Curaçao has been named Caribbean Dive Destination of the Year at the Caribbean Travel Awards 2026.
The award was announced by Caribbean Journal, a US-based publication covering travel and tourism across the region.
Now in their 12th year, the Caribbean Travel Awards are selected by the publication’s editorial team and span 41 categories recognising destinations, experiences and individuals across the Caribbean.
Caribbean Journal estimates that more than 35 million travellers visited the whole of the Caribbean as overnight guests in 2025 – an increase of around four per cent on the previous year – plus another 38 million visits by cruise ship.
Of these, some 790,000 visit Curaçao for an overnight stay, alongside more than 880,000 cruise passengers, many of whom choose to dive, or participate in introductory dives and snorkel experiences when they visit.
‘The Caribbean Travel Awards have emerged as the region’s most meaningful measure of travel distinction, celebrating the destinations and experiences that shape the future of Caribbean travel,’ said Alexander Britell, editor and publisher of Caribbean Journal.
Curaçao, located in the southern Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela, has a long-established dive industry that forms a significant part of its tourism economy.
The island is known for its accessible shore diving, calm year-round conditions, and more than 70 established dive sites among some of the healthiest and most biodiverse reefs in the region.
‘Despite Curaçao’s surging popularity, its dive offering continues to fly a bit under the radar,’ said Alexander Britell, editor and publisher of Caribbean Journal.
‘The reality is that this Dutch Caribbean island has some of the best diving in the whole region, with dozens of sites and excellent dive hotels.’
Curaçao is also involved in a number of marine conservation and sustainability initiatives linked to diving, with the islands operators working with Reef Renewal Curaçao, Green Fins and projects supported by the PADI AWARE Foundation, among others.
