Tucked away in the Dutch Caribbean, Curaçao is often overshadowed by its splashier neighbors, but that low-key vibe is precisely what makes it special. With rainbow-hued colonial streets, world-class diving, wild desert trails, and remote beach escapes, this island offers the perfect balance of relaxation and adventure. If you’re an active couple looking for something beyond the resort bubble, Curaçao delivers with culture, color, and plenty of salty air.
Here are the best outdoor adventures and unique attractions on Curaçao we experienced on our recent trip to the island that will inspire your next Caribbean escape.
Wander Through Willemstad: On Foot or Two Wheels
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
Curaçao’s capital, Willemstad, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a feast for the eyes. Take a walking tour or rent a bike to explore the pastel-colored buildings of Punda and Otrobanda, connected by the iconic Queen Emma Bridge. Don’t miss the floating market, vibrant street art, and waterfront cafes, perfect for a breezy lunch.
We considered Willemstad a “must-see” attraction and arranged an extra day on our trip dedicated to Willemstad and the west end of the island (Westpunt). We stayed in the heart of the city at Bed & Bike Pietermaai, which offered heavily discounted bike rentals but was only a two-star property. We saw all the highlights on our self-guided city tour but wondered what it would have been like staying at a higher-end property closer to Westpunt and booking a morning dive on some of the fabulous west-end dive sites.
Discover Curaçao’s Best Beaches
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
From the rugged beauty of Playa Kalki to the popular lounge vibes of Cas Abao, Curaçao’s beaches are as varied as they are beautiful. Some are ideal for snorkeling, others for sunbathing or cliff jumping. Renting a car gives you the freedom to explore them all.
Curaçao beaches are primarily on the south side of the island, with mega beach resort areas like Jan Thiel and Mombo beaches closer to Willemstad and progressively smaller beach complexes the farther you get from the capital. Tourist beaches typically share a similar development pattern around a sheltered bay, featuring a beach, restaurant, watersports/dive center, and usually a hotel or two. After our whirlwind tour, we’d recommend finding one that calls to you and spending a night or two there soaking up the chill island vibe.
Go Wild in Shete Boka National Park
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
Crashing waves, blowholes, and hidden coves define Shete Boka National Park. Hike the trails or drive the loop to explore dramatic coastal terrain and sea turtle nesting areas. It’s a photographer’s dream and a dramatic contrast to Curaçao’s calm beaches.
The northern surf crashing into Shete Boka illustrates why the swimming beaches are on the southern coast. We visited the park during our island road trip and found it easy to reach, well worth two hours of our time, and the admission price was reasonable.
Watch Nature Roar: Watamula Hole
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
At the island’s northwest tip, Watamula Hole channels the power of the sea through natural rock formations, sending geyser-like blasts skyward. It’s a stop near Playa Kalki that packs a punch.
Watamula Hole is the wilder version of Shete Boka. The approach road was rugged, and we questioned our choice to take our rental passenger sedan there on several spots. The roads were dry, and we made it in and out without getting stuck or incurring damages. It’s a place to go if you want an adventure, but we thought the views weren’t markedly different than Shete Boka.
Hang With Turtles: Snorkel at Playa Grandi
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
Head to Playa Grandi (aka Playa Piskado) where local fishermen clean their catch and sea turtles come in for scraps. It’s one of the easiest ways to swim with these graceful creatures, just a short swim from shore.
We visited Playa Grandi and saw many groups of snorkelers having a turtle experience in the crystal blue water. Several shops were offering rental equipment at the beach, and this was a featured stop on many island tours we were looking into.
Frolic with Flamingos
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
The Jan Kok Salt Lake offers some of the best flamingo watching we’ve ever seen. It’s only a 10-minute detour to take the road by Jan Kok instead of the primary route, and you can see hundreds of birds from the free roadside viewing areas. No wonder so many tours west of Willemstad west include flamingo viewing. We recommend making it a stop on your self-guided tours as well.
Stay in Style: Sandals Royal Curaçao as Your Adventure Base
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
If you’re looking to balance rugged island adventures with elegant relaxation, Sandals Royal Curaçao is an excellent home base. This adults-only, all-inclusive resort offers upscale dining, a two-tier infinity pool, and complimentary access to water sports and bikes. Their partnership with Island Routes Tours allows you to explore the island by day and return to luxury by night. We stayed at Sandals Royal Curaçao for six days and could have easily stayed six more to do all the diving and adventuring that caught our eyes.
Savor the Island: Curaçao’s Food Scene
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
End your days by digging into Curaçao’s melting pot cuisine. From Caribbean-meets-Dutch bites at local food trucks (“truki pan”) to fresh seafood with ocean views, the island’s flavors are as bold and diverse as its landscapes.
Sandals captured the food scene well with fresh seafood and even a small food truck roundup, but our favorite meal came from their Island Inclusive Dining program. We traveled to Willemstad for a culinary experience at Kome featuring a chef-driven menu of locally sourced cuisine. If we could do it all over again, we would have done our self-guided Willemstad tour before our dinner at Kome instead of spending the night in the city.
Dive Into Curaçao’s Legendary Waters: Scuba or Snorkel
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
Curaçao boasts some of the best shore diving in the Caribbean, and its reefs are teeming with marine life just steps from the sand. For certified divers, dozens of world-class sites like Tugboat and Mushroom Forest await. Not scuba certified? No problem—many of the same sites offer incredible snorkeling access.
We loved staying at Sandals because boat diving is included with your stay. We did a two-tank dive most mornings and an afternoon one-tank dive a couple of times. They are the furthest east dive shop on the island, so we had prime access to some pristine dive sites. We would love to come back and explore the Westpunt dive sites where the fresh ocean currents wash into the island that were too far away to reach from Sandals.
Take the Plunge: SNUBA and Underwater Scooter Tours
Photo Credit: Pexels.
Want to go deeper without the full scuba gear? Try SNUBA (a cross between snorkeling and scuba) or glide effortlessly through the reef on an underwater scooter. Both are great for beginners and offer an unforgettable, close-up look at the island’s underwater world.
We’re certified divers, so it’s hard for us to get excited about SNUBA, but the underwater scooters tempted us. One of the primary scooter sites is the Tug Boat Wreck, which is a frequent destination of the Sandals afternoon dive since it’s just around the corner from the resort. The wreck is in good shape and relatively shallow water, so it seems like it would be an excellent feature for a scooter tour. Plus, we got to see an octopus free swimming for 10 minutes when we dove there, so there’s plenty of fascinating sealife on the wreck.
Go Deeper (Literally): The CuraSub Submarine Experience
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
For the ultimate bucket-list dive without getting wet, the CuraSub submarine takes you down to depths unreachable for divers. This is deep-sea exploration at its finest, revealing rarely seen species in an alien-like environment. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thrill.
The CuraSub Experience danced near the top of our list for most of our trip. They depart from Mambo Beach, which is logistically close to Willemstad but a fairly long taxi ride from Sandals. I still wonder what we would have seen if we had taken the plunge.
Have a Little Adventure: Visit Klein Curaçao
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
A day trip to Klein Curaçao, a deserted island about 15 miles offshore, is a must-do. Think powdery white sand, a shipwreck, and maybe even dolphins or flying fish en route. Many boat tours include snorkeling, beach BBQs, and a chance to fully unplug for the day.
We booked the catamaran cruise from Island Routes, which was super convenient because they left from the dock adjacent to the resort. We boarded first, and all food and alcohol were complimentary for Sandals guests. Our favorite part of the trip was scuba diving near the tip of Klein Curaçao (not included in the tour; we booked it separately with Diving Klein Curacao). The coral and fish were enormous, plentiful, colorful, and diverse. It was by far the best diving we did on Curaçao and objectively one of our best dives ever.
Set Sail: Sunset Cruise Along the Coast
Photo Credit: Deposit Photos.
Cap off your adventure-filled days with a romantic sunset cruise. Sail past the colorful coastline, champagne in hand, as the sun sinks into the Caribbean Sea. Many tours include snacks or open bars and make for a perfect date night on the water.
We sailed enough up and down the coast with our dive outings that we didn’t book a sunset cruise in Curaçao. We did it on other trips, like Island Routes in Nassau, and saw how the operation worked. Once again, Sandals guests had preferred boarding and an open bar. Willemstad was beautiful from the water, with its colorful houses, ancient forts, and neighborhoods stretching up the hills surrounding the harbor. I would imagine it would be magnificent, with colors bursting at sunset and lights twinkling at night.
Explore the Blue Room Cave
Photo Credit: Coleman Concierge.
One of Curaçao’s most magical snorkel spots, the Blue Room is a partially submerged cave that glows a vibrant electric blue when sunlight hits it just right. Accessible by boat or a rugged coastal hike, it’s a true hidden gem worth the effort.
We kept trying to get to the Blue Room on our trip. The coastal hike is very rugged, and we didn’t have flippers for the swim, so we didn’t want to do it self-supported. If we had spent those extra couple of days on the island, especially around Westpunt, we would have certainly experienced the Blue Room for ourselves.
Feel the Earth Move: Hato Caves
Photo Credit: Flickr.
Step into Curaçao’s past (and underworld) at the Hato Caves. These limestone caverns feature dramatic stalactites, underground pools, and centuries-old petroglyphs left by the Arawak people.
The Hato Caves were also one of our “just missed” adventures. They’re so close to the airport that it’s an easy stop if you have a rental car. We were planning on visiting, but Sandals guest services arranged for us to return our car at the resort instead of at the airport, which saved us so much time that we couldn’t justify driving to the airport just to visit the caves.
Climb High: Christoffel National Park
Photo Credit: Flickr.
Home to Curaçao’s highest peak, Christoffel Park offers hiking trails with panoramic views and opportunities to spot native wildlife like white-tailed deer and rare orchids. Go early in the day to beat the heat and make the summit before noon.
We were so close to booking a tour of Christoffel National Park. Our drive to Watamula Hole was rugged enough to make us think twice about taking a self-supported drive up the mountain. Plus, the interior of Curaçao has a water-parched landscape where every plant is thorny, and every rock is brutally sharp. A well-trained guide could find the pockets of life thriving in this environment, like the much-renowned orchids.
Hit the Trails: Mountain Biking in the Desert
Photo Credit: Deposit Photos.
Explore Curaçao’s wild interior with a guided mountain bike tour. Trails wind through cactus-strewn landscapes, coastal cliffs, and former plantations. It’s a workout and a cultural immersion in one.
Our Watamula drive showed us two things. First, the island’s extensive network of plantation roads gives access to many adventures and discoveries. Secondly, we’d rather be mountain biking those roads instead of driving them in a rental car.
Hook the Big One: Deep Sea Fishing Charters
Photo Credit: Deposit Photos.
Curaçao’s deep waters are home to mahi-mahi, tuna, and even marlin. Charter a boat for a half or full day and test your luck on the open water. Bonus: many operators will clean your catch so you can grill it up later. We like seeing fish more than catching first, but our diving experiences in Curaçao showed us how alive and healthy the waters were surrounding the island.
Try a New Sport: Learn to Kite Surf
Photo Credit: Deposit Photos.
With its steady trade winds, Curaçao is a great place to try kite surfing. Whether you’re a total newbie or looking to improve your skills, local schools offer lessons in ideal conditions on the island’s sheltered bays. There were always tradewinds blowing on Curaçao, so it seemed like an excellent place to kite surf. We were particularly eyeing the lessons that took place adjacent to the flamingo preserves. How cool would it be to learn to kite surf with flamingo chilling behind you?
Curaçao is Calling
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
Whether you’re hiking volcanic peaks, diving coral reefs, or simply watching the sun melt into the sea, Curaçao is packed with moments that adventurous couples will never forget. It’s the kind of place that invites exploration but rewards you equally for slowing down and soaking it all in.
So grab your partner, pack your snorkel, and set your sights on Curaçao—where every day feels like a postcard come to life.
Hi! We are Jenn and Ed Coleman aka Coleman Concierge. In a nutshell, we are a Huntsville-based Gen X couple sharing our stories of amazing adventures through activity-driven transformational and experiential travel.