10 Best Curacao Boat Trips in 2023
Are you looking for the best Curacao boat trips? Then I got you covered!
Curacao is a tropical paradise in the Caribbean sea. The island is famous for its stunning blue water, impressive cliffs and magnificent marine life. The best way to experience the island is – you might have guessed, from a boat.
There is a huge amount of different boat tours in Curacao for sale. But how to choose the best one?
I have stayed in Curacao for over 3 months in the last year. During that time, I have tried every single sort of trip that is out there. Whether it is a Curacao Sunset Sail, a boat trip to Klein Curacao or a Private Boat Trip – I have seen them all.
To make the choice a bit easier for you, I have created a list with my ultimate favorites for each category.
Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
- Best Klein Curacao Boat Trips
- Best Private Curacao Boat Tours
- Best Curacao Sunset Boat Trips
- Best Curacao Adventure Boat Trips
- Where to Stay for Curacao Boat Trips
- Is it Worth it Booking a Curacao Boat Trip?
- How to Get Around Curacao for the Boat Tour
- Other Fun Things to Do in Curacao
- Conclusion: Best Curacao Boat Trips
- About the Author
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. Read my disclaimer for further information.
Best Klein Curacao Boat Trips
Klein Curaçao is a small, uninhabited island, about 15 miles southeast of the main island of Curaçao. “Klein” means “small” in Dutch, so the name Klein Curaçao translates to “Little Curaçao.”
The island is known for its pristine white sandy beaches, crystal-clear turquoise waters, and abundant marine life. It is one of my favorite places in Curacao. Sadly, Klein Curacao is quite hard to reach, you need to book a day trip from Curacao to get there.
Klein Curacao is a popular destination for day trips and snorkeling or diving excursions. The surrounding waters of Klein Curaçao are home to coral reefs, shipwrecks, and various species of tropical fish, making it an excellent spot for vacationers of all kind. The underwater world in Klein Curacao is next level, so consider scuba diving or snorkeling.
If you only have time to do one boat trip on your vacation, I suggest to go to Klein Curacao. It is the most impressive trip of them all.
If you are looking for a more personalized experience, there are also amazing Private Curacao Tours to Klein Curacao.
1. Klein Curacao Powerboat Adventure
🤩 5/5 Stars (230 Reviews)
This Klein Curacao Powerboat Adventure Trip is my personal favorite for many reasons.
For one, the boat is a lot faster than the other catamarans that travel on this route. This means, you don’t have to wake up as early (I hate that).
Another reason why this is a great trip, is because the number of participants is capped at 10. I always prefer smaller group trips, it is just less of a hassle.
Sadly, the tour company does not have a permanent house on the island, unlike some others. This makes the trip a little less comfortable.
Lunch and alcoholic drinks are included, something I love about this trip. Ultimately, going with the speedboat is also a lot more fun. Admittedly, it is not something for people that get sea sick easily.
Duration: 6 hours
Included: Pickup, Open Bar, Lunch
2. Miss Ann Yacht Trip to Klein Curacao
🤩 4,5/5 Stars (363 Reviews)
The Klein Curacao Yacht Trip with Miss Ann comes in a close second in my list of my favorite Klein Curacao Trips.
The yacht trip is also relatively quick, so you have a lot of time on the island. The best feature about this trip is, that they have a small house on the island. There are tanning beds, toilets, a massage salon and a small restaurant and dive shop where you can rent gear.
They offer guided snorkel and dive tours free of charge for visitors.
I liked the big group of people and the early start a little less on this trip. There is enough space to roam on the island, so we did not mind the people as much.
The staff was super kind and they made us an amazing BBQ lunch and a breakfast buffet. Overall, the level of comfort is better than with the other boat trips to Klein Curacao.
This is definitely the most luxurious Curacao boat trips you can book, and I totally recommend it!
Duration: 10 hours
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks, Non-alcoholic Beverages
3. Full Day Catamaran Klein Curacao Trip With BBQ Lunch
🤩 5/5 Stars (633 Reviews)
Another great Curacao boat trip to Klein Curacao is the Catamaran Day Trip by Blue Finn.
One of the reasons why I liked this trip is because you can actually lie down on to tan on the catamaran. There is a lot more space to relax on this boat than on the others I mentioned previously.
The trip takes a little longer, so you have less time on the island. That is something to keep in mind. Also, you will need to use the facilities on the boat (restroom etc.) because they do not have a building on the island.
The open bar is definitely a big upside of this trip. And what’s not to love about some BBQ lunch?
Overall, this is definitely a super relaxed and fun day trip to Klein Curacao that I can absolutely recommend.
Duration: 9 hours
Included: Open Bar, BBQ Lunch, Snorkel Gear
Best Private Curacao Boat Tours
4. Private Boat Trip I Swim Board Snorkel
🤩 5/5 Stars (33 Reviews)
This Private Curacao Boat Trip was one of my favorite excursions on the island. I gave it to my husband to celebrate our wedding anniversary (yes, we packed a bottle of Champagne and brought it to the boat).
Bettina and Mark, the operators, are super sweet! They let us choose where we wanted to go and told us all about the island. We chose to explore the Spanish waters on our trip.
They even taught us how to wake board (we are not the sportiest people) and in the end we both managed to stand up on the board.
Sadly, the pier is a little hard to find, so read the instructions carefully.
Overall, this was my favorite Private Curacao Boat Trip and I absolutely recommend it.
Duration: 3 hours
Included: bottled water, water sports equipment
5. Private Sailing Yacht Charter
🤩 4,5/5 Stars (33 Reviews)
The Curacao Private Sailing Yacht Charter is another cool private boat trip in Curacao.
Sadly, you need a bigger group of people to make this trip happen. The trip is suitable for groups of 10 – 15 people.
The itinerary of this charter trip is pretty cool though. You start your day off by going to Playa Lagun to swim with some sea turtles. I loved this place!
Later on you will head over to Klein Curacao for a couple of hours or even overnight! This Curacao boat trip is also cruise ship friendly. If you are with a bigger group of people, I cannot recommend this enough.
Duration: 8 hours
Included: Lunch, Open Bar, Snorkeling Equipment
Do you need travel insurance in Curacao? Yes, travel insurance in Curacao is highly recommended. Unsafe roads, water sports accidents, and food poisoning are only a few examples of when travel insurance could come in handy. EKTA offers worldwide travel insurance with 24/7 service and no hidden fees or restrictions.
6. Private Tour For Two – Land Curacao by Land and Sea
🤩 5/5 Stars (2 Reviews)
The Curacao Private Tour For Two is the best Curacao boat trip for honeymooners and couples. Not only will you explore Curacao with a boat, but there are also some amazing stops on the land in this itinerary.
I absolutely loved the part of the tour exploring the Aloe Farm as well as the eastern rugged part of the island. This is an amazing chance to combine a sightseeing tour with some boating fun!
Later in the day, a smaller boat will explore with you the southern side of the island. You will see some magical coves and hidden away caverns. Bigger boats can’t reach them, so the experience is truly special.
Duration: 8 hours
Included: Hotel Pick-up and Drop off, Lunch, Snacks, Drinks
Best Curacao Sunset Boat Trips
7. Happy Hour Sunset Sail
🤩 4,5/5 Stars (112 Reviews)
The Happy Hour Sunset Sail with Irie Tours was one of my favorite Curacao boat tours.
We booked the hotel-pickup service for a small fee and were happy to be picked up in a windowless, colorful bus.
On the catamaran, we could choose a spot to lie down and enjoy the endless amount of colorful cocktails made by a lovely crew.
There were lots of yummy bites served throughout the cruise. Sadly, our sunset on that day was not as spectacular, but usually it is an amazing experience.
The people on the boat were definitely in a party-mood, so it is not really a cultural excursion.
Duration: 2,5 hours
Included: Alcoholic Beverages, Snacks
8. Sunset Sailing Cruise with Premium Drinks and Bites
🤩 4,5/5 Stars (51 Reviews)
The Sunset Sailing Cruise with premium drinks and bites is a pretty similar cruise to the Happy Hour Sunset Sail I discussed before.
It is slightly more expensive, because they serve a bigger variety of premium alcohols on this tour. I suggest booking this tour if you don’t like the standard cocktails they usually serve.
Included: Drinks, Appetizers
Duration: 2,5 hours
Best Curacao Adventure Boat Trips
Because there are so many different snorkel spots in Curacao, I have written a separate blog post discussing the Curacao Snorkel Tours in more detail.
However, there are also some other amazing adventure boat tours in Curacao that you should not miss on your vacation!
9. Powerboat Day Trip to Sea Turtles and Blue Room
🤩 5/5 Stars (76 Reviews)
This Powerboat Day Trip is one of the best Curacao boat trips for adventure lovers. You will see the most impressive spots of the island during this 8 hour tour.
My favorite spots on this tour are the Blue Room Cave and Playa Lagun. With some luck, you will see the magnificent sea turtles.
The powerboat tour takes all day, and there is only a small group of people on the boat. I really liked that.
Keep in mind that you need to apply sun-screen, there is not a lot of shade on this tour.
Included: Lunch, Open Bar
Duration: 7 hours
10. West Coast Full-Day Tour with Beaches, BBQ and Blue Room
🤩 4,5/5 Stars (27 Reviews)
Last but not least this West Coast Full Day Tour is one of the best Curacao boat tours if you want to see a lot of the island in one single day. This excursion is amazing for cruise guests.
Both breakfast and lunch are included, which I absolutely love!
You will see all my favorite Curacao beaches on this tour: Cas Abao Beach, Playa Porto Mari, Playa Kalki and Grote Knip.
On some of the beaches you will only pass by without stopping, so keep that in mind.
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Open Bar, Snorkel Equipment
Duration: 9 hours
Where to Stay for Curacao Boat Trips
There are so many amazing hotels in Curacao that it can be super hard to choose. Many Curacao boat tours start in front of the Sandals Hotel, in Santa Barbara Beach. The hotel is absolutely fabulous, so that would be my first choice when picking your accommodation.
If you are planning on taking more than one boat trip on your vacation, I suggest to stay in the area of Willemstad, Piscadera or Santa Barbara Beach.
Staying out West is usually fun, but then the drive toward your Curacao boat tours is too long. Also, hotel pick-up might not be included if you stay too far away.
Is it Worth it Booking a Curacao Boat Trip?
It is totally worth booking a boat trip in Curacao. Whether you are on the island with a cruise ship or on a longer vacation, you should at least put one boat trip on your itinerary.
Hopping along the crashing waves, cheerful people and a great atmosphere is all you really need for a perfect Curacao boat trip.
Some of the trips are a bit pricey, but in my experience they were all worth the money I paid.
How to Get Around Curacao for the Boat Tour
I suggest getting a rental car for your stay in Curacao. Public transport is not great and taxis are expensive. We booked our rental car with DiscoverCars and we have been extremely satisfied with the service.
Many of the Curacao boat trips offer hotel pickup, so you don’t necessarily need the car for your boat trip. Keep in mind that hotel pickup is not always included in the price, so a rental car might be cheaper.
Other Fun Things to Do in Curacao
Curacao has a lot of sightseeing to offer. The beaches are pristine and the landscape is impressive. While you are on the island, I suggest visiting these places
- Punda and Otrobanda, the fabulous districts of Willemstad
- Visit the most instagrammable places on the island
- Have dinner in a beachfront restaurant
- Shete Boka National Park
- Christoffel Berg
- CurAloe Farm
- Swimming Pigs at Playa Porto Mari
- Colorful Houses in the Pietermaai District
- Snorkeling on a fabulous beach
- Visit Curacao in December for Christmas Feels
For more guidance and inspiration, get my Ultimate Curacao Travel Guide E-Book. You’ll find all the important info there!
The boat trip from Curacao to Klein Curacao takes anything from 40 minutes to two hours. It depends on what kind of boat you go with. The speedboat can reach Klein Curacao in 40 minutes, while the catamaran takes about 2 hours.
If you are planning on going from Curacao to Klein Curacao, you need to take the boat. There are many different companies that offer boat trips from Curacao to Klein Curacao every day. It takes about 40 minutes to 2 hours to get there.
Conclusion: Best Curacao Boat Trips
There are so many boat trips in Curacao that it can be incredibly hard to choose. One thing is for sure, they are all amazing and worth to be explored.
In this post I have showed you my selection of the best boat tours in Curacao for each taste and budget. Find the best Klein Curacao boat trips and the best sunset sailing trips in this post. Also, the adventure boat tours are worth checking out.
If you are a snorkel enthusiast, make sure to check out my favorite snorkel boat trips in Curacao.
About the Author
Sabrina is a passionate travel blogger and content creator, based in the Netherlands. She spends about half of the year traveling to various destinations together with her husband.
She provides slow-paced itineraries that focus on quality over quantity. Sabrina wants to help her readers to get more out of their travel experiences – while doing less. Read more.
