Spanish Water

Spanish Water, or Spaanse Water in Dutch, is the large sheltered lagoon that bites into Curaçao's southeast coast. Ringed by mangroves, small islands and hillside homes, it is the island's watersports and sailing centre, a calm inland sea protected from the open ocean by a narrow mouth. Marinas line its shores, and on weekends it fills with sailboats, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and kitesurfers making the most of the steady trade winds.

For most visitors the lagoon is a launch point as much as a destination. This is where the boats leave for Klein Curaçao, the uninhabited, palm-free coral islet an hour or so offshore famous for blinding white sand, turquoise shallows, a lonely lighthouse and excellent snorkeling. A Klein Curaçao day trip is one of the island's signature excursions, and almost all of them depart from the marinas here.

On and around the lagoon

• Caracas Bay, on the lagoon's seaward side, is a peninsula with a small beach and easy shore access to the reef.
• The Tugboat is a famous shallow shore dive and snorkel, a small wreck sitting upright in clear water close to the surface and wrapped in coral.
• Sailing charters, sunset cruises and dive boats all base themselves around the marinas.

Spanish Water sits right beside the resort scene at Jan Thiel and the Curaçao Sea Aquarium, so it is easy to combine a morning on the water with an afternoon on the beach. The lagoon itself has few public beaches, as much of the shoreline is residential, so it is best thought of as the place you set out from rather than where you spend the whole day.

Come here if you want to sail, dive the Tugboat, or book the boat to Klein Curaçao. It is an easy drive from Willemstad and pairs well with a stay in the southeast of the island.