Curaçao's Best Shore Diving Resorts

In Curaçao, it's OK to miss the boat because there are dozens of sites along the island's southern coast where the reefs lie within a few fin kicks off shore. Choose the right resort and you won't even need to load gear into a rental vehicle and drive. Just stop by an oceanfront dive shop, grab a tank and take a short swim. Here are three top dive resorts where you can reach the reefs right from the beach.

Guests at Mangrove Beach Corendon get the best of both worlds. Opened in 2021, this upscale all-inclusive resort is a member of Hilton’s Curio Collection of unique global properties. The property is within walking distance of Willemstad's historic Otrobanda and Punda districts while enjoying a private crescent of white-sand beach and easy access to one of Curaçao's favorite shore dives. 

Dive services are provided by onsite Groove Diving, which offers dive courses, boat dives and several unique shore diving experiences. Snorkelers and divers easing into the sport can gain confidence as they explore the nooks and crannies on the interior side of a rocky breakwater that forms a sheltered lagoon. More experienced divers may want to move to the open water side of the formation for added marine life action.

Just west of the resort beach is the site known as Double Reefs, which is one of Curaçao's top-ranked shore dives. Here, an inner reef that begins close to shore at depths of 15 feet holds a wealth of tropical fish. A bit deeper, and separated by a sandy plateau patrolled by rays, the coral formations of the outer reef are a favorite resting place for sea turtles. Another signature dive that is available from Mangrove Beach is the wreck of the Superior Producer. Accessed by a three-minute swim from shore and sitting upright on the seabed, this 165-foot intact vessel is Curaçao's most iconic shipwreck.

Set within the Blue Bay Golf & Beach Resort village, the Bayside Boutique Hotel gives guests a “surf and turf: vacation experience. The garden-like property is flanked by a championship golf course and adjacent to a white sand beach. The resort village includes five dining venues, sport facilities, boutiques and a full-service spa. The calm waters of the bay provide an inviting setting for paddlers, sailors, swimmers, snorkelers and divers.

Blue Bay Divers, a waterfront dive center supports shore diving activities, and there are two house reefs to explore. The shallow reef beginning close to the beach is known as The Garden for its variety of colorful corals. These low-to-mid relief formations provide shelter for a wide range of tropical reef fish and an equal number of invertebrates that often lurk in the shadows during daylight hours, then come out at night to forage.

The other house reef is appropriately named The Wall. This vertical face begins at a depth of 30 feet and drops to beyond 100, creating opportunities for multi-level profiles. This site often holds large schools of fish, and divers may encounter passing sea turtles, eagle rays, barracuda, grouper and sharks gliding in from deeper water.

The Coral Estates vacation village is a collection of garden and ocean view apartments where guests enjoy a private beach, two swimming pools, three restaurants, boutiques and a full-service spa. The resort's prime mid-island location puts divers within easy range of favorite south coast dive sites such as Mushroom Forest and the Blue Room.

Learn more about Coral Estates Luxury Resort.

Shore divers at Coral Estates can also explore the nearby St. Marie Reef, which also begins with shallow coral formations close to the beach. The site's rock-strewn slope is encrusted in hard corals and decorated in gorgonians. Nooks and crannies in the reef create habitat for small marine life and reef fish; schooling jacks and snapper congregate on coral heads and turtles; eagle rays and barracuda patrol in mid water. St. Marie is also a favorite for night dives. After the sun goes down octopus, lobsters, crabs, and moray eels come out to forage and hunt.

Caradonna works with Mangrove Beach, Bayside and Coral Estates to create special shore diving vacation packages, and can customize dive vacation itineraries to include additional land and water activities. Your Caradonna agent can give you all the information and take care of every detail of travel.