The history of Klein Curaçao

Those who visit Klein Curaçao see a white beach, a lighthouse, and shipwrecks. Behind that landscape lies a fraught history. The island played a role during the transatlantic slave trade. Later, phosphate was mined there, and the lighthouse took on an important function for shipping.

Klein Curaçao and the transatlantic slave trade

Klein Curaçao was part of the history of the transatlantic slave trade around Curaçao. According to official tourist information from Curaçao, the island was used in the seventeenth century for the processing of enslaved people who had been transported across the Atlantic Ocean.

This part of history requires more than a brief mention among the sights. When you walk across the island, you are also visiting a place connected to the violence and human suffering of slavery. The precise events on Klein Curaçao are not always supported by historical sources in popular descriptions. Therefore, it is wise to be cautious about statements regarding numbers of people or specific shipping routes.

Phosphate mining changed the island

In the second half of the nineteenth century, phosphate was mined on Klein Curaçao. The mining began after the British mining engineer John Godden investigated the phosphate deposits. Phosphate was valuable at the time, including for use in agriculture.

The extraction changed the landscape drastically. According to documentation from the Ramsar Convention, Klein Curaçao was vegetated before large-scale phosphate mining. Livestock on the island also later contributed to the disappearance of vegetation. The barren landscape you see now, therefore, partly has a human history.

The lighthouse and shipping

The lighthouse is one of the most famous landmarks of Klein Curaçao. A lighthouse already stood on the island before Godden investigated phosphate there in 1871. A severe storm in 1877 damaged an earlier lighthouse; the building you see now belongs to the later history of shipping around the island.

You can walk to the lighthouse and view the building from the outside. Please be careful around the old structure and follow any instructions or cordoned-off spots on-site.

Shipwrecks on the coast

On the rougher side of Klein Curaçao lie the remains of ships that ran aground near the island. The wrecks show that the waters around the island could be dangerous for shipping. During a walk, you can view them from a distance. Stay away from unstable parts and take the rocky terrain and waves into account.

An island with multiple stories

Klein Curaçao is nowadays mainly known as a destination for a day trip. The beach, the lighthouse, and the wrecks gain more meaning when you also know the history of slavery, phosphate mining, and shipping. During your visit, take the time to view the island with respect for that history.