How to Get to Klein Curaçao from Curaçao
There is no public ferry to Klein Curaçao. The four ways to make the crossing, which marina each boat leaves from, and whether you can go without booking a tour.
There is no public ferry from Curaçao to Klein Curaçao, and no scheduled crossing that sells a seat on its own. The island is uninhabited and about 15 miles off the south-east tip of Curaçao, so almost everyone gets there on an organised day trip, with the boat, the lunch and the beach set-up sold as one ticket. The other route is a private charter.
Which boat you choose decides the length of the crossing, the shade and toilets waiting on the island, and where you have to be at half past six in the morning. All three are covered below.
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The four ways to get there
Catamaran. Best if you want the sail to be part of the day. Irie Tours runs a sailing catamaran with bow trampolines at $140, and quotes one to one and a half hours each way. The Gold Seahorse is a catamaran yacht at $160, with a restroom on board and an eight-hour day instead of nine.
Motor yacht. The best balance of comfort and speed for most people. Miss Ann quotes about an hour from Marina Santa Barbara and lands you at a full-service beach house. The Mermaid is a purpose-built motor vessel and the most-reviewed boat on the route, but the operator puts its run at around two hours, the longest of the four. Both cost $155.
Powerboat. Best if the shortest crossing is the point. No scheduled powerboat service to Klein Curaçao is bookable on our booking partner, so the shortest scheduled crossing is the Gold Seahorse at about an hour. A fast boat is available as a private charter, priced at around $950 for the private powerboat cruise, and the powerboat page covers what that does and does not include.
Private charter. Best for privacy, your own departure time and larger groups. Private boats on Curaçao start at around $269 per boat and run to $1,300, and they are priced per boat rather than per seat. Confirm the route with the operator before booking, because several private listings cover the coast and not the open-water run to Klein Curaçao. When chartering beats buying seats.
Where do boats leave from?
Operators use marinas around Jan Thiel, Caracas Bay and Spanish Water, and none of them uses central Willemstad. From the city centre each marina is roughly 20 to 25 minutes by taxi, and boarding falls between 06:30 and 07:30.
| Boat | Leaves from | Getting there |
|---|---|---|
| Mermaid | Fishermen’s Pier, Caracasbaaiweg, Jan Thiel | Boarding from 06:45; hotel transfers not included |
| Miss Ann | Marina Santa Barbara | Check-in opens 30 minutes before departure; transfers not included |
| Irie Tours | The Village Marina, at the Jan Thiel roundabout | Pickup in the Jan Thiel area is free; round-trip transfers from elsewhere are $15 per person |
| Gold Seahorse | Kima Kalki Marina, Spanish Water | Hotel transfers not included |
Irie Tours is the only one of the four that includes transport, which at that hour saves a taxi fare and a phone call the night before. For everyone else, book the taxi the evening before rather than hailing one at dawn. Where each boat departs from, in full.
How long is the crossing?
Every operator’s crossing time is its own claim, measured from a different marina and not by any common method, so read them as a ranking: about an hour for Miss Ann and the Gold Seahorse, one to one and a half hours for Irie Tours, and around two hours for the Mermaid. The outward leg runs into the prevailing wind and swell and is the rougher one, and the return runs with the sea behind you. Which boat and which seat help most.
Can you go without a tour?
Only if you arrange a private charter or have a suitable boat of your own. There is no transport-only ferry, so a walk-up crossing does not exist. Klein Curaçao has no shop, no mains water and no public toilet either, which is why the organised trips bring breakfast, lunch and shade with them. What to bring ashore.
One scheduling detail catches people out: the Mermaid does not sail on Saturdays, and the other operators keep their own weekly timetables. Check your day before you build the rest of the trip around it.
Final recommendation
Choose by boat style, crossing time and the facilities you want once you reach the island.
- Most first-time visitors: the Mermaid for its review record and its own beach house, or Miss Ann for the shorter crossing and a freshwater shower.
- A social day with drinks and a lift to the boat: Irie Tours.
- The shortest day: the Gold Seahorse.
- A private departure time: a charter, priced per boat.
To compare all four on price, drinks and beach facilities, use the side-by-side comparison, or go to the guide to which boat suits you. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead applies to all four, and each sails once a day, so book early in your stay.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a ferry from Curaçao to Klein Curaçao?
No. There is no public ferry and no scheduled service that sells a transport-only seat. You reach Klein Curaçao on an organised boat day trip or a private charter.
How long does the boat take to reach Klein Curaçao?
The operators quote between about one hour and about two hours each way, depending on the boat and the marina it leaves from. Those figures are each operator’s own claim rather than a measured time, and the sea state on the day moves all of them.
Do boats to Klein Curaçao leave from Willemstad?
No. The four boats leave from marinas around Jan Thiel, Caracas Bay and Spanish Water, roughly 20 to 25 minutes by road from central Willemstad. Boarding is between 06:30 and 07:30.
Pick Your Boat, Then Check the Date
Crossing time, group size, shade, toilets and what lunch actually looks like differ more between these boats than the price does. Compare them, then check availability for your date.
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