Klein Curaçao: A Day Beyond the Main Island

Olga seated on a catamaran net facing Klein Curaçao’s beach.

I went to Klein Curaçao with BlueFinn Charters in June 2023. Curaçao had drawn me back to the Caribbean, and I liked its mixture of Dutch heritage and island life. This excursion took me beyond the main island altogether. A catamaran would be my transport and my base for the day.

Crossing to Klein Curaçao.

There is something particularly appealing about a beach you reach from the sea. On BlueFinn’s forward net, I was suspended above the water, with the shore ahead. Later, I took my camera onto the sand. The two views belong together: the island from the boat, then the boat from the island.

Pale sand and clear shallow water on Klein Curaçao, with a catamaran offshore.
On Klein Curaçao.

Lunch aboard

We had lunch aboard, cooked on the catamaran’s grill. It was pretty good, too.

A plate of grilled meat with side dishes and bread, beside a glass with ice on the catamaran’s table.

Beyond the beach

Klein Curaçao is uninhabited. Its old lighthouse and shipwrecks give it another character beyond the beach, and snorkelling is one of the reasons to come. I would leave room in the day to choose between water and land once there, rather than turn a small island into a list to finish.

A hand holding a glass of blue liquid above turquoise water beside Klein Curaçao.

Choosing the trip today

BlueFinn runs morning catamaran trips from Jan Thiel and a later Sunset Edition from Mood Beach. The crossing takes roughly two hours each way, so the boat is a substantial part of the day.

The catamaran remains your base once you reach the island: lunch and toilets are aboard. The dinghy handles arrival and departure; between those transfers, you swim back to the boat. I’d choose this trip as much for the catamaran as for the island.

What to bring

Pack a hat, sunscreen, a towel and a dry bag for your phone and camera. For a walk inland, add water and shoes. I’d bring my own snorkelling equipment: there is a limited supply of masks and snorkels aboard, and no fins.

You can check BlueFinn’s current Klein Curaçao trips, or return to my Curaçao collection. I would keep this excursion a day of its own, with time for the sea on either side of the island.

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  • Video by Olga ✈︎ My travel diary on June 16, 2023.

blonde.travel Discovering Klein Curaçao, a hidden gem in the Caribbean🐠 ⠀ 📌Save this for your Curaçao vacation. ⠀ @bluefinncharters ⠀ When in Curaçao, don’t miss a catamaran tour to the uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao. This island is famous for its crystal-clear waters, ideal for snorkeling and scuba diving, as well as its captivating deserted lighthouse and shipwrecks. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀

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