WILLEMSTAD – The MAN-PIN parliamentary faction wants Curaçao to introduce stronger legal protections for public beach access, including the purchase of portions of privately owned land and the creation of legally protected rights of way across private property to reach the coast.
The proposals form part of a broader initiative by the opposition faction to address longstanding concerns about access to beaches that cannot be reached directly from public roads.
According to MAN-PIN, substantial parts of Curaçao’s coastline and several beaches are bordered by private land. The faction says the ownership pattern has historical roots extending back to the colonial era and the period of the Dutch West India Company.
As a result, residents seeking to reach some beaches must cross private property. According to the faction, access in such situations may require payment or may be prohibited entirely.
MAN-PIN wants the Ministry of Traffic, Transport and Urban Planning (VVRP) to identify existing paths traditionally or legally used to reach beaches and coastal areas and ensure that these routes are not unlawfully blocked.
Where no adequate public route exists, the faction proposes that the Curaçao government purchase strategic portions of private property to establish permanent public access corridors to the coast.
MAN-PIN also intends to pursue a legislative solution through the introduction of what it calls a “publieke erfdienstbaarheid,” or public easement.
Such a mechanism would be intended to establish a legal right for the public to cross designated private property to reach a beach without unnecessary obstruction. MAN-PIN announced that it plans to submit an initiative bill to Curaçao Parliament to create the legal possibility for such arrangements.
The faction argues that resolving physical access alone will not address all concerns. It says public beaches must remain genuinely usable once residents reach them and has criticized situations where commercial chairs, umbrellas and other installations occupy large portions of available beach space.
MAN-PIN therefore wants Curaçao to develop a comprehensive coastal policy combining guaranteed access, environmental protection, enforcement of construction regulations and clearly defined limits on commercial activity.
The faction says the objective is not to eliminate tourism or private enterprise from Curaçao’s beaches, but to establish a balance in which commercial development does not prevent residents from enjoying the coastline.
MAN-PIN is inviting community organizations, environmental groups, residents and the private sector to participate in discussions on how a permanent public-access framework should be structured.