We were halfway through the trip, bouncing between beaches, and I kept saying the same thing every time we got in—this water is unreal.
Not just blue, but actually clear enough to see everything to the bottom. If you’re planning around Curaçao beaches with the clearest water, this is exactly how they compared for me.
Before we get into the clearest water beaches if you are trying to map out the best ones, start with my guide to Best Beaches in Curaçao (with Map + Tips) so you can piece together a route that makes sense.
We were floating out at Cas Abao, not even that far from shore, and I remember stopping mid-swim because I could still see straight to the bottom. It stayed calm the whole time, even when we moved out deeper, which made it easy to just relax without constantly adjusting. It was hard not to keep getting back in the water even though we had got chairs to relax onshore (glad I had my quick-dry beach towel because I was in and out of the water all day).
If your goal is perfect clear blue water and a calm beach, this is the one I’d pick.
We walked down to Playa Kenepa Grandi and I noticed the color before anything else. It starts bright turquoise near the shore and fades into a deeper blue as you look out, and it almost looks fake at first.
The water is still clear, but this one stands out for how turquoise it looks more than anything else. I kept stopping to stare at it like I hadn’t seen water before (which… silly, but accurate).
If you want the beach that feels the most dramatic in person, this is it. For a full breakdown of this spot, you can check out my Grote Knip Curaçao Beach Guide (What to Know Before You Go).
We pulled into Director’s Bay and it felt quieter right away—fewer people, less movement in the water. Once we got in, the clarity made sense because nothing was getting stirred up.
It doesn’t have that exact same bright color as Grote Knip, but you can see everything clearly, especially if you’re snorkeling. I was fully in my element here—less people, clear water, I’m good.
If you want something more low-key that still delivers on clarity, this is where I’d go. You can see exactly what to expect in my Directors Bay Curaçao Snorkeling Guide + Tips.
We spent part of the day at Playa Porto Mari with snorkel gear on, and the visibility held up the whole time. The water here has more of a green blue tone, but it’s still clear enough that you’re not missing anything underwater.
It’s also easy to get in and out, which sounds obvious until you’re dealing with a rocky entry somewhere else and immediately regretting your life choices.
This is where I felt like I actually earned my lunch after swimming around for a while—extra carbs were not a debate.
We stopped at Playa Lagun later in the day, and the water still looked good, just not quite as still.
There was a little more movement, which made it feel less clear compared to the others. It’s still a solid snorkeling spot, just not the one I’d pick if I was ranking strictly by clarity. This is where I felt like I actually earned my lunch after swimming around for a while—extra carbs were not a debate.
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We got to Playa Piskado knowing the turtles were the reason to be there, and you can see them clearly once you’re in.
The water itself is still clear, but this is where I noticed the difference once more people showed up. The sand gets kicked up fast, which turns it from crystal clear to slightly cloudy pretty quickly by the shore.
It’s still worth it for the turtles, just don’t expect it to stay perfectly clear the whole time.
We were driving between beaches all week, getting in and out of the water constantly, and I kept noticing how clear everything was regardless of where we stopped.
The differences mostly came down to how calm the water was and how many people were in it. More people meant more sand getting stirred up, which sounds minor until you’re trying to see anything underwater and suddenly can’t.
If you’re planning to hit multiple beaches, renting a car here makes it easier and gives you flexibility to catch better conditions earlier in the day.
We got in the water earlier in the day most of the time, and that helped a lot with visibility. Once it got later, the lighting shifted and it wasn’t quite as sharp.
Add in wind or a busier beach, and it changes pretty fast—nothing dramatic, just enough to notice if you’ve already seen it at its best.
If you’re planning your trip around conditions, my Best Time to Visit Curaçao (Weather, Crowds & Prices) breaks this down in a way that actually helps you time things out.
We were going to these beaches specifically for clear water, and every single one delivered—but a few were noticeably better.
So yes, everyone’s a winner here, but these are my actual “awards”:
Clearest Deep Water: Cas Abao
Clearest Blue Water: Grote Knip
Clearest Snorkeling Water: Director’s Bay
Clear water here is kind of the whole point… you could say it’s a pretty shore thing.
If you’re figuring out where to stay so you’re close to these beaches, look here for the best prices.
I planned to spend maybe an hour at a cheese farm outside Amsterdam and left several hours later with an engraved clog birdhouse, way too much cheese, and a strong opinion on 1.5-year aged Gouda.
Clara Maria Cheese Farm near Amstelveen does a free cheese and clog demonstration that was genuinely one of my favorite things from the entire Netherlands trip. The farm is over 160 years old, the people running it are wonderful, and the tour guide Delo was hilarious in a way I was not prepared for.
A few things that surprised me: Dutch cheese gets its golden color naturally from beta carotene in cow’s milk. The entire cheese-making process is still done largely by hand pressed, flipped, salt-soaked, and hand-waxed before aging even starts. And Americans (myself included) have been pronouncing Gouda wrong our whole lives. It’s closer to “HOW-da.” I understand this now and will still panic and say it wrong anyway.
We tried about ten cheeses ranging from fresh to 20 years aged. The 20-year was aggressively pungent, think concentrated smelly feet... but the 1.5-year was perfect. We also met the cows. Honestly the whole thing was a lot more personal than I expected from a tourist stop.
Full review with what to know before you go, link in bio. 🧀
There’s a little cottage tucked inside a forest just south of Amsterdam that serves giant Dutch pancakes, and somehow I ended up there on a bike ride with no plan and left completely obsessed. 🥞
Boerderij Meerzicht is inside Amsterdamse Bos, Amsterdam’s massive outdoor park full of biking trails, canals, deer, and families spending the whole afternoon outside. It doesn’t feel like a tourist spot. It feels like something locals actually go to, which is exactly why I liked it.
Dutch pancakes are nothing like American pancakes. They’re huge, thin, somewhere between a crepe and a flapjack, and the toppings cover the whole thing. The honest caveat: the ordering system is slightly confusing at first because pancakes are ordered separately from everything else. Watch one other table do it and suddenly it all makes sense.
I got the apple pancake with cinnamon and powdered sugar, and it was exactly what I wanted. Also got the savory bacon, apple, and syrup combination, which sounds wrong and tasted very right.
Full review with the ordering process breakdown, what we ate, prices, and a tip for navigating there without getting lost | link in bio.
The tulip fields in the Netherlands look exactly like the photos, except the photos don’t capture how massive the color blocks actually are stretching across the countryside. Or the windmills. Or the sheep randomly standing in the middle of everything like they don’t know they’re in the most photogenic country on earth.
The honest caveat: tulip season moves fast, the fields rotate every year, and peak bloom is not a guarantee, it depends on the weather, the harvest schedule, and a little bit of luck. But that’s also part of what makes it feel less like a tourist attraction and more like something you actually found.
Full driving route with towns, parking tips, and what to expect | linked in bio. 🌷
#netherlands #travelling #tulipfields #exploreeurope
Amsterdam has a way of making you feel like you need to see everything, and then rewarding you most when you slow down anyway. The museums and canal cruises are worth it, but so is just wandering neighborhoods, eating whatever looks good, and sitting along the canals with a grilled cheese and nowhere to be.
First-time visitor guide is on the blog. Link in bio. 🌷
#travelling #travel #amsterdam #visitamsterdam #traveleurope
10 stops. One very full day. Zero regrets. Amsterdam has one of the best food scenes I’ve experienced anywhere in Europe, but the honest caveat is that some of the viral spots come with lines that will genuinely test your character. I skipped a few. I regret nothing.
Here’s what actually made the cut on my self-guided Amsterdam food tour:
Fresh stroopwafels at Hans Egstorf: made right in front of you, warm caramel, no line. This one won.
Lourens cookie croissant: flaky outside, gooey chocolate inside. Did not share.
Café Winkel 43 apple pie: one of the rare viral places that fully lives up to the hype.
Davie’s Amsterdam for the Lelie sandwich: pastrami, pickles, marbled bread. Deceptively simple. Absolutely excellent.
De Kaaskamer to end the day: 400+ cheeses, grilled cheese with what they call ketchup (it’s not ketchup, and it’s better), and bunker cheese aged in underground military bunkers.
The full route covers 10 stops through Jordaan, the 9 Streets, the canal district, and the flower market area with a Google Map included so you can just follow along.
Full guide with every stop, tips for beating the lines, and what I’d skip vs. do again | link in bio.
#amsterdam #visitamsterdam #netherlands #travel #visitnetherlands #traveleurope
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