Klein Curaçao Day Trip: What to Expect
A Klein Curaçao day trip runs about nine hours: an early boat, the beach, snorkelling, lighthouse and shipwreck, a barbecue lunch and the ride home. Hour by hour.
A Klein Curaçao day trip takes most of the day. The full-day boats run about nine hours, and they combine a boat crossing, beach time, snorkelling, lunch and a walk to the lighthouse and the shipwreck. Klein Curaçao is a flat, uninhabited coral island about 15 miles off the south-east tip of Curaçao, so everything you eat, drink and sit under arrives on the boat you came on.
The crossing is the part to plan for, and the island is the part you will remember. Here is the day in order.
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A typical day, hour by hour
- Early check-in. Boarding falls between 06:30 and 07:30, depending on the boat, at a marina around Jan Thiel or Spanish Water and not in central Willemstad. Book the taxi the night before. Where each boat leaves from.
- Boat crossing. The operators quote between about one and two hours each way, and each figure is that operator’s own claim. Coffee and tea, and on some boats breakfast, are served on the way out. The outward leg runs into the prevailing wind and swell and is the rougher one.
- Arrival and beach setup. The boat anchors off the west-facing beach and you go ashore. On the beach-house trips, palapas and beach chairs are already set out. On the others, the boat and the operator’s beach chairs are your base.
- Lighthouse and shipwreck walk. The pink lighthouse and the rusting wreck on the windward shore are a short walk from the beach. The Mermaid full-day trip hands out a walking-tour booklet for the route. Stay out of the water on that windward coast, which is much rougher than the swimming beach.
- Swimming and snorkelling. The reef edge starts a few metres off the beach, and green turtles are a routine sighting there. Snorkel masks are included on the main trips. What the snorkelling is like.
- Barbecue lunch. Lunch is included on all four boats and served either at the beach house or from the boat. Alcohol is included on some trips and sold aboard on others, so check before you go.
- Afternoon beach time. The middle of the day is the quiet stretch: shade, a swim, or another walk along the shore.
- Return to Curaçao. The boat leaves the island in mid-afternoon. The run home has the sea behind it and is markedly calmer than the run out.
What to bring
The island has no shop, no mains water, no public toilet and no shade beyond what the operators put up, so pack for six hours on the sand.
- sunscreen, reef-safe if possible, because you will swim over living coral
- hat
- towel
- rash guard
- sandals or water shoes
- dry bag
- motion-sickness medication, taken before boarding rather than when you start to feel it
The full list, and what your boat already provides, is in what to bring to Klein Curaçao.
What the ticket usually covers
Most full-day tickets include the return crossing, lunch, snorkel gear and somewhere to sit in the shade. The differences are in the details:
- The Mermaid adds breakfast on the island and exclusive use of its beach house, and sells alcohol aboard at about $5 a drink.
- Miss Ann includes a rum punch happy hour on the way back, with the premium open bar a $35 add-on on weekdays.
- Irie Tours is the only one of the four with the open bar in the fare, from 12:30.
- The Gold Seahorse runs an eight-hour day, an hour shorter than the others, with a restroom on board.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead applies to all four. Gratuities and scuba diving are extra everywhere. All four boats side by side.
Is it worth it?
Yes, for travellers who enjoy beaches, boats and snorkelling. The appeal is the simplicity of spending a full day on an undeveloped offshore island with very little on it.
It is a poor fit if you are strongly prone to seasickness, because the day is nine hours long and you cannot get off in the middle. It is also a hard sell on a very short stay on Curaçao. An honest answer on whether it is worth it.
Boats run once a day and sell out in high season. Book early in your stay, so a weather cancellation has somewhere to move to.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a Klein Curaçao day trip?
The main full-day trips are about nine hours from boarding to return. The Gold Seahorse runs an eight-hour day.
Do you need to book a Klein Curaçao trip in advance?
Yes. The boats sail once a day and sell out in high season, and free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead means an early booking costs you nothing.
Is lunch included on a Klein Curaçao day trip?
Yes, on all four full-day boats. Breakfast, soft drinks and alcohol vary by boat, so check the inclusions for the one you pick.
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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