Sporty activities in Curaçao: let’s work up a sweat

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Latest update: 20 March 2023

Are you ready for some action during your holiday? Then Curaçao has a lot to offer you. Many water activities, of course, but there’s a lot to do on solid ground too. So check out the sporty activities in Curaçao.

Mountain bike tour

Baja Bikes organizes cool mountain bike tours on Curaçao on request. You cycle the beautiful island for about three hours. Since it’s a private tour, the speed, and intensity are up to you. So work up a sweat, or take a nice relaxing pace. The guide adjusts the ride to your level. So you don’t have to have been on a mountain bike before to enjoy this tour. Arrange your mountain bike tour here.

Snorkeling by yourself or with a tour

You can snorkel very well in Curacao. Often just off the coast. So you can go out with your own snorkel mask to spot turtles and admire fish or even look for a sunken tugboat. On many beaches, you can also rent gear for snorkeling. In addition, plenty of snorkeling excursions are offered. This one and this one – just examples to give you an idea.

Yoga on a SUP board

DushiSUP regularly organizes SUP yoga in Caracas Bay. A SUP is a surfboard, but bigger and more stable. It’s stable enough for doing yoga poses. But actually, it is okay if you lose your balance because the water feels great and the sun shines brightly. You are welcome without yoga experience and without SUP experience.

Climb Mount Christoffel

Put on your hiking boots, take liters of water with you, and climb the Christoffelberg. It takes me about 2.5 hours to climb (up and down combined), and I work up a sweat. It is absolutely beautiful, but the last bit of scrambling over the rocks really scares me with my fear of heights. You can only start the climb in the morning, as it is much too hot in the afternoon. Read all about my experience here.

Take a jeep tour

Of course, you can get to many places in Curaçao with your rental car. But sometimes, it is nice to have a driver and hear the guide’s stories. There are jeep safaris to the Christoffel Park or Shete Boka, for example. When you book, pay close attention to what is included in the tour: hotel pickup, snacks, lunch, drinks?

Rent an ATV (quad bike) or buggy

The rugged nature of Curaçao is the perfect landscape for an adventurous ATV or buggy tour. Most tours take you to the island’s west and some to the east. So study where they take you so you discover a new part of Curaçao during your stay. Check out the options. One thing is sure: the dust and sand will be everywhere, from your nostrils to your underwear. So straight to the beach afterward!

Take kitesurfing lessons

In Sint Jorisbaai (not far from the ostrich farm), you can learn kitesurfing at the kitesurfing school NIX or Awa Salu. There are several options: either you try lessons for a few hours or start with classes for a few days to ensure you will be flying over the water at the end. If you’re experienced, you’ll be able to rent kitesurfing gear here.

Tip! Are you a bit of a daredevil? Then go rock climbing or skydiving in Curaçao. Or: rappelling from the Juliana Bridge!

Learn to windsurf

Windsurfing Curacao promises to teach you how to windsurf in 1 hour. That seems a bit ambitious, but it’s worth a try, isn’t it? You will be taught on the Spanish Water. Of course, you do need wind to windsurf. Your lesson will be canceled at no cost when there’s no wind. And if you have mastered windsurfing, you can rent the equipment and go out yourself.

Go on Aquafari

Aquafari? Yep. The Aquafari is a kind of underwater scooter with which you drive through the underwater world. It looks a bit crazy, but it is a great invention for people who prefer not to dive but want to look underwater. You get a kind of astronaut helmet that contains oxygen. So you don’t have to wear goggles or breathe through a snorkel. Check out the video and book here.

Diving in Curaçao

There are many diving schools in Curaçao. That makes sense because the island has many beautiful dive sites. At most diving schools, you can just walk in and book a dive for the same or the next day. Or book online in advance, for example, here. The tugboat, Director’s Bay, and mushroom forest are popular dive sites.

Kayak to the Blue Room

On the beach of Playa Santa Cruz, you can rent kayaks from Captain Good Life to go to the Blue Room. I did this once in 2006 when my little brother was doing an internship in Curaçao and led the kayaking trips. And it’s really impressive! However, keep in mind the rough sea: it is hard work to get to the Blue Room. Depending on the water level, you can swim with your head up into the Blue Room, or you have to dive a bit. Then you enter a very blue cave. It looks great, but it has almost no marine life. Not in the mood for kayaking? You can also get there by speedboat.

First published: August 2021. Updated since.