Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort

Caribbean Chill: You Need to Visit This Gorgeous Curaçao Resort

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Sometimes when you’re traveling for work and have no control over your own arrangements, it can be worrisome. I spend hours, if not days, researching every last bit of where we stay—more often than not, an Airbnb rental—when traveling on our own. So not having an itinerary until the night before and just showing up to a Curacao resort having done no prior research was concerning.

Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort

Turns out I needn’t haven’t been concerned. This Curacao resort at Santa Barbara Beach was absolutely perfect.

I get a lot of emails from readers or people who stumble upon my site via Google asking for Caribbean resort destinations, and the truth is that I’ve stayed in shockingly few, often preferring an Airbnb or tall ship experience over anything fancier. This was one of those times I was glad I was traveling for work and had an editor book my Curacao resort on my behalf.

Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort

This post was last updated in March 2022.

Sadly, the original Santa Barbara Resort we stayed in suspended operations in 2020. The good news? It was taken over and rebuilt as a more high-end Sandals Resort. I’m leaving this post up in hope it inspires you to visit this new Curacao resort nonetheless, as the area is truly spectacular.

Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort

Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort
Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort

Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort

Where to stay in Curacao

I loved how remote this section of coastline in Curacao is—Santa Barbara Plantation is a good 25 minutes from the capital of Willemstad and flanked by a private residential community—but also accessible (i.e. a short drive) to so many things we wanted to do, from a visit to the Chichi doll factory to a morning of boat diving.

Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort

Since we were there on assignment, our editors kept us pretty booked to the hour the five days we were there. Had we had more time to chill? I can see both of us just hanging out at this spot all day long. I mean, wouldn’t you?

Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort

We stayed on-site for dinner one night, and like the rest of our time in Curaçao, the food was on point: a good mix of surf and turf, very fresh and accented by seasonal ingredients.

Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort

Unlike other islands, Curaçao isn’t chock full of sandy beaches—or at least, parts of its coastline are rocky and rugged, like the area around Santa Barbara Plantation where the Sandals Resort is.

Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort

Like Bonaire, it’s a mostly desert island. For the sandy stretches, you drive north to the west coast for the afternoon. Still, this resort does a great job of making do with what its got—and creating a roped-off lagoon along its one sandy spot.

Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort
Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort

Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort

Check current prices for Sandals Royal Curacao couples-only resort prices here. And if this Curacao resort isn’t in your price range, here are other places to stay around the island:



Booking.com

About Santa Barbara Plantation

Really what I loved the most about the slice of land that Sandals Curacao inhabits is the sheer space; including a Pete Dye-designed 18-hole golf course spanning 6,920 yards, the resort spans 3,000 acres that abut the Spanish Water Bay.

Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort

So next time one of you writes me and asks where you should go on your next tropical vacation, don’t be surprised when I respond with a single word: Curacao.

Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort
Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort

Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort

Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort
Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort

Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort

Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort
Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort

 

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Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort
Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort
Where to Stay in Curacao: Santa Barbara Beach Resort
COMMENTS
  • January 29, 2017

    Hahaha how did you take that photo where you appear three times? I feel like I need a Caribbean holiday right now… No such luck unfortunately, instead I’ll be ogling your fantastic photos!

    • February 12, 2017

      Long exposure of about 30 seconds! It took a few times to get one that wasn’t too creepy 😉

  • January 29, 2017

    This is gorgeous!! I want to go!

    • February 12, 2017

      Your crew would LOVE it! So much to do there.

  • January 30, 2017

    Oh God! I am out of my word! How beautiful this place for travel. Can’t believe my eyes. I must have to go there. Thank you so much for this fantastic post. Outstanding photography, very rich in color. Loved it:)

    • February 12, 2017

      Thanks so much, Matthew! It’s a very colorful place indeed.

  • February 2, 2017

    That looks dreamy! Any hotel room with a balcony gets bonus points in my book…I love fresh air!

    • February 12, 2017

      Right? And the fact that it’s under $200/night is a huge bonus, too!

  • February 11, 2022
    Scott Fawcett

    My family stayed at the Santa Barbara Beach Resort back in 2016 and absolutely loved it. Just a gorgeous resort. Sadly, the pandemic took it out during 2021, but it appears Sandals bought the property and is supposed to be reopening soon.

    • March 21, 2022

      You are right! Looks like the Sandals is equally as gorgeous. An excuse to go back if ever there were one!

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