Tugboat Beach — Attraction in Curaçao

Really cool rustic place. Not anything like I expected. There is this awesome little beach shack and snorkel-gear rental place right next to the beach and usually you'll find this old guy there running things. His name is Bert. Friggin AWESOME guy. This guy has forgotten more about snorkeling and skin-diving than most people will ever know. So it's worth your time to talk with him for a few minutes before you head out snorkeling.

But even better, Bert is full of the most amazing life stories. If you have the time, sit down at the round table, relax, and talk to him for half an hour. I'm telling you - THIS is the kinda guy that Jimmy Buffett songs are written about. One of the most interesting men I've ever met.

The beach shack here is REALLY rustic. Bathrooms are about as bad as you can imagine. But it's cool because at least someone set up something here. Otherwise it would be a boring beach with no bathroom at all, no food or drinks and nobody to tell you where the tugboat is.

The snorkeling near the tugboat and the big piers is pretty good. But the REALLY good snorkeling is out settings the corner a ways, which can be difficult to get to in windy days with bigger waves. But here's a tip, if you go back on the road you came in on, and take the road to the right almost immediately, you'll head up the small mountain. Then you can find the REALLY great hidden snorkel beach that us Crystal blue waters. You'll know it when you find it.

Good place for snorkeling here. But the real highlight of this trip is the killer...

I enjoyed snorkeling at Tugboat beach. It is rather intimidating when you first pull up because it is right beside a massive oil drilling platform that is being repaired. It has a decidedly industrial feel to the location. But don’t let the road or the area ambience scare you. The entrance is free with a snorkel rental and electric water scooter rental shack present. There is also a small bar where you can buy pop or a beer. There’s lots of shade and lounge chairs can be rented on the beach. The whole environment at the entrance has a rather fun laid back funky feel with signs of wisdom and art work hanging everywhere. The beach itself is made of broken coral so it’s a bit rough. Water shoes are highly recommended by me. But in the water you will discover many surprises. There are a decent number of fish species to observe and I saw a few firsts here. I watched an octopus move among the rocks for 15 minutes. It is amazing how quickly these creatures can change colour from sand white to black blotches matching the background in a split second. I also saw two different species of eel and several flounders blending in with the sand. There was a good selection of Parrot fish, Yellow Tail Damsel fish, Angel fish, Trumpet fish, Sargent Majors, Blue Tangs etc. Since I had rather limited expectations going into the water, I was pleasantly surprised to see the diversity....

Very nice reck only 4m deep. You can go with children snorkelling. It’s very easy.

The area to explore includes the Tugboat wreck and its surrounding reef areas, especially the coral settlements along the cliffs on the southern side of the bay.

The wreck is located behind the platform, that you can easily spot some 100m from the beach. Fin in that direction. Departing from the beach, you will find a shallow sandy area that slowly drops off into a large rocky slope (6-18ft/2-5m). The rocks are overgrown with colorful coral and sponges, and are home to a variety of reef fish like grunt, parrotfish, couples of banded butterflyfish and many more. Look out for flamingo tongue, a brightly colored sea snail that generally feed on gorgonians.

Stay close to the cliff, and reach the area behind the platform . Approximately 30m behind the platform, and a few meters from the shore , you will soon spot the tugboat sitting on the seabed (↕18ft/5m). With the sunrays illuminating the wreck surrounded by shoals of damselfish, the first sight at the Tugboat is always a fascinating moment. Corals and sponges cover the structure of the boat, immersed since more than 30 years. The moderate depth (less than 5 meters of water) and the good underwater visibility makes the Tugboat a perfect spot

The Tugboat Bar is set on the beach. Check opening hours if you plan to...