Curaçao · Curaçao · Reef
Playa Lagun
A cliff-walled cove with an inner and an outer reef
Area photo: LASZLO ILYES · CC BY 2.0
A narrow cove at Curaçao's north-west end, walled in by cliffs, entered from the sand between the local fishing boats. The reef lies a long swim offshore and runs as an inner and an outer line before the bottom tips into a gently sloping wall, and 30 metres is the deepest the site goes.
Where it is and how deep
12.3182° N, 69.1515° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
Most divers walk in from the beach inside the cove, between the fishing boats pulled up on the sand — the fishermen worked this bay long before the diving did, so give them room. From there it is an easy but fairly long swim out to the reef, over shallow sand worth slowing down for: reef fish sit over it, and spotted eagle rays cross the open bottom.
The reef itself runs in two lines, an inner and an outer one, and the site is dived as a choice of routes rather than one fixed circuit. Beyond them the bottom tips into a gently sloping wall dressed in hard and soft corals, and 30 metres is the deepest the site goes. Decide which route you are diving, and your turn depth, before you get in — then keep an eye up on the way back, because turtles from the protected nesting beach are often near the surface.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
- Eagle rays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime |
Season follows Curaçao: Curaçao lies south of the hurricane belt, so it stays diveable year-round; trade winds add light chop June–November.
Know before you go
- The site runs to 30 metres and the swim out to the reef is long — fix a turn depth and a gas turn point before entering rather than following the slope down.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Playa Lagun?+
The maximum depth is 30 metres, out on the sloping wall beyond the reef. The shallow sand and the reef closer in let you set a far shallower profile in the same cove.
Can you dive Playa Lagun from shore?+
Yes. It is a walk-in from the sandy beach inside the cove at the north-west end of the island, entering between the local fishing boats, and operators also run it by boat. Expect an easy but fairly long swim out to the reef.
Sources
- Playa Lagun Dive Site — PADI
- Playa Lagun — Scubago
More dive sites in Curaçao
Cave & cavern
A shallow air-filled cavern next to Mushroom Forest
Reef
A shallow bay reef with 11 metres of water at most
Artificial reef
A wreck and a platform on sand, 15 metres at most
Reef
Star coral grown over centuries into mushroom-shaped heads
Sand-beach entry onto a reef that slopes past 30 m
Reef
Two parallel reef lines with a valley between them
Wreck
A 50 m freighter upright at the harbour mouth, dived from shore
Reef
A natural rock bridge, 6 metres high, at 20 metres
Similar dives elsewhere
Giant coral pinnacles cut with caves, tunnels and caverns
Swim-throughs at several depths with usually mild current
A multi-level drift through tunnels in the deeper Palancar reef
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Tarpon and jack schools over a drop-off at 25 m