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Beach hopping in Curaçao with ABC buses: routes, stops and fares

A bus beach day can be part of the adventure. Pick two places that fit together, travel light and leave enough time to enjoy the water.

By Cura To Go · Published · Updated 9 September 2026

Jump to a section
  1. Choose your kind of day
  2. Eastern beach hopping: ABC 6A from Punda
  3. Western beach hopping: ABC 3C
  4. Westpunt: ABC 9A and an optional walk
  5. ABC’s western examples: beaches with optional sightseeing
  6. ABC fares and payment
  7. Why we would leave Porto Mari out of a first bus-hopping day
  8. Pack light and budget for the whole trip
  9. Before you set off
  10. Quick questions
grote knip beach in Curaçao
Photo: dronepicr · Original photograph · CC BY 2.0. Resized; displayed with a layout crop.

Choose your kind of day

Three ABC beach-day options
Your dayHow it worksDeciding factor
Mambo + Caracasbaai + Jan ThielABC 6A from Punda along the eastern coast.Four rides if visiting all three and returning: XCG 8.00 per person, excluding beach costs.
Lagun + Grote KnipBus between two beach areas on the 3C corridor.Confirm a service continuing to Kenepa and a workable onward/return connection.
Piskadó + KalkiBus to Westpunt, then a walking connection between beaches.Comfort with the walk, heat, beach steps and getting back to the stop.

Route references come from ABC’s August 2024 timetable. Current departure times, stop positions and connections must be checked in the bus-stop map. The single-ride fares below apply only to ABC buses.

Eastern beach hopping: ABC 6A from Punda

ABC’s eastern route serves Mambo Beach, Caracasbaai and Jan Thiel. Start from Punda’s terminal next to the central post office. The operator describes the Mambo stop as about a two-minute walk from the beach entrance. At Caracasbaai, use the roundabout stop to explore the bay before continuing to Jan Thiel.

Make Mambo your morning beach base, Caracasbaai a short stroll, and Jan Thiel the final beach-and-food stop. You can skip the middle stop for a simpler two-beach day. Confirm your final return before staying for evening activities.

ABC’s example eastern day — scheduled times, subject to change

These times come from ABC’s published example supplied to Cura To Go. They are not live, and the example’s effective date is not stated. Check all legs for your travel date.

  1. 08:30: leave Punda on 6A.
  2. 08:41: reach the Mambo stop; walk to the entrance.
  3. 14:26: board 6A onward from Mambo.
  4. 14:39: alight at the Caracas Bay roundabout.
  5. 15:54: board 6A again at the roundabout.
  6. 15:57: arrive at Jan Thiel.
  7. 19:00: example return to Willemstad.

Four separate rides at XCG 2.00 total XCG 8.00 per person. Beach admissions, chairs, food and any additional connections are separate.

Western beach hopping: ABC 3C

This pairing gives you two different settings: the narrow fishing cove at Playa Lagun and the broader beach view at Grote Knip. ABC’s poster labels route 3C “Lagun · Knip,” but only the marked departures continue to Playa Kenepa.

  1. Choose your main beach. Decide which one you would still enjoy if the second stop falls through.
  2. Check all three journeys. Find a service from Otrobanda, a connection between the beach areas, and a return to town. Confirm direction and where to board at each stage.
  3. Choose the order from the timetable. Visit Grote Knip first if that gives you the better connection back through Lagun. Reverse the order only when the checked services work.
  4. Make the second stop optional. Skip it if a delay would leave you depending on the final bus.

A good plan has time to swim and dry off. If the connections squeeze that time out, stay at one beach instead of spending the afternoon watching the road.

Westpunt: ABC 9A and an optional walk

This is a bus-and-walk outing. The supplied timetable names route 9A for Westpunt. ABC’s own itinerary places the return stop at the Catholic church above Playa Piskadó after using the stairs from the beach. An optional onward walk takes you toward Playa Kalki; the walking connection has not been measured or checked by Cura To Go.

Use Piskadó as a short first stop and Kalki as the longer beach stay if the current stop location and walking route suit you. Piskadó is a working fishing beach: leave space around fishing activity and enjoy any wildlife without feeding or touching it. At Kalki, factor the beach steps into the amount you carry.

Check the walk back to your return stop before settling in. Set a leave-the-beach reminder based on your confirmed departure, walking time and a margin for getting ready. Choose another outing if anyone in the group cannot comfortably make that walk.

ABC’s western examples: beaches with optional sightseeing

3C: Jan Kok, Lagun and Kenepa — ABC’s example day

ABC describes the southern route from Otrobanda via St Willibrordus toward Landhuis Knip and/or Playa Kenepa. Its example leaves Otrobanda at 08:30, stops at Jan Kok at 08:57 for the salt pans or gallery, and continues on the next 3C at 10:58 toward Lagun. The onward example from Lagun to Kenepa is 13:50, with a return from Kenepa at 18:02.

Those four rides total XCG 10.00 per person at XCG 2.50 each. For only Lagun and Kenepa, three rides would total XCG 7.50, provided the current connections fit. Hofi Mango is another sightseeing option ABC mentions; check its admission and onward bus before substituting that stop.

Example schedule only: effective date not stated. The marked Kenepa services, stop directions and return must be checked for your travel day.

9A: Westpunt and Playa Piskadó — ABC’s stop advice

Route 9A travels from Otrobanda via Groote Berg and Christoffel Park to Westpunt. ABC suggests lunch in Westpunt followed by Playa Piskadó. Its return example leaves from the Catholic church at 16:29, reached by the stairs at the end of the beach. This is a scheduled example, not a confirmed last bus.

A direct out-and-back ABC trip at XCG 2.50 per ride totals XCG 5.00 per person. Extra bus stops where you leave and board again add rides. Christoffel Park or Savonet Museum can be separate interests along the corridor; confirm admission and time available before adding either.

ABC fares and payment

ABC fares per person, per ride

Route areaOne ride
Banda Abou, Lagun, Westpunt and Tera KoraXCG 2.50
All other ABC routes, including 6AXCG 2.00

These fares cover Autobusbedrijf Curaçao (ABC). Independently operated smaller buses have different fares and are not covered by this guide. Each new ride adds to your total; this is not a day-pass price.

Bring exact change in XCG. ABC’s supplied payment notice also accepts US-dollar notes below $20, excludes US coins, uses XCG 1.75 per US$1 for payment and gives change in local currency. The graphic uses the older ANG label; amounts are shown here in XCG as confirmed by Cura To Go’s owner.

Fare information confirmed by the owner on 9 September 2026. These are single-ride fares, not a confirmation of today’s departure times. Child discounts and transfer concessions are not included in the examples.

Why we would leave Porto Mari out of a first bus-hopping day

Porto Mari is worth a dedicated visit, but its operator describes the final bus stop in Willibrordus as about two miles from the beach. That is roughly 3.2 km before reaching the sand, with another journey back. It adds a substantial final leg to a day already built around bus connections.

Choose it when you have arranged the last part of the journey and the return. A beach appearing close to a bus route on a map is not enough to make it a convenient hopping stop.

Pack light and budget for the whole trip

Bring a small bag with drinking water, sun protection, a towel, comfortable walking shoes, swimwear and a charged phone. Keep something dry to wear on the bus. Check food rules before carrying a picnic, and leave bulky chairs or coolers out of a walking-heavy plan.

Your budget needs to cover every bus leg, beach entry where applicable, seating, food and a backup journey. Do not assume that changing buses is included in one fare. ABC fares are XCG 2.50 per ride for the listed western routes and XCG 2.00 for other routes. Smaller independent buses charge separately under their own fares.

Before you set off

  • Check weekday, weekend or holiday service for your travel date.
  • Save the stop names and your outward, connecting and return options.
  • Confirm the final walking approach and beach entrance.
  • Keep a backup pickup option and enough phone battery to arrange it.
  • Choose one beach if the connections do not leave a comfortable day.

The ABC map inside our bus guide helps you check stops. Our beach-day planner still plans driving routes; it does not calculate bus transfers.

Quick questions

Can I visit three or four beaches by bus?

Do not make that your starting plan. Add a stop only after checking each connection and the return. Two enjoyable beaches beat four hurried arrivals.

Is this suitable for a short cruise stop?

For a fixed all-aboard deadline, favour a simple outing with confirmed return transport. A western bus-hopping day leaves several connections to manage. Read our cruise-port beach guide before deciding.

Are these confirmed daily itineraries?

No. ABC’s published examples and the 2024 timetable are planning references, not a live departure board. Use the stop map and confirm the current service before travelling.

Check the stops for your beach day

Keep the destination information and ABC map together on Cura To Go.

Open the bus-stop map →

Sources & review

Original editorial guide based on the sources below. Web review is not an on-site inspection. Check current access, prices and conditions before travelling.

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