Considering that a mixture of volcanoes and coral reefs formed Curaçao, it’s no surprise that reefs surround the small island. For such a small area, the reefs are home to a large number of plant and animal species, some of which — such as black coral — are rarely found elsewhere. Like its neighbor Bonaire, most Curaçao dive sites are accessible by shore, so you need only your dive gear and a means of transportation. It really couldn’t be easier.
Early on, Curaçao recognized the value of their reefs and took measures to protect them, leaving the ones around the island among the Caribbean’s best. Not only do Curaçao’s healthy reefs bring in tourists and their money, but they also protect the island from storms and keep the beaches full of beautiful, clean sand. (Say thanks to the parrotfish for those beaches).
With over 60 named sites, Curaçao offers dives for every interest and skill level. A few have mild to strong currents and are only done as drift dives. Many have amazing, vertigo-inducing deep walls. Others are shallow, calm, and close to shore, allowing novice divers and snorkelers the opportunity to take in the splendor. The Superior Producer is a must for the wreck divers. One thing is certain — all of the dive sites have tons of marine life and amazing visibility.
While dolphins, pilot whales, and mantas have been known to cruise through Curaçao’s blue waters, the island isn’t the best place to see large or pelagic marine life. On these reefs you want to think a little smaller, although no less interesting. Lobsters, turtles, octopus, morays, parrotfish, puffers, spotted drums, boxfish, rays, seahorses, cleaner shrimp and so much more is just waiting to be discovered in the coral gardens and fringe reefs. Mirroring the laidback atmosphere topside, take your dives here slowly while you peer into nooks and crannies, taking it all in. I spent most of my dives drifting lazily through the water and peering at anemones, coral heads, under ledges, and in holes and I was never disappointed at finding tiny baby boxfish, juvenile drums, skulking lionfish, or an ever-expressive moray.
Here are the sites we visited:
Topside Activities
Don’t assume that Curaçao is only good for diving and snorkeling; you can have fun while staying completely dry, if you wish. ATV and dune buggy rentals and tours, hiking, rock climbing and rappelling, horseback riding, golf and bike tours are all on the list of possible activities. And if you visit after 2016, you might get the opportunity to fly to space — for a hefty price tag, of course. Yes, you read that correctly. If you’ve got a spare $100,000 lying around, the Lynx Rocketplane is expected to open next year for both space tourism and missions dedicated to science. How’s that for unique tourism?
What to know:
- Air temps: Average in the mid 80s F (high 20s C) in the summer and dip to mid 70s F (low 20s C) in the winter.
- Water temps: The range is about the same as the air temps, from the mid 70s to mid 80s F (low to high 20s C).
- Average visibility: 50 to 100-plus feet (15 to 30-plus m)
- For specific information about each dive site we visited, please see the following links:
