Of all the beaches on Curaçao, Lagun is surely a favorite for many. Beautifully located between the two cliffs, all kinds of amenities and it slopes gradually so also ideal with children. A topper!
Playa Lagun
Lagun is relatively far away toward West Point. Follow the road to Westpunt and turn left when you meet the sign for Soto and Lagun. Now keep following the road for over fifteen minutes until you reach Lagun. Here the signs already indicate the beach, turn left and almost immediately you will see the beautiful Playa Lagun on your right. From downtown Willemstad, it is about a 45-minute drive to Lagun.
You can -depending on the crowds- literally get to the beach with your car. You can park your car for free and guarded, as there is a guard on duty during the day.
Busy
Because Lagun is a fairly small but still popular beach, it can quickly get fairly crowded. We therefore advise not to go here too late, or again in the late afternoon when many people have left again. And it can actually be fun to get here early, then you can see the local fishermen who land their fresh fish here and slaughter and sell them directly (on the beach!).
Snorkeling Paradise
Playa Lagun is a smaller beach and popular with tourists. Many people stop here for a few hours as they drive a tour toward West Point. You can do beautiful snorkeling along the rocks here and there is a good chance of spotting turtles. If you’re lucky you might even see a hammerhead shark. There is also a small diving school at Playa Lagun called Bahia Diving. Here you can get your PADI, as well as training to become an Open Water Diver or Divemaster.
Amenities at Lagun
Playa Lagun is a public beach, so you don’t have to pay an entrance fee and can just settle down on your towel. For a fee, beach beds and umbrellas are also available. You can pay in cash, as well as by debit card. There is a toilet and cubicle at the diving school on the side where you can change. The beach is between two rocks and on the right side of the beach is a staircase that leads to a restaurant with beautiful views of the entire bay. Here you can go to the toilet for 1 guilder. There is also a restaurant behind the parking lot: plenty of lunch options.
Local refreshments or your own cooler?
In the parking lot is a truck where they sell delicious batidos, pastechis and sweets. Batidos are smoothies made from fresh fruit, (coconut) milk and crushed ice. In Curaçao, trucks with Batidos are very popular. Curaçao pastechi (stuffed patties) is also available here. They are fresh and there are different fillings such as meat, chicken and cheese. The truck is open 7 days a week. The nice thing about a public beach is that you can also bring your own cooler with snacks. Especially if you go beach hopping, it is nice to have plenty of food and drink with you.
Sufficient shade
Playa Lagun is small, but fine to say the least. Plenty of shade can be found through the trees, but there are also umbrellas. As on almost every beach in Curaçao, the sand is white and the water clear. There are quite a few stones and rocks on the beach and offshore, so it is recommended to put on water shoes. If you don’t have water shoes with you, it’s best to enter the sea on the right side of the beach.
Manzanilla tree
As you walk up the beach, you have some trees on the left side of the beach, which are Manzanilla trees. Beware ! The fruits of that tree look like delicious little apples, but they are poisonous. In fact, the whole tree is poisonous. When you break off a twig, sap comes out that can irritate your mucous membranes and eyes just by hanging close over it with your face. If it rains, do not take shelter under this tree either, as the raindrops falling from the tree onto your skin can already cause irritation.
Fortunately, you are well warned about this even on the beach with a sign by the trees.
Fun for families
Playa Lagun can really be called a friendly beach and definitely fun for families. It’s uncluttered so you can give the little kids quite a bit of freedom. The basic amenities are fine and the beach slopes gradually without huge waves. A nice bonus is that in the early morning the fishermen will leave and arrive here, you will also see their boats on the beach. The catch is prepared and sold on the beach. Nice to see fish traded “fresher than fresh” for once.
A day of relaxation
Want a quiet beach day or go beach hopping toward West Point? Then you’ve come to the right place at Playa Lagun. You can enjoy the sun among the boats on the beach or spend hours in the water. At the restaurant on the rocks you have a beautiful view and you can have a good meal among the iguanas. Are you more of the in-house facilities? Then you can also bring your own cooler and fire up the barbecue at Playa Lagun.
What do you think?
We would love to hear what you think of Playa Lagun. You can leave a message below.
Still prefer a different beach? You can, check out Curacao’s other beaches here.
