Curaçao · 7 snorkel spots · 6 from shore
Curaçao snorkeling: beach entries from Westpunt to Caracasbaai
Curaçao snorkeling is beach snorkeling. Every spot here except Klein Curaçao starts from the sand or the rocks. Near Willemstad, Caracasbaai is a calm bay inside the underwater park, and admission is free. On the west end, Playa Lagun is a narrow channel between rocky cliffs where turtles gather near the fishing boats.
Diving too? The Curaçao dive guide maps 10 dive sites and 8 stays.
Where to snorkel
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Caracasbaai
ShoreCalm bay inside the underwater park, popular for snorkeling and diving, with several small restaurants on the shore.
Free admission.
Nearest stays
- LionsDive Beach Resort 4.4 km Check dates
- Scuba Lodge & Ocean Suites 8.0 km Check dates
Position: 12.0680° N, 68.8620° W
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Playa Lagun
ShoreNarrow channel lined with rocky cliffs and reef fish, where turtles gather near the fishing boats; the drop-off has corals and large sponges.
Nearest stays
- Scuba Lodge Lagun Beach about 100 m Check dates
- Lagun Blou Resort 81 m Check dates
Position: 12.3181° N, 69.1509° W
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Playa Kalki
ShoreCove with a roped-off swim area and floating platform, a snack bar and dive shop on the terrace, and the Alice in Wonderland reef offshore.
Steep stone steps from parking and a somewhat rocky water entry.
Nearest stays
- Nos Krusero Apartments 234 m Check dates
- All West Apartments & Diving 801 m Check dates
Position: 12.3740° N, 69.1586° W
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Porto Mari
ShoreSandy beach with a double reef reached from shore in clear, calm water; dive shop, restaurant, showers and changing rooms on site.
Nearest stays
- Lagun Blou Resort 13.7 km Check dates
- Scuba Lodge Lagun Beach about 14 km Check dates
Position: 12.2119° N, 69.0861° W
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Cas Abao
ShoreBeach with reefs for snorkelers and divers, plus a bar, restaurant, showers, shade gazebos and a moored raft.
Nearest stays
- Lagun Blou Resort 11.8 km Check dates
- Scuba Lodge Lagun Beach about 12 km Check dates
Position: 12.2278° N, 69.0921° W
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Playa Kenepa Grandi (Grote Knip)
ShoreFree public beach on the west end that the tourism board lists for snorkeling and diving.
Nearest stays
- Marazul Dive Resort 1.4 km Check dates
- All West Apartments & Diving 1.9 km Check dates
Position: 12.3520° N, 69.1513° W
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Klein Curaçao
BoatUninhabited island off the southeast coast reached on snorkel trips by dive operators and charters, which usually include lunch.
Tour only; little shade on the island.
Nearest stays
- LionsDive Beach Resort 29.0 km Check dates
- Scuba Lodge & Ocean Suites 32.6 km Check dates
Position: 11.9918° N, 68.6490° W
Curaçao snorkeling questions
Is Caracasbaai free?
Yes. Caracasbaai is part of the underwater park, the water is usually calm, and admission is free.
How do you get to Klein Curaçao?
By boat. It is an uninhabited island about eight miles off the southeast coast, and dive operators and charters run snorkel trips there. Bring shade: the island has little.
When is Cas Abao open?
Daily from 9:30 to 18:30, except December 31 and Carnival Sunday.
Is Playa Santa Cruz good for snorkeling?
Not really. The tourism board says the mangroves around it cloud the water.
Sources
Every spot and answer on this page comes from one of these pages, read in October 2026. Parks, regulators and tourism boards come first. We name our sources rather than link them: the only links that leave this page are the Stay22 "Check dates" links.
- Curaçao Tourist Board (curacao.com/en/activity/caracasbaai) · Caracasbaai; Is Caracasbaai free?
- Curaçao Tourist Board (curacao.com/en/activity/playa-lagun) · Playa Lagun
- Curaçao Tourist Board (curacao.com/en/activity/playa-kalki) · Playa Kalki
- Curaçao Tourist Board (curacao.com/en/activity/playa-porto-mari) · Porto Mari
- Curaçao Tourist Board (curacao.com/en/activity/cas-abao-beach) · Cas Abao; When is Cas Abao open?
- Curaçao Tourist Board (curacao.com/en/activity/playa-kenepa) · Playa Kenepa Grandi (Grote Knip)
- Curaçao Tourist Board (curacao.com/en/activity/klein-curacao) · Klein Curaçao; How do you get to Klein Curaçao?
- Curaçao Tourist Board (curacao.com/en/activity/playa-santa-cruz) · Is Playa Santa Cruz good for snorkeling?
How we picked and measured
Every spot here is named as a snorkel spot by a source above that is not a dive or snorkel business: a marine park, a tourism board, a magazine or a guidebook. We left out spots that only an operator or a snorkel directory vouches for. Conditions change with wind and swell, so check with a local shop on the day.
Stay distances are straight lines between two points on our map, not walking routes, so the walk is longer. A figure marked "about" has one end at a town-level point. The same method ranks every dive stay on our walk-to-the-reef list. "Check dates" links go to Stay22, which pays us a commission if you book, at no cost to you. How we make money.