Diving and Snorkeling at Jan Thiel Bay

Jan Thiel Bay is a typical Curaçao diving and snorkeling site and the house reef of Dive Center Scuba Do. At the start of the dive you will find a sandy plateau that tapers off to a beautiful sloping drop off and a wonderful fringing reef system.

Access is easy to get in and out of the water but the best treat might be at the end of the dive where you will encounter a curious school of squid looking directly into your eyes.

​Outside of the Jan Thiel Bay, you will find a beautiful reef with steep slopes. The reef has a lot of corals and fishes. Very often you will see turtles.

​The reef is hilly and slopes down gently. You find a big variety of hard and soft corals, donkey dung sea cucumbers and long spined black sea urchins. Inside the bay, lies the Strea – a wreck of a sailing boat which is a very nice ending to your dive or snorkeling experience.

Beach Tip: At Jan Thiel Beach there are 5 unique restaurants and 3 beach clubs that offer a wide diversity of culinary treats and beach fun! Entrance fee to the beaches are $3.oo USD per person and beach chairs can be rented too starting at $3.00/chair. For more information about the beach services offered at Jan Thiel Bay, CLICK HERE.

Dive Site Recommendations

  • Dive Type: Boat or Shore
  • Snorkel Site: Yes
  • Experience Level: Open Water (Min)
  • Depth: 40 -120ft (12-36m)

Special Notes

Due to recreational & commercial boat traffic, an inflated surface marker buoy is mandatory when shore diving. Consult a recommended Curaçao Dive Operator for additional details & recommendations.

Location of Jan Thiel Bay


Things to do at Jan Thiel Bay

Dreaming of sun, sea, shopping and entertainment? Jan Thiel Beach Curaçao is the place to be! Relax with an ice cold cocktail, let the chefs surprise you and discover a world of entertainment and sports possibilities at the beach.

Additionally, this is the house reef of Scuba Do, a Project AWARE Adopt A Dive Site. Therefore, please care for the environment and together, we protect what we love.

Sail to Klein Curaçao from Jan Thiel Beach

“The best beach isn’t on Curacao at all, it’s on Klein Curaçao, an uninhabited cay a few miles off the southeastern coast.” – Lonely Planet, Travelbook.

Surrounded by spectacular coral reefs, Klein Curaçao is a sunlit pearl in the Caribbean Sea, just off the coast of Curacao. This uninhabited island is about an 1,5-hour boat ride away from Curacao and holds an intriguing history, mystery and beauty on just 1.7 square kilometers!

Explorers, sunbathing enthusiasts, snorkelers and divers will all really enjoy a trip to diverse Klein Curaçao.

Klein Curacao day trips with BlueFinn Charters

Jump on board the BlueFinn, a beautiful 75 foot Catamaran and sail to the deserted Caribbean island of Klein Curaçao! Just imagine yourself on this uninhabited island in the middle of the Caribbean sea with a pearl white beach stretching along the western shoreline.


Curaçao Dive Travel Guide | Dive Travel Curaçao
Curaçao Dive Travel Guide essential vacation tips and local advice to help plan your next Caribbean scuba diving holiday to Curaçao.