Willemstad, Curacao

Today we arrived in Willemstad on the Dutch island of Curacao, alongside a massive Carnival cruise ship.

We’ve been here before, and seen the town and interesting swing bridge, so as the bulk of passengers turned right towards the town centre, we turned left, towards a beach we’d spotted on Maps.Me.

Our route took us past a mangrove swamp, which might be worth a visit on another occasion, along a long stretch of road right by the shoreline, sporting gazebos and barbeque areas.

At the end of the road was a public beach. There were no facilities however, and it felt a little grubby, and through a gap in a fence things looked much cleaner and inviting…

After closer inspection we discovered the beach next door was privately owned by a massive Marriott hotel. After enquiring at the reception, we purchased a day pass for about £75, which sounds a lot until you realise that it includes use of all the facilities and vouchers for food and drink at the poolside grill and bar.

We subsequently spent a wonderful few hours snorkeling, relaxing in our loungers and enjoying pizza and beer for lunch.

We were fully relaxed and snorkelled out by the time we walked back to the ship.