Klein Curaçao: Full Day Boat Trip
About This Experience
Klein Curaçao sits about 15 miles off the south-east tip of Curaçao: a flat, uninhabited coral island with a west-facing beach of white sand, a reef edge that starts a few metres out, a pink lighthouse and a rusting hull on the windward shore. Nobody lives there. Everything you eat, drink and sit under arrives on the boat you came on.
The Mermaid is a purpose-built sea-going motor vessel rather than a sailing catamaran, and she leaves from the Fishermen's Pier at Jan Thiel at 06:45 on every day but Saturday. The operator puts the run from Spanish Water at around two hours. Coffee and tea are going from the moment you step aboard, which matters more than it sounds at that hour.
What distinguishes this trip once you land is the beach house. Mermaid guests get exclusive use of theirs, with shaded palapas and beach chairs already set out, breakfast served on the island and a barbecue lunch later in the day. Snorkel masks are free to borrow, and the walking-tour booklet points you at the lighthouse, the wreck and the windward side.
The return leg runs with the wind and swell behind you and is the calmer of the two crossings. Alcohol is the one thing not in the ticket — beer, wine and mixed drinks are about $5 aboard, cocktails about $10.
Highlights
- Exclusive use of the Mermaid beach house, with shaded palapas and beach chairs set out before you land
- Breakfast served on the island and a barbecue lunch later, both included in the fare
- Snorkel masks free to borrow for the reef that starts a few metres off the beach
- A walking-tour booklet for the lighthouse, the shipwreck and the windward shore
- A purpose-built sea-going motor vessel rather than a sailing boat, leaving Jan Thiel at 06:45
- Scuba diving available on the island for an extra fee, priced by certification level
What's Included
- ✓ Return boat trip to Klein Curaçao from the Fishermen's Pier at Jan Thiel
- ✓ Exclusive access to the Mermaid beach house
- ✓ Coffee and tea available throughout the crossing
- ✓ Breakfast served on the island
- ✓ Barbecue lunch
- ✓ Shaded palapas and beach chairs
- ✓ Snorkel equipment
- ✓ Walking-tour booklet for the island
Not Included
- Alcoholic drinks — about $5 for beer, wine or a mixed drink and about $10 for cocktails
- Scuba diving, priced according to your certification level
- Hotel transfers to and from the Fishermen's Pier
- Gratuities
What to Bring
- Swimwear and a towel
- Reef-safe sunscreen
- A hat and sunglasses
- Cash or a card for drinks aboard
- Motion-sickness tablets if you are prone to it
Good to Know & Caveats
- The boat does not sail on Saturdays.
- Boarding is from 06:45, so allow for an early start and a taxi across town.
- The outward crossing is into the wind and swell and is the rougher of the two legs; the return runs with the sea behind you.
- There is no shop, no mains water and no shade on Klein Curaçao beyond the operators' own palapas.
- Take anything you carry ashore back to the boat — the island has no waste collection.
Not Suitable For
- People who are strongly prone to seasickness on open water
Meeting Point
Fishermen's Pier, Caracasbaaiweg z/n, Jan Thiel, Curaçao — boarding from 06:45, every day except Saturday.
What Travelers Say
Rated 4.8/5 by 339 verified GetYourGuide travelers.
All aspects excellent. A great activity, a great day.
— James, 2026-08
Amazing trip with very cool guides! We enjoyed every second of this beautiful Island. The breakfast and the bbq lunch were also very good. Thanks guys!
— Buket, 2026-09
High recommended trip. The staff were very professional. Very helpful, with a smile on their faces. Food was amazing. Amazing island. And facilities that you need to be able to enjoy the stay. There was absolutely nothing we would change. Our highest recommendation.
— Maj-Brit, 2026-09
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the crossing to Klein Curaçao on the Mermaid?
The operator puts the run from Spanish Water at around two hours each way. That is at the longer end for Klein Curaçao boats, because the Mermaid is a displacement motor vessel rather than a fast catamaran — it trades crossing time for a steadier ride in a swell.
What is included in the price of the Mermaid Klein Curaçao trip?
The return crossing, exclusive use of the Mermaid beach house, coffee and tea aboard, breakfast on the island, a barbecue lunch, shaded palapas, beach chairs, snorkel equipment and a walking-tour booklet. Alcohol is the notable exclusion — beer, wine or a mixed drink runs about $5 aboard and cocktails about $10.
Where does the Mermaid leave from?
The Fishermen's Pier on Caracasbaaiweg at Jan Thiel, on the Spanish Water side of the island rather than in Willemstad itself. Boarding starts at 06:45. If you are staying in Willemstad, budget 20 to 25 minutes for a taxi at that hour.
Does the Mermaid run every day?
It runs every day except Saturday. That single blank day is worth checking against your itinerary before you book flights around it, because the other Klein Curaçao operators keep different weekly schedules.
