Live well. Eat well. Travel well.

Four beaches in one day… That’s the plan… and it was a success!

We stayed at the Mangrove Beach Corendon Curacao All-Inclusive Resort in Willemstad and it was a good decision to have rented a car rather than be stuck in tours with a bunch of strangers in the back of a 4×4 with no air conditioning since we planned last minute!

This is how we maximized 1 day of beach day:

Beach # 1: Grote Knip (Kenepa Grande)

It was around 8:30 AM when we left to reach the west side starting at Grote Knip, 40 km away or a 45 minute drive. We got there around 9:15 AM. Parking was plentiful, most of the beach chairs in front of the beach were available, and there were maybe 1-2 people only in the beach. It was quiet. when we got there.

We brought our own snorkel gears and noodles, also our own water bottles and snacks! The ocean was so clear that you didn’t really need to swim far to see fishes swimming around you.

Beach # 2: Playa Piskadó / Playa Grandi

Left Grote Knip around 11:00 AM to head over to beach #2, Playa Piskado, where you can swim with the turtles. I’d say by the time we got here, parking close to the beach was already full. We parked by the street and as we started walking to the beach, there were 2 cars ready to leave… if we turned to the street a little later, we could have taken those spots. Anyway, it was not a far walk where we parked so it’s all good!

The beach wasn’t really that clear compared to Grote Knip and it was packed! We brought blankets so we didn’t have to rent a chair. Also, if you need to use the bathroom, prepare for $1 every time you use it (yes, they take USD).

You didn’t need to swim far to see the turtles and fishes.

We didn’t really stay that long in here since it didn’t feel as relaxing. It was just cool to swim with the turtles.

Beach # 3: Playa Porto Mari

The last beach we went to is Playa Porto Mari. This one is a privately owned beach that has a restaurant should you get hungry. There were a number of parking spots considering we got here around 2:00 PM. Before heading here, we stopped by Shete Boka National Park (since there’s no swimming here, I’m not including it in this post, I will post more on the itinerary in one of my pages in the coming days).

Playa Porto Mari was really nice. It didn’t have much corals you step on as you enter the ocean. Out of all the beaches we went to, this one is the one that I went barefoot.

The turquoise water was beautiful and clear. You can see fishes in here too without snorkeling.

Beach # 4: Mangrove Beach

We could have squeezed in more beaches, instead we headed back to the resort and ended the day watching the sunset at their beach. They have a swing in the beach and a place where you can sit with a heart as your frame while the sun is setting behind.

Overall, it was amazing to have seen more than 1 beach and explore the west side of Curacao. Highly recommend renting a car since the drive was so simple and easy. You will just have to be aware of the road signs, pot holes, and unmarked bumps!