A semiconductor laser element includes a first cladding layer of first conductivity type provided on a semiconductor substrate of the first conductivity type; a current blocking layer of a second conductivity type provided on the first cladding layer having a stripe groove from which the first cladding layer and is exposed at the bottom thereof; a light guide layer of the first conductivity type provided covering the current blocking layer, the stripe groove, and the first cladding layer exposed from the groove; an active layer provided on the light guide layer curved in the neighborhood of the stripe groove, whose refractive index is larger than that of the light guide layer; and a second cladding layer of the second conductivity type provided on the active layer, whose refractive index is smaller than that of the active layer.