It’s been a while since I’ve posted a Curacao blog, but I’m back with a highly requested topic! One of the most frequently asked questions people send me when they’re looking to visit Curacao is: which is the best beach club? It’s a fair question. After all, we have over 30+ beaches and beach clubs to fit everyone’s budget and vibe.

It’s difficult to answer which is the “best” because it really comes down to personal preference. Instead, I prefer to recommend my favorite beach clubs and why I like them. In this blog post, I’m going to talk about one of my favorite beach clubs on the island – the one that I always recommend to incoming travelers: Brass Boer. Keep on reading to find out why it’s one of my favorites!

Location

Brass Boer is located on the Blue Bay estate, close to the central part of the island. If you’ve never been to Blue Bay before, it’s a sprawling property with a ton of amenities. There’s an 18-hole golf course, 4 sit down restaurants, a casual outdoor pizza spot, a beach bar, several residences, and an almost 500 ft long sandy beach. A lot of expats either live in Blue Bay or own investment properties there.

As Blue Bay is a gated community, you’ll need to check in with the guard when you head to Brass Boer. You have to show a form of ID and they’ll give you a paper with a QR code that you need to keep in the car. Follow their instructions to the beach (there’s only one beach) to get to Brass Boer.

Parking

Parking is free and plentiful at Blue Bay. You’ll park at the beach parking lot. When you walk toward the beach, you’ll see the path forks left and right. The sign for Brass Boer points left and you can keep following that path until you get to the beach club. If you stay straight, you’ll arrive at the Blue Bay Beach which has a separate entry fee.

Reservations + Operating Hours

Brass Boer is one of those beach clubs you should make a reservation for in advance, especially if you plan to go on a weekend. There aren’t that many palapas so they can go quickly. During low season, you might be able to get away with booking the day before.

They have a handy online booking system that’s easy and in English. Just go on their website and you’ll see it on the bottom right corner. You pay for the beach beds when you arrive in person.

Brass Boer is open daily from 10 AM – 6 PM which is pretty standard for the island. I’ve never stayed past 6 PM to see if they’ll kick you out before the sun actually sets, but you can always migrate to Blue Bay Beach if so.

Vibe

The vibe is probably what I like most about Brass Boer – it’s chill yet it feels like a high end beach club. There isn’t loud music pumping over the speakers drowning out conversations. When you duck under the palapas it feels like it’s just you and the ocean breeze.

Every time we’ve been service has been on point. In keeping with that high end beach club feel, they know when to check on you or just let you relax. Even if you need something quickly, when you leave your palapa you’ll find someone pretty quickly.

When I compare the vibe at Brass Boer to, for example, Papagayo Beach Club or Zest Beach Club, they’re very different. Papagayo seems to attract large groups of families that share one cabana. You’re also facing a pool with a bit of the ocean behind, which is a hit with kids. At Zest Beach Club I see a lot of adult couples there, usually smoking, and enjoying the loud pumping music. In comparison, Brass Boer is just super chill and the experience focuses on the ocean rather than the beach.

Not a Sandy Beach Club

It’s important to note that while Blue Bay’s Beach is sandy, the Brass Boer Beach Club is not. That’s not to say there isn’t any sand, but the beach club was built on a manufactured extension of the beach (concrete base, I think) and is surrounded by rocks. To be clear, there is sand there. You walk in sand in your palapa, but you’re not entering the ocean from a normal sandy beach. Instead, you enter the ocean from stairs directly into the ocean.

Palapas vs. Beds

At Brass Boer Beach Club, you have the option of selecting a palapa or a beach bed. They’re very different, so make sure you know what you’re selecting.

The palapas, which are the best way to enjoy the beach club in my opinion, are individual thatched structures with a large beach bed in the shady center. There’s a table to store belongings, and two beach chairs next to the palapa for sunbathing. Palapas either face out into the ocean, or they face in toward Blue Bay with a cool hanging net to relax in.

Beach beds are the more affordable option as they don’t come with that private palapa feel. There are a few beach beds with umbrellas, and a few that are graced by the shade of palm trees. The beach beds are closer together and not as shady, but you still get beautiful views of the ocean and nice service.

Pricing + Inclusions

Should you go for the palapa or the beach bed? Remember I said this beach club has a high end feel, and it has a high end price tag to match. If going to Brass Boer, I recommend splurging for the palapa. The privacy, inclusions, and views are unmatched.

The cost for a palapa (either ocean facing or Blue Bay facing) is $175 USD per palapa. The maximum occupancy per palapa is 4, and the fee comes with a bottle of water, coffee or tea, a fresh bowl of fruit, and towels. You can also continuously order bites from the Brass Boer beach menu to be delivered to your palapa.

The cost for a beach bed is $27.50 per bed, and that comes with a bottle of water and a towel. You can also still order bites from Brass Boer to be delivered to your beach beds. The beach club has a credit card machine that can charge in USD.

Brass Boer Restaurant

While enjoying your time at the beach club, you’ll eventually start to feel peckish. You have several options: you can order small bites from Brass Boer’s beach menu, you can have a sit down lunch at Brass Boer Restaurant (same menu), or you can venture to the Blue Bay Beach area for pizza or a sit down lunch at their beach restaurant.

My husband and I enjoy the quality of the food from Brass Boer, so we typically order beach bites from the menu. So far our favorites have been: the sourdough bread with peanut sambal butter, boer fries, caesar salad, and a huge ham and cheese sandwich. The cocktails are more on the creative side here, rather than sugary beach drinks we’re used to finding at other beach clubs. Pricey, but good quality.

Activities

Brass Boer itself doesn’t have a dive shop or a place to rent water toys, but Blue Bay does and it’s close by. The shop is open daily from 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM and you can rent snorkels, fins, and kayaks. The store also sells swimwear and miscellaneous beach items. You can also arrange diving excursions, catamaran activities, and fishing opportunities from this shop.

I personally always have pool noodles and cheap snorkel masks in the car, and I bring those when I spend a day at Brass Boer. The snorkeling is great at Blue Bay with clear waters and plenty of sea life to observe.

Final Thoughts

I enjoy Brass Boer for a more refined beach club experience. It’s worth the splurge to have that premium quality palapa with privacy and endless sea views. Are the beach clubs a must-visit on Curacao? It’s totally up to you. The island is home to over 30+ beaches, many of which you can pay just a few bucks for a chair or some beaches where you can bring your own chair. The beach club experience is nice for treating yourself and feeling extra special, and Brass Boer is always going to be one that I recommend for that.