Playa Santu Pretu is, so to speak, the black sheep of Curacao’s beaches. Not a figurative metaphor, but a colorful reality. If you take a look at the map of Curacao and its pins, it is surrounded by white coral beaches.

When you think of the Caribbean, you probably think of snow-white beaches and turquoise-blue water like in the ad for rum. The Grote Knip and Cas Abou are symbolic for all of Curacao’s beaches, which repeatedly achieve top rankings in beach polls. Just typical Curacao with a few more cacti instead of palms.

Limestone versus volcanic rock

The volcanic origin of the island of Curacao is evident at Playa Santu Pretu. This is why the sand is dark brown to black and sometimes a little grainy compared to the white sand beaches, which are washed out of coral and limestone and are as soft as butter. Because of the black volcanic sand, the beach is also known as Black Sand Beach.

Other visible traces of volcanic rock can be found mainly on the rugged northern side of Curacao. The coasts consist of dark, pitted, coarse rock. It is very likely that Mount Christoffel, the highest point on the island, was the volcano that formed the island millions of years ago. Wind and weather have eroded it away so that today we only its remains can be seen.

Mount Christoffel is about 372 meters high

Cross country walk

Santu Pretu is a natural beach, which on Curacao always means that there is no infrastructure or catering on the beach. It is also not that easy to reach. From Playa Santa Cruz, which is located between Soto and the fishing village of Lagun, you have two options:

1. via a path through the bushes, which is perfectly manageable with flip-flops, but is about a 15-minute walk
2. via the sea route in a canoe from Captain Goodlife

First, there is a common path for both. As you approach the large, somewhat barren beach of Santa Cruz, keep to the left. Just before the sphinx with the cannon guarding the entrance to Captain Goodlife’s property, you can park your rental car.

This way to Captain Goodlife

If you choose the sea route, you have to go to the house on the shore, which looks quite adventurous at first glance. The canoes that Captain Goodlife rents out are tied up at a jetty. He also runs a restaurant where he usually serves fresh, grilled fish. We didn’t have the pleasure ourselves, which according to a forum post must really be one, because Captain Goodlife is probably a funny fellow. He only told us which way to go because we had decided to take the footpath and were standing around helplessly in front of his property for the first time.

Pathfinder (in the truest sense of the word)

Captain Goodlife pointed to the embankment where our car was parked. We should go up there. Really? Yes, it doesn’t look like the right way at first, but it is. Once you are up the the first hill, there is no more climbing. The path through the thicket is one to two meters wide in most places. You have to be a little careful where you step and avoid the occasional twig or thorny bush that hangs in the way. But as mentioned above, the hike is feasible in loose shoes and summer clothes. You should also bring enough water and mosquito repellent.

For our short tour as a family with 2 adults and 2 teenagers, Stefan in particular was well equipped:

Stefan, your friendly guide from IKEA tours

What does he have on his back?

Snorkeling gear for four people. What you can fit into an IKEA bag… The practical thing about the blue bags is that some models have a zipper so you can piggyback them. We have now switched to Van den Tweel bags and only travel as a couple now that the kids are grown. Our new big bags can’t be used as backpacks, but they are ideal for shopping and for beach equipment. Almost everyone has them on Curacao and they make you less conspicuous as a tourist. What’s more, it’s a beautiful and practical souvenir in our opinion. That’s why we always take a current design in our luggage on our trip home.

Great colorful look and incredibly handy

Light at the end of the tunnel towards Playa Santu Pretu

Admittedly, it’s a bit sweaty in the bushes. In the meantime you might feel like you can’t get out of this thicket. Here there is no fresh breeze. So it’s all the better when you see the black beach at the end of the trail.

Depending on the light and the time of day, the sand looks more or less black. It is probably more dark brown. In the water, when it is wet, it is definitely black. That’s why it’s hard to see what’s underwater from the shore. The water here is not as blue as Blue Curacao due to the lack of light sand reflections.

You have reached the destination Playa Santu Pretu

Glowing coals

There is almost no shade on the beach, except under a few Manzanilla trees in the middle and on the cliff at the far end. It’s nice and cool in the shade of the rocks and you can set up in the sand.

The challenge now is to get into the water from there, because the black sand heats up incredibly in the sun. It’s also a bit coarser here than the fine coral sand. It’s difficult to walk on barefoot, so to snorkel, park your shoes somewhere above the water or waddle there in fins. 😉

The path to the water is not recommended barefoot

Good entry points into the sea are on the far left and far right of the beach. We have found that these are also the best places to land if you are paddling a canoe to Santu Pretu.

Diving and snorkeling at Black Sand Beach

Hidden in the rich dark blue is a completely intact, diverse reef that will delight snorkelers. The dark sand and dark rocks somehow make the colorful fish and coral shine even brighter. We thought it was beautiful.

Bryan told us that there was an equally great dive site a little further out by boat. And once again we have an open To Do.

The blue room

Black Sand Beach is often associated with the Blue Room. In fact, the famous blue underwater grotto can also be reached from land, via Playa Santu Pretu. The cave, located between Santu Pretu beach and Boka Hulu, lives up to its name. Its interior is completely bathed in blue light.

However, the land access seems to be more for the sporty. We were told that you have to get down the rocks into the water – or jump. Just the thought of climbing back up the rocks afterwards, wet with or without a snorkel set, makes me want to give it a miss.

We have already dived and snorkeled in the Blue Room and the surrounding dive site Mushroom Forest, but from a boat. Simply unforgettable!

Divers in the Blue Room

Conclusion

The laborious journey to Playa Santu Pretu is well worth it, though less so with small children. The solitude or even the desired togetherness that you can find there and the small, fine reef under water make up for everything. The black beach offers exactly the variety that you sometimes want on vacation.

Curacao simply has the right beach for every taste.