If you’re looking for a quieter snorkeling spot in Curaçao that’s a little more off the radar, Director’s Bay Curaçao is a good one to know about.
It’s not the most famous beach on the island, but that’s kind of the point—and if you go in expecting something more low-key, it ends up being a really solid stop.
We pulled off onto a rough road just past Tugboat Beach, double-checked the map, and kept going even though it felt like we might be heading somewhere we weren’t supposed to be. There’s no clear sign pointing you in, but the road eventually opens up to a small parking area at the top of a cliff.
If you’re planning your trip overall, check out my Curaçao Travel Guide for First-Time Visitors so you can map this in with the rest of your days.
You park, grab your snorkel gear, and take the stairs down—and right away we spotted a couple of iguanas hanging out near the rocks, which felt like a solid welcome.
At the bottom, Director’s Bay Curaçao is smaller and a little uneven, with sand mixed with rock and crushed coral at the water’s edge. It’s not the easiest entry compared to other beaches on the island, so water shoes make a difference here.
Once you’re in, the water clears up pretty quickly, and it’s calm enough that getting started feels easy.
We got in mid-morning, and there were maybe two other couples there, which immediately made it feel different from places like Tugboat or Porto Mari. It was quiet, and there wasn’t much going on around us, which honestly made it feel completely different from the busier beaches.
The snorkeling is the reason to come. We swam out along the right side first and started seeing fish almost immediately—nothing overwhelming, but enough variety to keep it interesting the whole time.
The visibility was clear, the water stayed calm, and it felt easy the entire time, even if you’re not super experienced.
If you stay in long enough, you’ll start noticing more—small schools moving together, fish tucked into the rocks, and we even spotted squid, which I was not expecting but also fully appreciated.
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After a while, we went back in and then headed out in the other direction, which ended up being just as good.
That’s something I’d recommend doing here—don’t just pick one side and call it. There’s enough to see in both directions that it’s worth splitting your time instead of staying in one spot.
If you want a full breakdown of how this compares to other spots, learn more in my post about Best Snorkeling in Curaçao: Top Spots You Can’t Miss.
Compared to other places on the island, Director’s Bay Curaçao isn’t the most impressive snorkeling you’ll find.
Playa Lagun has more variety, and Tugboat has the shipwreck, which is hard to beat. But this feels quieter, less crowded, and more tucked away, which changes the whole experience.
We stayed for a couple of hours, went in and out of the water a few times, and by the time we left, it still hadn’t filled up.
There’s nothing here—no bathrooms, no food, no rentals—so bring everything you need with you. I always bring my own snorkel mask so I’m not relying on rentals, especially at places like this because there aren't any rentals.
Parking is easy at the top, and the stairs down are straightforward, but plan ahead since you won’t have anything once you’re down there.
If you’re driving around the island, renting a car makes it easier to reach spots like this without relying on taxis.
We stayed closer to Willemstad, which made it easy to get here and still be near restaurants at night.
If you’re figuring out where to base yourself, browse hotels here in Curaçao near Willemstad so you can balance beach time with food (which is always a priority for us).
It’s not a beach I’d pick if you want to sit out all day or have an easy, sandy entry, but if you want a more low-key snorkeling spot where you don’t feel surrounded by people, Director’s Bay Curaçao is a good one to work into your trip.
It ended up being more about how it feels while you’re there—calm, uncrowded, and just enough going on underwater to keep it interesting.
If you’re building out your beach days, see my full guide on Hidden Beaches in Curaçao Most Tourists Miss to find more spots like this.
Four hours on a train through a canyon you can’t reach by car — such a fun experience! We picked the indoor seats with unlimited access to the open-air viewing car, which honestly felt like the only right call. You’re not stuck in an assigned seat the whole time we bounced between the two, snacks in hand, chasing the best light.
The scenery is the whole point. Red rock cliffs, the Verde River, a 734-foot tunnel, historic trestle bridges views most people visiting Sedona never see, because you literally can’t drive to them.
The charcuterie box that comes with your ticket is shockingly filling ✨ so skip lunch at the Copper Spike Café beforehand, save your appetite for dinner back in Sedona.
Four hours with no stops did start to feel long by the end, but the trade-off for scenery like this? Worth it.
Would I ride it again? Yes. Would I buy lunch first again? No.
Link in bio for the full review cost breakdown, what to pack, and exactly how early to arrive 🚂
I ate chilaquiles while a Cessna taxied past the window, and that’s just a normal Tuesday breakfast in Sedona.
@mesa_grill_sedona sits right beside the Sedona Airport Scenic Lookout, so along with your food you get red rock views stretching in every direction and a front-row seat to tiny planes lifting off. Chef Mercer Mohr runs the kitchen, serving up Southwestern comfort food from breakfast through dinner, chilaquiles, elevated diner classics, burgers, steaks, seafood, all of it.
The view is what pulls people in the door, but the food actually holds its own. Good enough that this place stays packed with locals, not just tourists passing through on their way to the lookout. It also picked up the 2025 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice and OpenTable Diners’ Choice awards, so it’s not just me saying it.
Indoor seating if you want the AC, a pet-friendly patio if your dog’s along for the trip. Either way, get there before plane-spotting turns into a wait for a table.
Link in bio for the full Sedona breakfast roundup ✈️🌵
Confession: my newsletter is where the good stuff lives. Not the polished, edited-for-the-grid stuff, the “here’s the hole-in-the-wall I almost skipped” stuff, the packing lists I actually use, the “don’t book this hotel” warnings before you waste your money on them.
The newsletter is basically me texting you before a trip instead of after one. Sign up and you’ll be the first to know where I’m headed next, plus a few things I’ll never post here.
Link in bio if you want in. ✈️
Yes, it’s only July. Start planning anyway. Fall books faster than people expect, and a few of these destinations are worth getting ahead of. Here are five places worth putting on your radar right now.
Ireland: Cooler temps, moody skies, dramatic coastline fall was made for it. Tourist crowds drop, the green stays, and the whole country feels a little more like itself.
Great Smoky Mountains, TN/NC: Fall foliage in the Smokies is the real thing. The color peaks mid-October and the views from the ridgelines are hard to argue with. It’s also one of the most visited national parks in the country, so going on a weekday makes a real difference.
New York City: Fall is NYC at its best comfortable temps, the energy of the city shifting into a new season, and every neighborhood doing something worth showing up for. It’s also just a great walking city when it’s not brutally hot.
Japan: Fall foliage season is as good as spring cherry blossoms and somehow less talked about. The colors are dramatic, the temples and gardens are stunning, and it’s worth planning around peak dates by region.
Mystic, Connecticut: Small, walkable, genuinely charming Mystic in fall feels like exactly what a New England autumn is supposed to look like. Easy to pair with a broader New England road trip if you want to extend it.
Full guides linked in bio 🍂
There are two kinds of travelers: people who plan a trip and then figure out where to eat, and people who book a restaurant and then build the rest of the itinerary around it.I am the second kind. I will not apologize for this.
The reservation gets locked in first. The hotel search happens within the same 24 hours. The flights get compared around the restaurant’s hours of operation. The rest of the trip exists to fill the days before and after the table I actually came for.
If this sounds unhinged, I completely understand. It has also resulted in some of the best meals of my life, so I’m going to keep doing it.
Drop a 🍽️ if you plan your trips around food too.
Follow @travelwithwendyplummer for Beautiful Beach Destinations, City Guides, Foodie Spots, and Luxury Hotel Recommendations.
