Boat Trips in Curaçao

A full day at sea and on the sand: the Mermaid sails from Spanish Water to Klein Curaçao, the little uninhabited island southeast of Curaçao, with breakfast, a barbecue lunch and about seven hours on its white beach. Below you'll find how the day works, what to bring, and the other tours that take you out on the water.

Some of Curaçao's best water isn't off Curaçao at all. Klein Curaçao, a small, flat and uninhabited island southeast of the main island, has a long white beach, sea turtles in front of the boats and an old lighthouse you can walk to. The only way there is by boat, and the crossing is part of the day.

What a boat trip in Curaçao is like

Most of Curaçao's boating happens on the south coast, which is sheltered from the trade winds. Spanish Water, a large inland bay in the southeast with a narrow channel to the sea, is where many boats are moored and where the Klein Curaçao trip begins. Inside the bay the water is flat; once you pass through the channel and out to sea, you feel the swell.

The Mermaid follows the south coast past Fuik and Oostpunt, the quiet eastern tip of the island, then turns south across the open sea. The way out takes about 1½ hours and the way back about an hour. Sometimes dolphins swim along. On calm days it's an easy ride; on windier days the open stretch can be bumpy, so if you're prone to seasickness, take your usual remedy before you board.

The Klein Curaçao day trip on the Mermaid

The Mermaid is Mermaid Boat Trips' own motor yacht, and the day follows a set rhythm:

• Check in by 06:45 at Fishermen's Pier in Spanish Water, just off the Caracasbaai roundabout. Parking is free just outside the gate; walk in to the pier.
• The Mermaid sails at 07:00 through the Spanish Water channel and along the south coast.
• Breakfast is served, and later a barbecue lunch, with an open bar of soft drinks and juices. Beer and wine are extra.
• On Klein Curaçao you have about seven hours: snorkel with the sea turtles in front of the boat, or walk to the old lighthouse and the shipwreck on the windward shore.
• All aboard on Klein Curaçao at 15:20, for the hour's sail back.

The trip runs every day except Thursday. Snorkel masks are on board, but there are no fins, so bring your own if you want them. Ashore, the Mermaid has a beach house under thatched roofs, picnic tables under palapas and a viewing tower over the beach, which gives you somewhere in the shade to eat and rest.

It's a long day, from a 06:45 check-in to the late afternoon, so it suits people who want a whole beach day rather than a quick outing. Families do well here: children aged 4 to 12 have their own fare, and children under 4 sail free. Snorkelers come for the turtles, walkers for the lighthouse and the wreck, and some guests simply spend the day on the sand. You'll find times, fares and the booking form on the Klein Curaçao day trip on the Mermaid.

What you'll find on Klein Curaçao

Klein means "little" in Dutch, and the island is just that: low, flat and almost bare, with no town and no hotels. Nobody lives there. What it has is space and very clear water.

• The beach. A long stretch of white sand on the sheltered side, where the day-trip boats anchor.
• Sea turtles. You can snorkel with them right in front of the boat. They are wild animals, so sightings are never guaranteed; keep your distance and never touch them.
• The lighthouse. The old lighthouse and the pink lighthouse keeper's house with its orange roof stand inland from the beach, a walk across the flat island.
• The shipwreck. On the windward side, where the waves roll in from the open sea, a wreck lies stranded on the coast. Walk there for the photos; the sea on that side is rough.
• Fishermen's huts. A few thatched huts along the beach.

There is little natural shade on the island, which is why the beach house and palapas matter. For more about the island itself, read our guide to Klein Curaçao.

Getting to the boat

Fishermen's Pier is in Jan Thiel and Spanish Water, the southeast corner of Curaçao, just off the Caracasbaai roundabout. If you're staying nearby, it's a short drive; from Willemstad or the west, leave early, since check-in closes at 06:45.

Rather not drive? Hotel pickup is free around Jan Thiel and costs extra from elsewhere on the island; you book it together with the trip.

Klein Curaçao or a beach on Curaçao?

If boats aren't your thing, you can still find clear water and turtles without a crossing. Our self-guided route along the free beaches of Banda Abou runs from Playa Santa Cruz to Playa Piskado, the fishing beach in Westpunt where sea turtles are often seen, though never guaranteed. You drive yourself, bring your own snorkel gear and food, and stay as long as you like at each stop.

Klein Curaçao is the choice when you'd like the day arranged for you, on an island where nobody lives. Breakfast, lunch, soft drinks and the boat ride are taken care of, and the island's emptiness is the point.

Other ways to get out on the water

If a full day at sea is more than you want, several other tours put you on a boat or in the water:

• The Blue Room by boat: Real World Adventures' Jeep and boat trip to the Blue Room combines off-road driving on the west coast with a two-hour afternoon boat trip into the Blue Room sea cave and two calm snorkel spots. Your Jeep is private; a few other guests may share the boat.
• Fishing: Reef Riders Curaçao run private fishing charters on a 22-foot boat with a shade roof from Playa Santa Cruz on the west coast, for up to three guests, for four or five hours.
• Snorkeling from the shore: for a shorter time in the water, our snorkeling tours include a private sea scooter ride to the Tugboat wreck at Caracasbaai, close to where the Mermaid sails from.
• Your first dive: The Little Green Boat takes beginners on private try dives from the beach on the south coast, no certificate needed.

Practical tips

• Bring swimwear, a towel, reef-safe sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses. The sun on a white beach surrounded by water is strong, even when the wind makes it feel cool.
• Pack your own fins if you want to snorkel with them; masks are on board.
• Bring money for drinks beyond the open bar: beer and wine are extra.
• A light layer helps on the early sail out, when there's wind on deck.
• If you get seasick, take your usual remedy before boarding, not once you're at sea.
• Plan around Thursday: the trip doesn't run that day.

How booking works

Send your booking with the form on the tour page. Kua Kaminda then contacts Mermaid Boat Trips, reserves your places and confirms them to you, with the availability and final price by email. Sending the form on its own does not yet reserve places; your places are held once Kua Kaminda confirms them.