Playa Daaibooi

Getting there

Playa Daaibooi is a beach in Bandabou near St. Willibrordus in Curaçao. It lies between Coral Estate Luxury Resort and Playa Porto Marie.

Daaibooi is 33 km from Villa Leoni and takes approximately 42 minutes to reach by car.

Facilities

Daaibooi is a public beach, so it is free to enter around the clock. Parking is also free but spots are limited. You may have to park along the access road. There is a diving center. There is a simple snackbar selling food and drinks. There is a shower and restrooms. The restrooms cost 0.50 ANG to use. Sunbeds and parasols are available for rent at 5 ANG plus 5 ANG deposit between 10:00 and 18:00. You need to bring some cash if you want to order something, because it is not possible to pay by card. Or you can bring your own food and drinks in a cooler. Barbecuing is allowed. There is free WiFi, but we could not connect from our spot on the beach. We had a 4G LTE connection and phone signal in the parking lot, but not on the beach.

Background

In the 19th and 20th century, the bay was used as a port for the transportation of salt from the Jan Kok salt pans to the main port in Willemstad. During World War II, the Americans helped to defend the island against the Germans at Daaibooi. For the past decades, the area is managed by Kees van Dongen.

Daaibooi beach is surrounded by cliffs on both sides. It is home to the loggerhead sea turtle. The bay is relatively shallow. Coral and tropical fish can be found at the far end of the cliff.

Swimming

Daaibooi has a white sand beach. There are some rocks and dead corals in the shoreline, but it is easy to navigate barefoot. The water is warm and clear and the entry is not too steep. The water surface is usually flat. There is a big rock in the water next to the eastern cliff on which you can take a cool holiday picture.

Snorkeling

Near the shore, most fish can be seen around the rock pier. The bay has few corals. You need to venture out further along the cliffs to find more corals and tropical fish.

Hiking

There is a great hiking trail from the west side of the bay to Playa Porto Marie and back. A staircase takes you up the cliff and the trail mostly follows the shore line. Especially after the rainy season, the hike can be bushy and prickly. A wide variety of animals can be spotted, ranging from large iguanas to colorful birds, but also dragonflies, bees and butterflies. From the Porto Marie roundabout, there is a separate trail leading to the top of the Daaibooi Dam, which has spectacular views on the surrounding area. We took the trail all the way around Daaibooi Dam back to Playa Daaibooi. This trail is 4.5 km long and can be completed in less than an hour. It features ocean views, lake views, mountain views, St. Willibrordus church, old ruins and highly varied flora and fauna.