Best Beaches in Curaçao Near Cruise Port

If your cruise is due to land in Curaçao and you fancy a beach day, you have a few options.

Lots of tourists choose to book an excursion or hop in a taxi to a popular beach, but this isn’t your only option for a beach day in Curaçaos: you can walk!

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Walking to a beach near Curaçao cruise port

curaçao cruise port beaches nearby — Curaçao cruise port

Though walking to a beach is entirely possible, Curaçao’s warm temperatures and poor infrastructure mean that it can be a challenge.

Often, there isn’t a sidewalk and cars aren’t the most considerate towards pedestrians.

If you still want to walk, there are four good options that are around one hour’s walk away or three miles. This might seem too far for many, but you’ll be able to hop in a taxi it is!

The best beaches in Curaçao near cruise port

Here are the four closest beaches that we recommend.

Pirate Bay

Pirate Bay is near Piscadera but is a substantial walk from the cruise terminal.

To get there:

You’ll need to walk to Baden Powell Weg roundabout then turn left and walk alongside Pater Euwensweg.

Follow this road for a few miles until you come across Corendon Mangrove Resort.

You need to turn left to head to the coast at the Aqualectra building then turn to the right to follow the sea path, which is called John F. Kennedy Boulevard.

You’ll end up in Piscadera. Pirate Bay is located on the third exist to your left.

What to do in Pirate Bay

Pirate Bay is a sandy beach that’s loved both by locals and tourists.

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There are many resorts here, including:

The beach has a bar, toilets, and showers, and beach beds are a reasonable $5 per day.

If you want to eat, the Beach Club and Restaurant, which used to be called ‘Hook’s Hut’ provides breakfasts as well as lunch and dinner. They also have a happy hour with exceptionally good prices.

If you love pizza, you must visit Tomatoes. This is one of Curaçao’s most renowned pizza restaurants.

Another favorite is De Visserij, which has no menu at all! This is because you’ll be served whatever the fishermen have caught that day.

For activities other than sunbathing and swimming, you can try diving.

There are packages for beginners through to more advanced divers. If you don’t fancy diving, you could try snorkelling instead or looking for sea glass.

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Parasasa Beach

This is a quiet public beach that you’ll pass ten minutes before you reach Pirate Bay.

It’s a tranquil spot and has no facilities besides parasols and beds. The World Trade Center is close by, however, as is the Curaçao Marriott Beach Hotel.

There are good waves here on one side of the beach, which is great for surfing. The waters are calmer on the other side, which makes it ideal for relaxing.

Mambo Beach

This is the largest and most famous of Curaçao’s beaches.

There is a huge range of different restaurants as well as shops and beach clubs. You can also hire beach beds.

Mambo Beach near cruise port — Mambo Beach

To access pirate bay from Curaçao’s cruise port, you’ll head in the opposite direct to Pirate Bay. It’s a much nicer route and passes some good sights along the way.

From the cruise ship, head into Otrobanda and then head over the pontoon bridge in the direction of Punda.

Pass through Breedestraat to Wilheminaplein. You’ll know you’re in the right place by the ‘Dushi Curaçao’ sign in the square. From here, head into the district of Pietermaai.

You’ll pass some wonderful houses that are full of color.

When you get to ‘Botika Juliana’, take the Penstraat, and then you’ll head straight for a long time. You’ll pass Playa Marie Pampoen and continue for a further 15 minutes to get to Mambo Beach.

What to do at Mambo Beach

This 160-meter-wide beach has so many activities to choose from. It’s a child-friendly beach with calm waters.

There are restaurants, stores, and a wide range of activities to choose from, which makes this place have a great atmosphere.

Mambo beach time Curacao — Mambo beach time

If you fancy seeing marine creatures up close, the Curaçao Sea Aquarium is home to:

sea lions
dolphins
nurse sharks
stingrays
flamingos
and turtles

As for water sports, you’ve got tugboats, snorkels and catamaran trips among others.

If you prefer to relax, there’s everything from a towel on the sand, a luxury beach bed, or a cabana for hire.

Playa Marie Pampoen

Before arriving at Mambo Beach, you’ll pass through Playa Marie Pampoen.

This is a public beach in a Willemstad suburb called the Marie Pampoen district.

It is an area that’s still in development, but you can lay down a towel and relax here.

Though it’s a small beach, you won’t have to pay to access it and though there are no parasols or beds, the palm trees provide great shade.

There are picnic tables too as well as a couple of restaurants towards the beach end.

The best way to get to the beaches

Though you can walk to all four of these beaches, it really isn’t recommended for most people.

This is because the lack of sidewalks and consideration for pedestrians makes this a dangerous activity. Not only this but with Curaçao’s high temperatures, a 5km walk really isn’t recommended.

Curaçao closest beaches cruise port — Curaçao beaches

Finally, you won’t gain an awful lot by walking. If your time on the island is limited by your cruise ship, it also might not be a good idea to waste time by walking.

As such, we recommend getting a taxi. Alternatively, you could head to something like the Saint Tropez Ocean Club.

Though not a beach experience, you can rent a cabana or sunbed and swim in the infinity pool. This is only a 15-minute walk from the port.