Rides to the beach clubs, resorts and the Salinja restaurant strip. Drift launches for riders on December 1, 2026.
Jan Thiel is where a large share of Curaçao's visitors actually stay and spend their evenings. The bay is lined with beach clubs and restaurants, the resorts and holiday apartments sit just behind it, and Mambo Beach Boulevard a little further west adds another dense cluster of bars and shops.
It is roughly fifteen minutes east of Willemstad — close enough that people move between the two constantly, far enough that walking is not an option, and lively enough that a lot of those trips happen late at night.
Drift covers the whole eastern strip with fares quoted in Antillean guilders before you book.
Areas covered from December 1, 2026
The beach clubs, restaurants and the bay itself.
The open-air shopping, bars and beach strip west of Jan Thiel.
The beach clubs and resort accommodation around the bay.
The restaurant and nightlife strip between Jan Thiel and the city.
The bay, dive sites and the Tugboat wreck.
Residential and villa areas behind the coast.
The routes people actually ask for
The 15-minute run west into Punda and Pietermaai.
Around 25 minutes across the island from the airport.
The short hop along the coast between the two beach clusters.
Out to the restaurant strip for dinner.
The long northwestern run to the west-coast beaches.
Jan Thiel and Mambo Beach both run well past midnight, and the public bus network does not. That leaves taxis, a hotel shuttle if your accommodation happens to run one, or driving — which is a poor fit for an evening built around beach bars.
Drift runs 24/7 with live tracking and the option to share your trip, which is exactly the gap on this side of the island.
Same app, same account, launching December 1, 2026
Rides across Punda, Otrobanda, Pietermaai and Scharloo
Rides to Grote Knip, Playa Kalki, Shete Boka and the northwest beaches
Transfers to and from Curaçao International Airport (CUR)
What people ask about getting around Jan Thiel
It is about 15 minutes east by road. From December 1, 2026 you can book it in the Drift app with the fare quoted in Antillean guilders before you confirm.
No. Uber and Lyft do not operate in Curaçao at all. Drift launches for riders on December 1, 2026, covering Jan Thiel, Mambo Beach and the whole eastern strip.
Drift runs 24 hours a day. Given that the beach clubs run late and the bus network does not, the late trip back is one of the main reasons to have the app.
Roughly 25 minutes by road from Curaçao International (CUR). Set up your account before you fly so you can book on arrival.
Download Drift now and set up your account before launch. The moment Curaçao goes live on December 1, 2026, you can book straight away.