Santa Barbara Beach Live Cam

History

The origins of Santa Barbara Beach Curaçao trace back to the 17th century when European settlers established the Santa Barbara Plantation on the southeastern shore of the island. Initially focused on salt harvesting and small-scale livestock, the plantation evolved into a major coconut and mahogany enterprise by the mid-1800s. Enslaved Africans labored under Dutch colonial overseers, constructing stone walls and irrigation channels that still punctuate the landscape. These early agricultural endeavors laid the groundwork for “things to do in Curaçao” beyond Willemstad, as Santa Barbara’s verdant terrain contrasted sharply with the arid hills inland.

With the decline of the mahogany trade at the turn of the 20th century, the plantation pivoted toward banana cultivation—exported via handcrafted rafts across Spanish Water Bay to waiting sloops. The island’s first shipping pier, a wooden jetty extending into the bay, was constructed in 1922 to accommodate this growing “Curaçao export” industry. Remnants of the old pier remain visible underwater, now home to schools of tropical fish that delight snorkeling enthusiasts seeking “snorkeling in Curaçao” hotspots.