We love to share our top 5 family beaches in Curacao. When we chose Curacao as our first holiday destination with our then 10 week old daughter, it was mostly because of the great availability of baby products, no need for vaccinations and affordability. The beaches turned out to be the real highlight of our trip.
We decided to rent a car for a couple of days which made it possible to visit multiple beaches all around the island. Some had lots of facilities, other were pristine with no toilet building or restaurant in sight. We share our top five family beaches with you!
Jan Thiel beach
The Jan Thiel Beach gets first place at this “Top 5 family beaches Curacao” list because of its range of family facilities. The public restrooms even have a baby changing station. The beach is maintained by a number of different restaurants such as Zanzibar and Zest. There are many paraols and little huts that provide plenty of shade to young children. Older children can also enjoy a game of volleyball or soccer. Most restaurants have waiters on the beach. You can order a cocktail or smoothie and still stay with the kids.
The only downside to Jan Thiel beach is that it isn’t really a beach. Most of it is made up by reclaimed land and it lacks the natural beauty other Curacao beaches have. However, because part of the beach has been especially made to slope gently it is a very nice and safe place to swim for children. The inlet near Zanzibar is even an almost wave-free area.
Blue Bay Beach
Blue Bay beach is a private beach belonging to a resort. You can visit it however even if you are not staying at the hotel. This a popular beach for parents because there is a playground and a large pool, showers and toilets. The restaurant near the beach also has high chairs. You can find enough shade under a palm tree of parasol.
Cas Abou beach
The beach at Cas Abou is very long and wide with a gentle slope. This beach is great for children that aren’t perfect swimmers yet. Cas Abou would fit on any magazine cover showcasing a perfect Caribbean beach. The sand is white and sea boosts a range of blue colors. You can sit near the facilities or choose a more quiet spot at the edges of the beach. There are beach chairs and umbrellas for rent. This is recommended because there is little shade. This beach would be even better if the restaurant would also serve some healthy food instead of fastfood.
Playa Kalki
If you are looking for a small private beach, then Playa Kalki in the extreme north of the island is what you are looking for. The beach is quite small but lovely.
The calm sea is ideal for great children. There is a steap drop-off but a rope shows you until where it is still safe to swim. The beach has plenty of natural shade and its appearance with cliffs on both sides is very picturesque. There are facilities like a shower in the nearby restaurant.
Playa Lagun
Playa Lagun would have been our personal favorite beach in Curacao if we wouldn’t have been travelling with a baby. This beach really deserves its spot in our “Top 5 family beaches Curacao”. Local families come here to barbecue. And although there is a restaurant within walking distance it is best to be self sufficient. Playa Lagun is very pittoresque and quiet. It’s a great place if your children can snorkel. There are large schools of fish and we even saw a turtle that we could follow for up to 30 minutes. Because of the cliffs on both sides of the beach the sea is very calm. To open sea is a swim of about 200 meter.
For More tips on Curacao with children read our article: Curacao with kids: the do’s and don’ts
This website Gezin op Reis (Dutch for travelling family) is mostly in Dutch but we have made a selection of our adventures and tips available in English here.
Blue Bay heeft allang geen pool meer.