We pulled off the road looking for a beach that didn’t show up on most lists, and that ended up being the theme for the whole trip. These hidden beaches in Curaçao were the ones we kept going back to—less crowded, easier to enjoy, and honestly just better days overall. Some take a little more effort to get to, but that’s kind of the point.
If you’re planning your trip and trying to map this all out, I’d glance at Curaçao Travel Guide for First-Time Visitors so you know how these spots fit together.
We stood at the edge of the water here before getting in, and I remember thinking this doesn’t look like much for a beach day. There’s no big sandy setup, and you’re not laying out here for hours.
Once you get in, though, it flips completely. The water is clear right away, and snorkeling both directions is worth it because there’s a lot going on—fish everywhere and we saw a full school of squid moving together.
The entry is crushed coral, which seems fine until you’re walking in and suddenly it doesn’t, so having water shoes made that part easier.
Playa Jeremi felt like a true hidden beach. It wasn’t crowded, mostly locals and a few people who clearly knew about it ahead of time. We swam out pretty far on the left side and didn’t deal with any current, which made it easy to just stay in the water.
There’s a restaurant above the beach and chairs to rent, plus security in the parking lot, which is always a plus. We didn’t rush here and ended up staying longer than expected (no complaints).
Playa Lagun looks completely different from most beaches because it’s tucked between cliffs. We got there before 10, parking was easy, and it didn’t feel overly crowded (which I was fully expecting).
The snorkeling was good, the water was calm, and we stayed longer than planned. There’s a smoothie stand right there (I got one immediately and didn’t regret it), plus a couple food options nearby, so we didn’t feel like we had to leave for lunch.
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If you’re trying to pair this with other stops, it fits well into a day like what I mapped out in West Side Beach Hopping in Curaçao: Porto Mari & Grote Knip Guide.
Playa Kalki is small—like you notice it right away. We didn’t treat it like a full beach day, more of a stop to snorkel and hang out for a bit.
There’s limited sand space and only a couple rows of umbrellas, but there’s also a dive shop, bar, and restaurant. It’s set up enough to stay for a while, just not somewhere I’d plan to spend all day.
If you’re planning beach days like this, it helps to know where everything is—my Best Beaches in Curaçao (with Map + Tips) breaks that down.
Cas Abao isn’t really hidden, but going early made it feel like it was. We got there before it filled up and had way more space than I expected.
The water here was some of the clearest we saw, and this is one of the beaches that as soon as I saw the water I knew we had to get in and stay a while. Later in the day it fills up, but early it feels completely different.
If you’re figuring out where to stay to make mornings like this easier, looking into where to stay in Curaçao helps cut down on driving. We booked our hotel on the west side here and got a great deal.
We had a rental car, and getting to all of these was straightforward. The roads are easy to follow, and even when they turn into smaller dirt roads, it still feels manageable—not like you’re driving somewhere you shouldn’t be. Nothing felt remote in a stressful way.
We’ve been to other Caribbean islands, and Curaçao just felt more spread out once we got outside the main areas. It wasn’t empty, but we weren’t dealing with packed beaches unless we chose to go to those spots.
You notice it more when you’re at places like these, where it feels like people aren’t all following the same plan.
By the end of the trip, these were the beaches I kept thinking about. Not because they had the most going on, but because they didn’t.
They were easy to enjoy, easy to stay longer than planned, and didn’t feel like you had to plan your whole day around them. Sometimes the quieter spots end up being the ones you remember the most—just go with the flow and beach it easy.
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.
