Hato Caves, Turtles & Beach
Recommended by 95% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Curacao
- 7 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Venture to the northern part of Curaçao, where it’s more rural, and discover several natural attractions on this full-day adventure from Jan Thiel. Start out at the Hato Caves, known for its unique limestone formations and ancient paintings. Then, swim and snorkel with sea turtles at the small fishing beach of Piskado. End your day with more swimming and relaxing at Porto Mari Beach.
- Learn about sea turtles and their environment
- Swim, snorkel, and soak up the sun in Curaçao
- All necessary snorkeling equipment is provided
- Hassle-free transfers from select hotels are included
What's Included
- Bottled water
- Entrance fee
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Tour guide
- Lunch
- Beach chairs
- Use of Snorkeling equipmentUse of Snorkelling equipment
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
TIME SCHEDULE HOTEL PICK-UP: Papagayo RESORT 07:45 AM Papagayo HOTEL (pick up at supermarket Vd Tweel) 07:45 AM Livingstone Resort 07:45 AM Morena Resort 07: 45 AM Chogogo Resort 07:45 AM Bed & Bike Caracasbaaiweg 07:45 AM Curinjo Apartments (Pick up at Heineken Snek) 08:10 AM Sunscape Resort 08:15 AM Bon Bini Seaside resort 08:15 AM Atlanta Seaview Hotel 08:15 AM Sea Horizon 08:15 AM Van der Valk Kontiki beach resorti 08:15 AM Royal Sea Aquarium Resort (pick up at hotel Lionsdive) 08:15 AM Lionsdive Beach resort 08:15 AM Dolphin Suites (pick up at hotel Lionsdive) 08:15 AM The Beach House (pick up at Kontiki Resort) 08:15 AM Baoase Luxury Resort 08:15 AM Academy Hotel (at DUSHI sign Wilhelminaplein) 08:30 AM Trupial Inn 08:30 AM Avila Beach Hotel 08:30 AM Boutique Hotel 't Klooster 08:30 AM Pietermaai Boutique Hotel (pick up at hotel Scuba Lodge) 08:30 AM The Ritz Village Hotel 08:30 AM Scuba Lodge & Ocean Suites 08:30 AM Saint Tropez Boutique Hotel (pick up at Scuba Lodge) 08:30 AM Bijblauw (pick up at Scuba Lodge) 08:30 AM Acoya Hotel 08:30 AM Bed & Bike (pick up at Scuba Lodge) 08:30 AM Cruiseship (Meeting point white roof) 08:40 AM Renaissance Wind Creek Curacao Resort 08:40 AM Kura Hulanda Village & Spa 08:40 AM Curacao Suites Hotel (at the entrance Kura Hulanda) 08:40 AM Otrobanda Hotel & Casino (at the floating bridge) 08:40 AM Mangrove Beach Corendon Curacao 08.40 AM Curacao Marriott Beach Resort 08:50 AM Dreams Curacao Resort 08:50 AM Floris Suites 08:50 AM Clarion 08:50 AM Piscadera Harbour village 08:50 AM Piscadera Bay Resort 08:50 AM Blue Bay Golf & Beach Resort 09:00 AM Bayside Boutique Hotel (pick up at Blue Bay entrance) 09:00 AM
Operating hours.9:00 am
Itinerary
1
Hato Caves
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
2
Playa Piskado/Playa Grandi
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
3
Playa Porto Marie
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Flamingo Sanctuary Sint Willibrordus (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Please note, at the locations Hato Caves and Playa Piskado guests are required to navigate an average of 49 steps
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 48 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Dewey_E
Our experience on this tour was fantastic from start to finish. Lady, our guide, was so much fun and kept everyone laughing and engaged throughout the day. The tour company was extremely organized. Their agent met us inside the cruise terminal, took our names, and kept us updated on when the bus would arrive. Even though our tour was scheduled for 9 a.m., the bus arrived early, and the agent personally found us in the market and escorted us to the bus. It was seamless and stress-free.
The open-air bus was perfect for the island weather. Even in October, the constant breeze kept us comfortable the entire ride. Our first stop was the Hato Caves, and while waiting for our group to enter, we walked the short nature trail. The rock formations, cacti, and lizards along the path made it well worth the stroll. Inside the caves, groups are divided by language, so everyone gets a tour they can follow easily. The groups were a bit large, but it didn’t take away from the experience. Photography is limited because of the protected bats, but they do allow pictures deeper inside the cave.
We’ve toured caves across Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Texas, and Tennessee, but these were unlike any we’ve ever seen, with unique formations, tropical surroundings, and an incredible sense of history.
Next, we visited the turtle beach, located beside a small fishing camp. We saw several sea turtles, though they appeared sporadically and the area was a bit crowded. Since we had already seen plenty of turtles in Aruba, we took the chance to snorkel along the coast and were rewarded with an amazing variety of tropical fish.
The final stop was a beach with a bar and restaurant, where we spent two relaxing hours. The food was delicious and reasonably priced, as were the beach chairs. We brought our own snorkel gear, which I highly recommend for anyone cruising the ABC islands. Having it ready let us explore every snorkeling opportunity, and this beach turned out to be one of the best for marine variety. I even had a close encounter with a moray eel, which became one of the highlights of the entire trip.
This beach was spacious, peaceful, and easy to find a private spot. Honestly, I could have stayed there all day. The tour returned us right on schedule at 4 p.m., giving plenty of time before our ship’s 5 p.m. boarding.
Overall, this was an excellent tour for cruisers, well organized, perfectly paced, and a great way to see much of Curaçao in one unforgettable day.
Reviews
4.7
based on 394 reviews
Soradech_B, Jan 2026
If you are over 5'7", you may want to reconsider taking a different tour. This company uses a school bus so your knees will be cramped the entire trip. The guide was informative but that's all you will get. It's a job. They will take you to this 'private' beach which is a tourist trap. You will have to pay $3.50 per chair although there may be no chairs under ANY shade. The 'beach' is all rocks so you should probably go in with caution. Only one restaurant onsite at the beach and you don't have any other options except to each lunch there. Do yourself a favor find a different operator. If you only have a day, find a tour that hit turtle beach and Hato cave. Skip the other extras.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
We’re sorry to hear that this experience did not meet your expectations and apologize for the disappointment. We appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback.
Greg_L, Dec 2025
Nice trip with 4 stops . I would rather have spent more time at beach than see the flamingos. Guide and driver were excellent
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for your review! ❤️💛💚
Dale_B, Dec 2025
Easy to book a trip and pickup at the ship was easy and great. Debbie was our driver and Marsha was a guide. Both were excellent. Caves were beautiful and the swim with the turtles was great. We both enjoyed the beach.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you for your great review! We’re glad booking and pickup were smooth, and that Debbie and Marsha made the day extra special. It’s wonderful to hear you enjoyed the caves, turtles, and beach time! ❤️💛💚
Tammie_C, Nov 2025
The bus with no windows was horrific. It rained all over us almost the entire time. They don’t tell you that you’re going to get that bus but it’s horrible. The rest of the trip was nice.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you for your feedback — we’re truly sorry the open-air bus was uncomfortable in the rain.
Marla_G, Nov 2025
A great experience! I liked that you get to go to three different places in one day and admission is included for everything. Swimming with the turtles was really fun. Be warned though that the first beach is a fisher man’s beach so you are going to be swimming with fish guts since that is how they attract the turtles. But the tour guide let us know everything ahead of time and gave very clear instructions on when to come back to the bus. Pick up an drop off to the hotel is also included
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for your honest and helpful review! So glad you enjoyed the three stops, the clear guidance, and the turtle experience — and great to hear pickup and drop-off were convenient too. ❤️💛💚
Dewey_E, Oct 2025
Our experience on this tour was fantastic from start to finish. Lady, our guide, was so much fun and kept everyone laughing and engaged throughout the day. The tour company was extremely organized. Their agent met us inside the cruise terminal, took our names, and kept us updated on when the bus would arrive. Even though our tour was scheduled for 9 a.m., the bus arrived early, and the agent personally found us in the market and escorted us to the bus. It was seamless and stress-free.
The open-air bus was perfect for the island weather. Even in October, the constant breeze kept us comfortable the entire ride. Our first stop was the Hato Caves, and while waiting for our group to enter, we walked the short nature trail. The rock formations, cacti, and lizards along the path made it well worth the stroll. Inside the caves, groups are divided by language, so everyone gets a tour they can follow easily. The groups were a bit large, but it didn’t take away from the experience. Photography is limited because of the protected bats, but they do allow pictures deeper inside the cave.
We’ve toured caves across Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Texas, and Tennessee, but these were unlike any we’ve ever seen, with unique formations, tropical surroundings, and an incredible sense of history.
Next, we visited the turtle beach, located beside a small fishing camp. We saw several sea turtles, though they appeared sporadically and the area was a bit crowded. Since we had already seen plenty of turtles in Aruba, we took the chance to snorkel along the coast and were rewarded with an amazing variety of tropical fish.
The final stop was a beach with a bar and restaurant, where we spent two relaxing hours. The food was delicious and reasonably priced, as were the beach chairs. We brought our own snorkel gear, which I highly recommend for anyone cruising the ABC islands. Having it ready let us explore every snorkeling opportunity, and this beach turned out to be one of the best for marine variety. I even had a close encounter with a moray eel, which became one of the highlights of the entire trip.
This beach was spacious, peaceful, and easy to find a private spot. Honestly, I could have stayed there all day. The tour returned us right on schedule at 4 p.m., giving plenty of time before our ship’s 5 p.m. boarding.
Overall, this was an excellent tour for cruisers, well organized, perfectly paced, and a great way to see much of Curaçao in one unforgettable day.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful and detailed review! We’re thrilled to hear your experience was seamless from start to finish, and that Lady and the whole team helped make your day fun, organized, and unforgettable. So glad you enjoyed the caves, turtles, snorkeling, and the relaxing beach time. We truly appreciate your kind words! ❤️💛💚
Steve_M, Oct 2025
Picked up on time bright colorful 🚌 , Lady and Bob the driver were fantastic. The history we learned, the nature we saw and exp was greatly appreciated. Communication about times was great, never felt rushed plenty of time to enjoy the stops we had. Thank you to Lady and Bob for a memory filled day!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you so much! We’re glad you enjoyed the tour, the sights, and the great company of Leidy and Bob. Wonderful to hear you had such a memorable day!
Coleen_D, Sep 2025
First, our guides were amazing. Marsha led the tour. Very informative. Tammy was in training and Bob drove the bus.
I gave this excision a 3 for these reasons. I was disappointed with the “swim with The Turtles” stop. We were there about 30 minutes and did not see one turtle. The next stop, the two hour time at a beach, was relaxing. It was quite small so I felt two hours was a little long. We then stopped to See the flamingos. We were able to get out of the bus and walk into the saltwater area where we saw about five flamingos at a very long distance. I feel the tour description was over promised to what we actually experienced.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you for your honest feedback and for highlighting the great work of Marsha, Tammy, and Bob. We’re sorry to hear the experience didn’t fully meet your expectations. Since the turtles are in their natural habitat, sightings can’t be guaranteed, though the stop is scheduled for about 45 minutes. We’ll also take note of your comments about the timing at the beach and flamingo stop to continue improving our tours.
Brittany_J, Aug 2025
Tour guide was very interesting, told history about the island as well as fun facts. Each spot we visited was fun. Kids loved it!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you! We’re glad you enjoyed the tour, the history, and the fun facts — and especially that the kids had such a great time too!
Jenn_L, Jul 2025
Marsha and Lisa were our tour guide and driver. They were amazing. We loved hearing all their knowledge of Curaçao's history. The tour was fun and we enjoyed all the places we visited. Very organized.
Steve and Jenn Lussier
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you, Steve and Jenn! We're so happy you enjoyed the tour with Marsha and Lisa. Their passion for Curaçao’s history really shines through. Glad you had fun and found everything well organized. Hope to see you again! ❤️💛💚
Shawn_M, Jul 2025
Bob, not Bob Marley, but Bob was absolutely great. Very knowledgeable and well informed of the island. The island was beautiful and the stops were worth every penny.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thanks for the fun review! Bob will be happy to hear your kind words. We're glad you enjoyed the island and found the stops worth it. Hope to see you again soon! ❤️💛💚
Susan_F, Jul 2025
This was a good all day excursion that included a tour of the Hato Caves, a stop at Playa Piskado to see the sea turtles & a stop at Playa Porto Mari to relax on the beach. Unfortunately the stop to see the flamingos wasn't great because they were so far away from where the bus stopped so it was difficult to see them. Not the tour operators fault. The tour guides & bus driver were all wonderful. Lots of history of the island learned while traveling to each stop. Great tour to explore the island a little more.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thanks for your review! We're glad you enjoyed the caves, beaches, and learning about the island’s history. Sorry the flamingos were a bit far, but we appreciate your understanding. Great to hear our team made it a fun day!
alayna_p, Jun 2025
This tour was absolutely incredible! Our tour guide, (I believe her name was Marsha) was so informative! We got to see so many sites and she provided incredible information about the sites themselves, the history of Curacao, and so much more! I had a great time on this excursion and loved learning more about the island!
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear you had such a great time and that Marsha made the experience so memorable with her knowledge and insights. We'll be sure to pass along your kind words to her. We're glad you enjoyed exploring and learning about Curaçao with us!
LorneandMichelle_B, Feb 2025
Took this tour from our cruise ship and the communication was great... meeting instructions were clear, our tour guide was very knowledgeable of the island, shared clearly and with a fun sense of humor! Our tour guide was very conscious of the importance of our cruise ship schedule which can be very nerve-wracking when booking tours outside of the cruise specific excursions, but we never felt uneasy about missing our embarkation time with this tour! Bonus👍🏼
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you for your great review! We're glad you enjoyed the tour, the clear communication, and the fun, knowledgeable guide. Happy to hear you felt at ease with the timing—hope to see you again!
Sherry_d, Feb 2025
Bob was the nicest tour guide!! Got a tour of the island along our travels with lots of bi-lingual explanations and details. We had a great day seeing parts of Curacao we would have missed on our own. Highly recommended!!
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so glad you enjoyed exploring Curaçao with Bob and appreciated his insights. Hope to welcome you back for another adventure! ❤️💛💚
influencelady1, Feb 2025
We enjoyed learning about the island, it's history, languages, and people on our tour with Marsha. She was great! The portion of the tour to snorkel with the turtles was OK. You can see the turtles from the dock just fine. It is alittle chaotic there. The cave was cool to see and the guide at the cave did a good job. We would have liked more time at the beach, but we can do that on our own.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thanks for your review! Glad you enjoyed the tour with Marsha and the cave. Hope to see you again! ❤️💛💚
Bonnie_H, Oct 2024
Our tour guide, Angelo, was so informative and funny. He provided island history that I did not expect but greatly appreciated. Would suggest more time with sea turtles and a little less time at the beach.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Thank you for your feedback! We're glad to hear that Angelo made your tour enjoyable with his knowledge and humor. Greetings from the Irie Team ❤️💛💚
Felice_S, Oct 2024
This was a great day tour- really felt like we saw the island and loved seeing sea turtles! The second beach was our favorite!
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Thank you for your review! We’re glad you enjoyed the tour and saw sea turtles. Hope to welcome you back for more adventures soon! ❤️💛💚
Candace_T, Sep 2024
I had a fabulous time on the tour! Very informative and friendly guide! More than I expected. Highly recommended if you want to get a lot of sightseeing in in one shot! Bravo!
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Thank you for your fantastic review! We're so glad to hear you had a fabulous time and found our guide informative and friendly. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back for more sightseeing adventures!
rutherford_c, Jul 2024
This tour was great! Bob (the driver and tour guide) was incredible. He spoke multiple languages to accommodate those who didn't speak English. The cave was by far the best on the trip, although we came to see the sea turtles and flamingos. The cave tour guide was very kind, funny and straight to the point. As for the sea turtles at the first beach, we didn't really get to see them much because of how crowded it was with everyone splashing and scaring them off. There is a guy there that charges $10 to bait the turtles and have them climb on top of you, so if you wanna risk getting bit for a closer look then there's that. We were able to see lots of nice fish. The flamingos were hard to see, because of how far they were from the bus, but Bob did his best to wrap around to get us a closer look, which was appreciated. The last beache were beautiful. The water was crystal clear, and the pigs on the beach were cute. We about 2 hours which was plenty time to to enjoy the view, chill and grab lunch before heading back on the bus. All and all, I would recommend this tour, as I'm sure a different day could've better an even better experience than what we had.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Thank you for your detailed review! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the tour with Bob and appreciated his efforts to accommodate everyone. It's great to know you loved the cave and the beautiful beaches. We appreciate your feedback! We hope to see you again for an even better experience ❤️💛💚
Mia_P, Jul 2024
This was a great tour. The kids and I really enjoyed the open air bus. All of the stops on the tour were just as described. Bob (the bus driver) did an amazing job of teaching us so many great facts about the island's history, demographics, and other interesting bits of information. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone who wants to experience a little bit of everything.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Thank you for the wonderful feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you and the kids had a great time on our tour with the open-air bus. It's fantastic that all the stops lived up to your expectations, and we're delighted Bob provided such insightful commentary on the island's history and demographics. Your recommendation means a lot to us. We hope to welcome you back for another memorable experience soon! ❤️💛💚
Layla_H, Jun 2024
Overall, it was a decent outing. I wish there was a bit more interacting between the tourists - it was a little awkward. I think the tour guide did the best that he could with us all day. Super excited and very kind. The Hato Caves were interesting and no way would I have gone without a tour - too far away from town (near the airport). For me though, the best thing was swimming with the sea turtles. I don't have a bucket list, but if I did - I just scratched something off it! It was amazing. Wish we could've had more time with the turtles. When we went to the next beach, it was really just so we could grab lunch which took the entire time we were there and was a little pricy. No time to really enjoy the beach itself. On the one hand, I feel like this was way overpriced for what I actually got out of it, but it was a full day activity, so I understand.
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Thank you for your review! We're glad to hear you enjoyed swimming with the sea turtles—it sounds like a truly memorable experience. We appreciate your feedback about the interaction between tourists and the time spent at the beach. We'll take your comments into consideration to improve our tours. We're happy you found the Hato Caves interesting and enjoyed the tour guide's enthusiasm. We hope to see you again for another adventure!
leslie72455, May 2024
This was a tour with a very large group on a school bus. Good to be able to see different areas of the island but the stop for snorkeling with the turtles was not long enough, no changing areas and way too many people in the water at the same time trying to see turtles which made the visibility terrible. We were there a few years ago and it was not that way. The other beach stop was ok for just the beach but snorkeling there wasn’t anything special either. Lunch was not included and the restaurant at the beach was overpriced and extremely slow service. I would recommend this if you wanted to see different areas of the island and the caves but would not recommend if you wanted a nice beach to snorkel or if you are expecting a good experience swimming and snorkeling with the turtles. By the time we got off the bus and to the beach and had to get back to the bus we only had about 35 min in the water with the turtles and tons of other people. Need more time there and less time at the second beach.
Response from Host, May 2024
Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We understand your concerns and appreciate your perspective. It sounds like the tour didn't meet your expectations, especially regarding the snorkeling experience with the turtles. We have other tours available that specialize in snorkeling and provide more time to do so, and that also include lunch (unless advised as we always do). Your insights are valuable to us, and we'll take them into consideration for future improvements.
Milagros_M, Apr 2024
Great trip! Great tour guide. My favorite stop was swimming with the turtles, but they were all great. Remember to take towel and if you have an underwater camera. Free water and beer.
Response from Host, May 2024
Thank you for your review and we are glad to hear that you enjoyed swimming with the turtles! Greeting from the Irie Team ❤️💛💚
Shannon_C, Apr 2024
Great overall experience! Driver gave us great tips as we visited different areas. Super easy and so friendly and accommodating. 10 Stars all day!
Response from Host, Apr 2024
We're glad you had a fantastic time! Thanks for the 10-star review! Greetings from the Irie Team ❤️💛💚
Rachel_K, Apr 2024
The beach where we swam with turtles was not what I expected…not as nice and was crowded. Only saw 2 turtles.
Lots of driving.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We'll take note of your comments regarding the beach experience and turtle sightings. We appreciate your perspective on the driving aspect as well.
Cherrell_C, Apr 2024
Tour guide was nice but not enough time to enjoy the beach and eat lunch at the overly crowded restaurant.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you for your feedback! We'll take your comments into account to improve our service.
Greetings from the Irie Team ❤️💛💚
Kelly_J, Apr 2024
We had a great time on this tour! We made lots of stops but it didn't feel rushed. We really enjoyed our tour guide.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you very much for your review!! ❤️💛💚
Michelle_S, Mar 2024
We had a fantastic time in the Hato Caves. So beautiful! Completely surprised at how much I did enjoy them. 1st beach stop was crowded, but saw some wonderful turtles. My husband went to the far left of the dock after a while and saw some great fish. 2nd beach was nIice too. Expectiional tour guide.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thanks for sharing your experience! We're thrilled to hear you had a fantastic time exploring the Hato Caves and enjoyed seeing the turtles and fish. We hope to welcome you back for more adventures soon!
Christopher_H, Mar 2024
Kurt was great along the tour. Very funny and informative. Would book again!! The beaches that he brought us to was amazing and clean. Plenty of water and beer provided by Irie Tours!
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you very much for your review and for your kind words towards Kurt! Greetings from the Irie Team ❤️💛💚
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