Willemstad: Fort Beekenburg & Tugboat Beach Half-Day Tour｜Netherlands

Begin your adventure with a convenient pickup from your hotel in Willemstad. Your guide will greet you and settle you in for a scenic drive east along Curaçao’s rugged coastline toward the Caracasbaai peninsula, trading the city’s colorful streets for the island’s wilder, less-touristed side, where cactus-lined roads open up to views of turquoise water and distant salt flats.
Your first stop is Fort Beekenburg, built in 1703 to guard the entrance to the Spaanse Water lagoon from pirate raids and foreign invasions. Spend 30 minutes exploring the fort’s weathered coral-stone ramparts and climbing the historic lookout tower, taking in sweeping views over the bay below. Your guide will bring the fort’s history to life, from its strategic role defending colonial-era Curaçao to the peaceful, sun-bleached ruin it has become today. It’s the perfect spot for photos, and a great introduction to a side of the island most visitors never see.
From the fort, it’s a short drive along an unpaved coastal road to Tugboat Beach, one of Curaçao’s most beloved local beach communities. You’ll spend two full, unhurried hours here, plenty of time to slow down and settle into island rhythm. A friendly host welcomes every guest on arrival and walks you through everything the beach has to offer, from a colorful shoreline art corner where visitors sit down to paint while listening to chill music, to a posted map showing the snorkel route out to a real sunken tugboat resting just offshore. Keep an eye out for the beach’s famous “turtle head” landmark rock along the way, a favorite marker for snorkelers making their way out to the wreck.
Spend your time however you like: stretch out on soft sand, take a swim in calm, clear water, snorkel out to explore the tugboat wreck and the marine life gathered around it, or simply soak in the laid-back, community atmosphere that makes this beach special. If you’re after a bit more adventure, independent vendors on-site also offer water bike rentals, kayaks, a dive introduction for first-time divers, guided painting sessions at the art corner, and snorkeling gear rental, all available to book and pay for directly at the beach, at your own pace, with no reservation required through this tour.
When your two hours are up, your guide will gather the group for the drive back, dropping you off comfortably at your hotel. In just four hours, round-trip, you’ll have explored a piece of Curaçao’s colonial history at a 1703 fort, relaxed on one of the island’s most authentic and welcoming beaches, and experienced the east coast the way locals actually do, all without needing to plan a single detail yourself. Whether you’re a history lover, a beach lounger, or an underwater explorer, this half-day escape brings together everything that makes Curaçao’s east coast worth discovering.