4 best day trips from Curaçao

Day trips compared

The day trips

25 km · About 1.5–2 hours by boat each way

1.Klein Curaçao

An uninhabited, flat islet southeast of Curaçao with a long white beach, an old lighthouse and shipwreck remains. Turtles are often seen while snorkelling, and the crossing can be rough on the way out.

Getting there

Day cruise from Spanish Water or Jan Thiel

Best for

Families, Beach, Couples

50 km · About 45–60 minutes by car each way

2.Banda Abou beach drive

A loop through the island's west end stops at the Jan Kok flamingos, plantation houses, Playa Lagun, Playa Kenepa, Playa Piskadó and Westpunt's cliffs, with lunch at a seaside restaurant. Combine with Shete Boka or Christoffel on another day.

Getting there

Rental car

Best for

Beach, Couples, Families

15 km · About 20 minutes by car

3.Spanish Water and Caracas Bay

A sheltered inland bay with marinas, watersports and beach clubs, next to Caracas Bay, where the Tugboat wreck and the old quarantine building sit by the shore. The headland above has views over both bays.

Getting there

Rental car or taxi

Best for

Families, Beach

70 km · About 30 minutes by plane

4.Bonaire

Neighbouring Bonaire is known for its protected marine park and shore diving, flamingos and the town of Kralendijk. It is reachable as a day trip by short flight but is better with an overnight stay.

Getting there

Short regional flight

Best for

Solo travellers, Couples

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• Large public buses and smaller privately run 'bus' vans leave from terminals in Punda and Otrobanda for different parts of the island, but services to the west end are infrequent.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask