Last week was my husband and I’s first wedding anniversary. Honestly, the year went by so fast that I was caught off guard when my husband asked what I wanted to do that day. I thought there’s only so much you can do on an island, right? Well, recently I stumbled upon a place that offered private beach experiences on the island. What better occasion to book a private beach day than a wedding anniversary? Keep reading to find out what the private beach experience was like, how much it cost, and if I thought it was worth it.

Table of Contents

• The Planning Stage
• Early Morning Treat
• Arriving at the Landhuis
• Private Beach First Impressions
• How We Spent Our Time
• It’s Lunch Time
• What Did the Experience Cost?
• Kat’s Final Thoughts

The Planning Stage

I first stumbled upon Landhuis San Nicolas on Instagram and was immediately intrigued. I forwarded the page to my husband who agreed a private beach day sounded like a great idea and said he would take over setting everything up for us. He reached out to Landhuis San Nicolas via Whatsapp (super common for businesses in Curaçao) who was pretty responsive.

He was in touch with the hostess of the estate who quickly sent along an informative brochure. There we saw the food menu (you can’t bring your own food), add-ons, and the two timing options. We could choose the morning slot (10 AM – 2 PM) or the afternoon slot (3 PM – 7 PM) each lasting 4 hours in duration. The morning slot was about $20 cheaper and the pricing is paid per person. We went ahead and booked the morning slot on a Sunday and the hostess sent along the estate gate code and a map to get there.

Early Morning Treat

Landhuis San Nicolas technically opens at 9 AM but the hostess gave us a 10 AM start time which we were grateful for as we are not morning people. The estate is located in the Santa Martha area on the west side of the island. From the Jan Thiel area where we live, this was about a 45 minute drive on a Sunday morning. Keep in mind, the main road heading to Westpunt is a two-way road so passing vehicles is difficult and any traffic stops will hold up the only lane going west.

Since it was our anniversary, we grabbed breakfast at McDonald’s on the way. Yes, we have McDonald’s on the island! The Egg McMuffins are so good. A lot of our favorite johnny cake and smoothie shops are closed on Sundays but we can always count on McDonald’s to be open. We snacked on our breakfast sandwiches and enjoyed the changing rugged scenery all the way until we got to Landhuis San Nicolas.

Arriving at the Landhuis

The drive was pretty uneventful, save for a section of the main road where police were stopping traffic for construction. When we arrived at the estate, we pulled up the instructions from the hostess to unlock the gate which were pretty straight forward. We then drove about 5 more minutes through unpaved gravel roads until we got to the main house and met the hostess.

You’ll have to excuse my forgetting the hostess’ name – it was extremely Dutch sounding and there’s no way I could’ve remembered it unless I wrote it down. The hostess greeted us with enthusiasm introducing herself and asking if we’d like a tour of the outer estate. I really appreciate that this is offered because a lot of people don’t know the grim history behind Curaçao’s landhuis estates.

The hostess explained to us that Landhuis San Nicolas was built a couple hundred years ago, and like other landhuis at the time they used slaves to maintain the estates and crops. She showed us a tower that was previously used to communicate with other landhuis nearby using mirrors and morse code. We could also see Santa Martha Bay from a distance where salt production used to take place. There was even a preserved original well system and cement bathtub. History aside, the property is objectively beautiful perched high on a hill with panoramic views.

Private Beach First Impressions

After our tour with the hostess, she gave us a bag with our lunch inside and told us to head to the beach. We hopped back in the car and drove another 5 minutes on a very rocky road until we saw the sign that said “Playa Franki.” With our bags packed to the brim with snorkels, towels, books, and our lunch, we headed down some steep rocky stairs following the sound of the waves hitting the rocks.

Seeing the beach for the first time was jaw dropping. We walked down a sandy path surrounded by mangroves before the view opens up to expansive ocean. The beach isn’t huge by any means, but the way it was laid out was cozy and intimate. There was a shaded nook with two plush beach beds and a side table in between. A few steps away was a shaded picnic table and a stand holding a cooler of ice and another cooler of beverages plus our appetizers and desserts.

There was a path leading from the picnic table to a longer stretch of beach with two adirondack chairs for lounging and a rocky cove at the end. The beach itself is rocky for quite a ways out, but the water was clear and a gorgeous blue. There wasn’t any shade on this part of the beach, so we mostly stuck to the shaded nook with the beach beds. Where were the bathrooms, you ask? The ocean was the bathroom.

How We Spent Our Time

We may only be in our early 30’s but we spent our time getting through our brain teaser book, reminiscing on our wedding day, and napping. Yes, with only a 4-hour time slot on this beach we ended up napping for at least half of the time. We couldn’t help it! We’re not morning people. All jokes aside, during September the island is oppressively hot and while this private beach got a consistent warm breeze… it put us right to sleep. I think it was just what we needed though because we woke up naturally to the sound of the ocean waves and were craving a cool dip in the water.

I mentioned earlier but the beach is quite rocky. There’s a beach area by the beach beds that’s extremely rocky, and a beach area past the picnic area that’s less rocky. With our water shoes we attempted to get in the water for some snorkeling but gave up halfway through because it was just too rocky and shallow for a ways out. More adventurous people would’ve pushed through and gone for a swim, but we just wanted a quick dip before sitting down for lunch. I did, however, dunk my head under the water briefly with my snorkel mask and saw a lot of cute fishes.

It’s Lunch Time

With the McDonald’s breakfast fully digested at this point, we were ready for lunch. This experience included appetizers, water and juice, a cold lunch, and dessert. In our first cooler we found a jar of hummus and chopped veggies, a bottle of tropical juice, a bottle of still and sparkling water, a bottle of sweet milky coffee, and two small jars of mango cheesecake. Our lunch was a chilled pesto pasta with cherry tomatoes, walnuts, and creamy cheese. The second cooler contained ice and a scoop.

Honestly, the food was great. The hummus had like a roasted garlic oil on top that was addicting, and the cucumbers and carrots were cold and crunchy. There were toasted pita slices on the table as well which paired well with the hummus. Our pasta dishes were flavorful as well. On first glance I was a little underwhelmed with cold pasta for lunch given the price point, but it ended up being extremely tasty. Dessert was my favorite part of the meal! The mango was perfect, the cheesecake was tangy, and the digestive biscuit layer lent a nice saltiness to the dish. We didn’t go home hungry, that’s for sure.

What Did the Experience Cost?

With 4 hours on a private beach including a 3-course picnic lunch, this experience is bound to be pricier than a normal beach day. I mentioned before that there’s a morning time slot and an afternoon time slot. The afternoon timing, which coincides with sunset, is more expensive. Here’s the pricing breakdown as of September 2025:

While I think this is a fantastic option for couples looking to do something extra special for a celebratory occasion, it’s also great for families and friends. There’s enough space on the beach to host a family gathering and have the beach to yourselves. You can also play music without disturbing anyone. If you wanted to ramp up the romance factor, you could choose to have decorations and champagne waiting for you. Here’s more information about the experience from Landhuis San Nicolas:

Kat’s Final Thoughts

I’m glad we chose to celebrate our one-year wedding anniversary on a private beach. It was intimate, romantic, and relaxing. We actually brought our vows with us and read them amongst the backdrop of the ocean and (my husband) shed some tears at the beautiful moment. After our beach day, we drove 10 minutes to Santa Martha viewpoint where my husband first proposed to me years ago. The day was incredibly romantic and I couldn’t have asked for anything else.

I don’t know of any other place on the island that offers a private beach experience like this, so for that reason it’s worth trying at least once. Is it a luxury experience? It’s more of a rustic beach experience – there aren’t a ton of amenities. The value and the uniqueness comes from the fact that you have the beach to yourself and you get a homemade picnic lunch. If I were to do it again, I would definitely try out the afternoon time so it’s less hot. I’ll have to wait until next year’s anniversary!