Klein Curaçao: A Guide to Curaçao's Uninhabited Island

Klein Curaçao is a small, flat, uninhabited island southeast of Curaçao, with a long white beach, an old lighthouse and a shipwreck on its windward shore. You can only get there by boat. This guide covers what you find on the island, how the Mermaid day trip from Spanish Water works and what to bring.

Little Curaçao

On Curaçao's flag, two white stars sit on the blue: one for Curaçao and one for Klein Curaçao. Klein is Dutch for small, and that is the first thing you notice when the island appears on the horizon: a low, flat strip of land, a lighthouse and a long line of white sand. After the crossing from Spanish Water, the boat anchors in clear turquoise water just off the beach, and the day is yours.

Where Klein Curaçao is

Klein Curaçao lies southeast of Curaçao, beyond Oostpunt, across open sea. Nobody lives there, and there are no hotels or shops. The island is low and flat, with little natural shade, so a visit is a day trip by boat, and the boat brings what you need for the day.

That simplicity is the appeal. There is no town to see and no schedule to keep other than the boat's: just sand, sea, a lighthouse and the wind.

What you find on the island

The white beach

Boats anchor off the sheltered shore, where a long white beach meets clear water. This is where you spend most of the day: swimming, snorkeling and resting in the shade.

Sea turtles

Sea turtles are the island's best-loved residents. On the Mermaid's day trip you snorkel with the sea turtles in front of the boat. Like all wildlife, they come and go as they please, so enjoy them from a respectful distance.

The old lighthouse

Behind the beach stands the island's old lighthouse, with the pink lighthouse keeper's house and its orange roof beside it. It makes a good goal for a walk and the classic photo of the island.

The shipwreck on the windward shore

Walk across to the far side of the island, which faces the open ocean and the trade winds, and you reach the shipwreck on the windward shore. The sea on this side is rough, so it is a place to look and take photos, not to swim.

Fishermen's huts

Thatched fishermen's huts stand on the beach, with the lighthouse behind them, a reminder that the sea around the island is a fishing ground as well as a day-trip destination.

The Mermaid day trip from Spanish Water

The Klein Curaçao day trip on the Mermaid is how we get you there. The Mermaid is Mermaid Boat Trips' own motor yacht, and the day runs like this:

• Check in by 06:45 at Fishermen's Pier in Spanish Water, just off the Caracasbaai roundabout.
• Sail at 07:00 for the crossing, described below.
• About 1½ hours out, you anchor off Klein Curaçao's white beach.
• About seven hours on the island, with breakfast and a barbecue lunch, and an open bar of soft drinks and juices. Beer and wine are extra.
• All aboard at 15:20 for the hour's sail back.

On the island, the Mermaid has its own beach house under thatched roofs, with picnic tables under a palapa and a lookout tower over the beach. The photos also show guests jumping off the boat's upper deck and lounging on a blue floating mat beside it. Snorkel masks are on board, but there are no fins, so bring your own.

The trip runs every day except Thursday. Send your request through the tour page; Kua Kaminda contacts Mermaid Boat Trips, and you receive the availability and final price by email. Sending a request does not reserve places, so ask early if your dates are fixed.

The crossing

The first part of the trip is a gentle cruise along Curaçao's south coast: out through the Spanish Water channel, past Fuik and on to Oostpunt, the island's eastern tip. Then the Mermaid turns south into open water, and this stretch can be lively when the trade winds are blowing. Keep an eye out on the way, as dolphins sometimes swim along with the boat.

If you are prone to seasickness, take your usual remedy before you board rather than once you feel unwell. Staying out on deck in the fresh air, with your eyes on the horizon, also helps. The sail back takes about an hour, a good time to sit back and watch Curaçao grow on the horizon.

Who the trip suits

It is a long day, but an easy one, and it works for very different travelers:

• Families: children aged 4 to 12 have their own fare, under 4s sail free, and the beach house gives shade between swims.
• Snorkelers: the turtles in front of the boat are the highlight, so bring fins and a mask that fits well if you have one.
• Walkers and photographers: the lighthouse, the keeper's house and the wreck on the windward shore make a good walk with plenty to photograph.
• Anyone who wants a slow day: with about seven hours on the island, there is time to do very little and enjoy it.

How to spend seven hours

Seven hours on a small island is plenty, so there is no need to rush. A few ways to fill the day:

• Snorkel in front of the boat, where the turtles are, and come back for a second swim after lunch.
• Walk to the lighthouse and the wreck, ideally while the sun is lower, with water and a hat.
• Climb the lookout tower for the view over the beach and the boats at anchor.
• Jump off the upper deck if you are a confident swimmer, or float on the mat if you are not.
• Do nothing at all in the shade of the beach house. On Klein Curaçao, that is a perfectly good plan.

Getting to the boat

Fishermen's Pier is in the southeast of Curaçao, close to Jan Thiel. If you drive, parking is free just outside the gate; walk in to the pier. Rather not drive? Hotel pickup is free around Jan Thiel and USD 10 to 20 from elsewhere, booked with the trip. If you are staying nearby, our guide to Jan Thiel & Spanish Water covers the area's other tours, from sea scooters at Caracasbaai to try dives.

What to bring

• Swimwear, a towel and a change of clothes for the ride home
• Your own fins (masks are on board)
• Reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and a shirt or cover-up for the sun
• Sandals or water shoes for the walk to the lighthouse and the shipwreck
• A reusable water bottle for that walk
• Some money for beer or wine, which are not included
• A waterproof pouch or dry bag for your phone
• If you get seasick easily, your usual remedy, taken before you board

Tips for a good day

• Mind the sun. The island is flat and open, with little natural shade, so reapply sunscreen and use the shade under the palapas.
• Give turtles space. Don't chase or touch them, and never stand on coral.
• Walk with water. The walk to the lighthouse and the wreck is in full sun, so avoid the middle of the day if you can.
• Watch the clock. All aboard is at 15:20, so keep the time in mind on your walk.
• Leave nothing behind. Nobody lives on the island; take your litter back to the boat.

More boat days and snorkeling

The Mermaid's trip is listed with our boat trips around Curaçao, and with its turtles it belongs with our snorkeling tours too. Back on the main island, the flag with its two stars flies along Willemstad's waterfront. Or browse all our tours to plan the rest of your stay.