Question Curacao-What's Your Experience with Marazul Dive Resort?

[lexvil]

My suggestion is to find a VRBO closer to the city, use dive bus for a vehicle and unlimited tanks, load up and travel the island rather than sticking to one area but that’s just me and I really prefer the freedom to go dive when and where I feel like on my own schedule.

I’ll be there the first week of June.

 

[Hingle_McCringleberry]

Any update from those of you who stayed there this past year?, @DirtFish @Red_Rock_Diver ? There seems to be some construction on the south side for a condo development, did that pose any disturbance to your stay or was the construction all complete? My wife and I are looking into Marazul and would greatly appreciate any/all feedback on the matter.

 

[Red_Rock_Diver]

Stayed at Marazul for a month - mid September to mid October this year (70 dives). At times, you could hear the construction (hammer drill noise or workers voices), if you were outside on the inland side of units 6 to 15 or the units near the office. Some noise in the unit if the windows were open but I don't recall much noise while being on the ocean side. When I was there, they were working on 4 units in various stages of construction. If I recall correctly, the work does not start before 8 am and concludes by 4 pm. The new construction is called Punta Azul Ocean Resort. There is information on the web. Based on island time construction, I will assume that construction will still be occurring when I return in February 2024 for 2 weeks. I can update after I return. Feel free to PM me here.

 

[Hingle_McCringleberry]

Stayed at Marazul for a month - mid September to mid October this year (70 dives). At times, you could hear the construction (hammer drill noise or workers voices), if you were outside on the inland side of units 6 to 15 or the units near the office. Some noise in the unit if the windows were open but I don't recall much noise while being on the ocean side. When I was there, they were working on 4 units in various stages of construction. If I recall correctly, the work does not start before 8 am and concludes by 4 pm. The new construction is called Punta Azul Ocean Resort. There is information on the web. Based on island time construction, I will assume that construction will still be occurring when I return in February 2024 for 2 weeks. I can update after I return. Feel free to PM me here.

Thank you for the update!! Any idea as to what is closest to the water at punta azul, a pool (to be built still?) The houses stop further back but there's some sort of smaller cement foundation.

Still all very encouraging that you're so content with Marazul

 

[jknightindy]

We have stayed at Marazul 7 times for a total of 162 nights since 2017. The majority of those nights have been in the September - October timeframe with 28 nights being in February. All of the fall trips have been over 3 weeks in length, while the February trips have been 2 weeks in length. We have stayed in on 3-bedroom unit and 3 different one-bedroom units. We have always used D&D for our rental car. Between the two of us we have 431 dives on the island. All but 8 of those dives are shore dives. I can echo what has previously been said about the Westpunt restaurants (Sol Food, Blue View and Restaurant Playa Forti), local dive shops (Go West and Sublime (run by Ellis), grocery stores (Centrum, New California Supermarket in Tera Cora. and the 2 small markets in Barber). Nearest gas station is in Barber. Add Discover Lagun Restaurant in Playa Lagun to the must eat at list. DM me if you need more specifics. Back on the island mid-September 2023.

Red_Rock_Diver - would love to pick your brain about Marazul. Just booked a condo there from 10/18 - 10/25. It worked out cheaper to do the 3 bedroom vs the 1 bedroom on VRBO. Just read the 1 bedroom units are closer to the ocean so I am now curious as to how far away I might be. Been to Bonaire multiple times, but this is my first to Curacao. If you had 5 or 6 shore diving sites to pick, what would that list be, with the first being your top, can't miss, dive site? How likely is it for me to find a dive buddy or group to tag along from our base at Marazul if my wife doesn't join me on some dives? I'm a rescue cert diver and much more avid than she is - my guess is she will do 3-4 dives while we are there and then snorkel. Was going to DM you but couldn't figure out how to do that. I'm sure I am missing something simple.

 

[Chris_T]

In terms of shore dive sites my picks would be:

Playa Porto Marie
Playa Kalki (Alice in Wonderland)
Pierbaai/ Carpile
Double Reef
Cas Abao

I would also recommend picking up the Curaçao Reef Smart Guide

 

[morecowbells]

Red_Rock_Diver - would love to pick your brain about Marazul. Just booked a condo there from 10/18 - 10/25. It worked out cheaper to do the 3 bedroom vs the 1 bedroom on VRBO. Just read the 1 bedroom units are closer to the ocean so I am now curious as to how far away I might be.

Most of the 3 bedroom units are a building behind the one bedroom units. Somebody on Youtube posted a video of the resort. The aerial shots show the larger units closer to the parking lot. Still very close to the ocean with partial views.

 

[Red_Rock_Diver]

The video is a tad dated but still very informative. Punta Azul Ocean View Resort (south of Marazul) is completely built out, including a pool. Their access to the ocean is via the same stairs as Marazul. The southern parking area is now gravel. Heading back to Curacao and Marazul the middle of next month. for my 12th visit since 2017.

 

[Red_Rock_Diver]

Red_Rock_Diver - would love to pick your brain about Marazul. Just booked a condo there from 10/18 - 10/25. It worked out cheaper to do the 3 bedroom vs the 1 bedroom on VRBO. Just read the 1 bedroom units are closer to the ocean so I am now curious as to how far away I might be. Been to Bonaire multiple times, but this is my first to Curacao. If you had 5 or 6 shore diving sites to pick, what would that list be, with the first being your top, can't miss, dive site? How likely is it for me to find a dive buddy or group to tag along from our base at Marazul if my wife doesn't join me on some dives? I'm a rescue cert diver and much more avid than she is - my guess is she will do 3-4 dives while we are there and then snorkel. Was going to DM you but couldn't figure out how to do that. I'm sure I am missing something simple.

Looks like you are going to miss me by a couple of days. I leave October 15. I have included a map of the units at Marazul. All of the front row units, which are a mixture of 1 bedroom and 3-bedroom bungalows are close to one set of the two ocean entries on the property. The rinse tanks are adjacent to the pool. I have also attached an excel file of what type of units are located on the property by bedroom number and by location. Marazul owners can correct me if I have gotten something wrong. I have found that the best prices have been obtained by renting directly with the owners. The 3-bedroom cost per person (double occupancy per bedroom) are cheaper than the 1-bedrooms. Finding a dive partner(s) who are staying at the resort during your stay is going to vary. It is shoulder season and thus slower. During my mid Sept - mid Oct timeframe, I have seen upwards of 8 groups of divers, or I have been the only diver on the premises for a few days. As far as northern shore dive sites - Marazul is a good house reef, Playa Kalki (Alice in Wonderland), Playa Shon Mosa, Playa Lagun and Playa Jeremi are similar. The shore dives at Coral Estates and Blue Bay are fun. Playa Piskado has become too popular for tourists wanting to interact with the turtles. Get in the water before 8:30 am, you should see turtles on the way out to the reef by following the structure SW of the pier out to the reef, then visit the Neptune statue, figured out which way to go on the reef and return to the beach and intermingle with all of the snorkelers and turtle molesters. Boat dives on the north end are run by Go West - Watamula and Mushroom Forest are popular. I am sure that I have missed something. Others should chime in.