaning their catch. There’s one older gentleman who loves to throw some fish back in the sea; the turtles are sure to hang around this guy’s boat!
SUP Yoga with Dushi SUP
Yoga on a SUP board? Isn’t regular yoga hard enough when you’re a complete inflexible newbie like me? While it might be indeed a little bit harder, SUP Yoga remains for all levels. I turned out to be quite good at it, especially being a guy! Island girl Liberty Suares is the owner of Dushi SUP and they are offering yoga sessions on the ocean. Dushi SUP is using those amazing Boga Yoga boards that are very instagrammable! As the charming Liberty would say: this is not your ordinary yoga studio!
Beach time, beach bar, Renaissance infinity pool
Of course, the most basic option to enjoy some time near the water is to spend the day at the beach. I tried a new beach each day, but Mambo beach is definitely one of my favorites. It’s full of beach bars and the cocktails are reasonably priced. As I described earlier, Playa Piskado is a free beach in Westpunt where you can swim with the sea turtles! Best private beaches are those from Coral Estate Resort, Santa Barbara Resort and Renaissance Resort & Casino. The last one has the perfect solution to overcome the rough seas near Otrobanda by creating two artificial sand beach pools, the Infinity and the Eternity pool!
If you’re not much of a water person or you still can’t find what you’re looking for in this list, take a look at my top picks of free things to do in Curaçao or go for a walk in Scharloo and discover amazing street art on every corner!