Curaçao is a long, fairly narrow desert island in the southern Caribbean Sea or better known as the Leeward Antilles. It is rugged and rocky with small mountains and small picturesque cove beaches spread throughout the island. Few of these beaches are man made with resorts to accompany them as well as bars and pools. If you expect to visit Curaçao looking for elongated beaches throughout the island, this may not be your place. However, there exists an island separate from the main island that may qualify for you pristine beach needs.
Klein Curaçao (Little Curaçao) is an uninhabited desert island southeast of the main island of Curaçao. On the east side you have waves smashing against rocks at full force while on the opposite you have the calm serene blue sea and beaches. It is these beaches where you will capture the perfect wallpaper, relax in calm blue sea and walk along a white-ish sand beach. Whatever you imagine a beach to sound like in your head, this is the place with the water calmly rolling onto the shore.
I found this island on Google images as one of my first curiosities of Curaçao. Other than some locals who take there boats out to the island, there are several tours that go out for day trips. My choice was Bounty Adventures aboard the Jonalisa catamaran. On board they serve breakfast upon arrival and set off into the wind. I say wind as we were the unlucky bunch to get very rough seas. Personally, I had no problem with this as I was completely comfortable. However the 15 or so people in the back throwing up breakfast didn’t feel so. The rough ride took about an hour and a half before we reached the coast and set off on a tug boat in pairs of eight.
Now, the beaches aren’t actually my prime reason of visiting this island. Directly in the center is an abandoned faded peach colored lighthouse. Then half way further on the rocky coast is an abandoned shipwreck. While everyone arrived on the shore settling in under the huts and preparing for a swim, I continued north along the beach to the nearest path leading to the lighthouse. The vast flat dry landscape surrounded me but ahead was this peach colored lighthouse alone and abandoned.
It is not everyday that you see and experience something like this. The combination of nature and architecture within this warm desert like climate. It was yet another accomplishment in another destination I arrived to. It was a dream come true. It was a similar feeling I felt watching a sunset on Bermudas rocky coast. The feeling of being on that path staring at this light house several yards away and shipwreck in the distance did it for me. And I was alone, the only one to enjoy this as if I arrived on that island on my own. Just me, in the middle of this flat island. The island took in my tears and was accompanied by a scream of joy as I shouted, “Yes! I made it!”
The interior is nothing too confusing as the building is basically symmetrical. The bottom contains short openings in what would be a basement connecting the whole structure together. The tiles on the roof fell into the center as broken tiles lay everywhere. In the front and center are a set of steps up to the main floor where only a few wood planks remain in poor condition but in decent condition enough to hold onto something and make my way to both sides of the building. On these sides are several “windows”, freely allowing the strong wind current flow directly in and out. Past visitors leave there markings around the interior, mostly locals, Dutch, and German. Maybe one or two American. The way up to the lighthouse is unfortunately inaccessible, due to the conditions I explained and far worse.
After good photo and video footage, I set off to the shipwreck some many yards from the lighthouse. Here is a constantly eroding abandoned ship laying on the rocks of the coast taking in the wind and slamming waves. Parts of this ship also lay on the rocks on the island. I shouldn’t forget to include the amount of sandals left by overly curious visitors. Note: I nearly lost mine as well. A few yards north lays a smaller boat, one that could probably accommodate a family at sea. This boat seemed fairly newer but the nature of the sea and air has still consumed much of the interior and exterior.
In order to make lunch for my empty stomach and to cheers my success on this island with a brew and good mix drinks on the Jonalisa boat, as well as staying out of the scorching sun, I headed back passing the lighthouse once again and headed for the beach-side. For about two additional hours, I dipped in the blue sea with my GoPro, chatted with new friends, and finally got back on for a smoother ride back to the main island of Curaçao. The experience of the visit to Klein Curaçao was surreal that is if you care to visit the rest of the island beyond swimming. Regardless, it is a must do in Curaçao.
