Jan Thiel Beach

Jan Thiel is the most developed beach on the island, a managed strip of sand behind a breakwater with several beach clubs on it, restaurants, bars, a dive shop and loungers laid out end to end, aimed at people who want the day arranged for them. The water inside the breakwater is flat and the reef beyond gives shore diving. The salt pans behind the beach hold flamingos and are visible from the access road.

What you actually see

• The beach clubs - several managed operations along the sand.
• The breakwater - the wall that keeps the swimming water flat.
• The reef beyond - shore diving outside the protected area.
• The salt pans - the flamingo ground behind the beach along the access road.

When to go

Year round; it runs from morning into the evening, unlike most beaches. Weekends and cruise days are busiest. Sunset is a fixture here.

Honest expectations

There is an entry fee at the clubs and loungers cost more again. It is commercial and busy rather than natural. The sand is narrow for the number of people on it.

Nearby

Spanish Water is west, and Curaçao Sea Aquarium is west along the coast.