Aruba Beaches
Aruba Beaches are the most important attraction on the island. We could argue that hotels and resorts are important to the tourism, but at the end of the day what many come to Aruba are the beaches, the weather and the great service that we can expect when traveling on vacation.
On a clear division, the island is broken into several sections, you got the west part of the island, in which almost everything on the island is, and you got the east side which is called the leeward side or windy side and that side offers the natural, virgin and untouched
Click Here for Aruba Beaches Directory
side of Aruba, to make a clear connotation is that as all the Aruba Beaches are natural and untouched, when natural, virgin and untouched is on the amenities or lack of, meaning that you must bring your own drinks, food, towels, sun block clothes, so when deciding where to go, you are as comfortable being on the east as any other beach with plenty of amenities a few feet away.
It is clear that Aruba Beaches is one of the best places that you can be to spend you vacation; leisure time is valuable and you expect to get the most out it, whether you are zipping drinks with umbrellas or touring some of the island attractions; and the beaches provides the biggest incentive to come to the island as a top tourist destination.
In general, the beaches on Aruba are white sandy beaches and most of them on have crystal blue water. You can experience on the beaches shipwreck like the Antilla which is one of the most popular sites on the island or many others around Aruba.
Tours and activities are endless on land and on water, with special attention to Atlantis submarine with only a few locations around the world provides unique services and visual clues to the underwater life around the island.
Aruba Beaches are public and therefore anyone could enjoy them, regardless of economic, social or religious condition. The only restriction is that if you are not a guest to a particular hotel, resort beach, towels, chairs, shade huts are property of the hotel, resort and you possible be charge from the use of the amenities. If you like to explore the various Aruba Beaches, you could use the amenities of the resort for a fee, or you could bring some of the basic amenities with you and be able to enjoy the same beach as any other paying customer; and that is one excellent reason why to come to Aruba Beaches, in many places around the world, some beaches tend to be private and only guests are allowed into the beach and it is not the case in Aruba.
Aruba beaches give you what you can look for, you can find a great beach with a lot of activities, like many of front of their resort such as on Palm Beach area; or you could find a deserted beach on which you will only see a few individual; oryou can find beaches that are in between, like Eagle beach and Manchebo beach and you will have some resort amenities with the tranquility of a deserted beach.
It is difficult to rate all the Aruba Beaches, but by providing a brief description, it could give you an idea on what to do and expect. To start, the simplest way is to start on the north west side, next to the California lighthouse and start around the island, to which will give you a clear idea on the most important beaches on the island.
To start with Arashi Beaches close to the California Lighthouse on the north west side and it is part of a group of beaches that with Boca Catalina, Malmok Beach that are phenomenal to snorkeling, kitesurfing, windsurfing, since the beaches are shallow, they are popular destination for tours, including horse backriding. In general, they tend to quite and calm, with a few people and also a small number of facilities, over the past years, Aruba has made so upgrades along that area, including palapas or shade huts, parking, and other modern facilities, making more convenient for visitors to stay; the water is blue and the beach has white sands, there are stones or pebbles, but it is not a big detriment to them. Like previously mentioned, tour operators roam these beaches on boat, proving great snorkeling and scuba diving location, enjoying the available wrecks and local reef.
Next to these three beaches, comes Fishermen’s Hut, and Palm Beach area, this section of the island, it is probably the most popular and the most visited, with some of the most important hotels and resort. Mostly all tour operators have offices and many car rental have a presence there. There are two piers and plenty of activities such as watersports, sailing and plenty of space that allow you to stroll from resort to resort if you decide to enjoy some of the luscious and well manicure gardens on the island. On Fishermen’s Hut, that is the location of the yearly pro-am windsurf competition, which brings some of the best windsurfers to the island. The beach on any other day, gives white sand and shallow water, but the sand has plenty of pebbles, like Arashi, Malmok and Boca Catalina, it does not provide any uncomfortable or unsafe situation. Being so close to Palm Beach, it has shades, and sitting areas, making very accessible to anyone.
Coming south from Palm Beach, you are going to hit Eagle Beach, Manchebo Beach and Druif Beach, these stretch of beaches are associated with some resorts such as Divi Aruba and Tamarijn. All these beaches are calm and congestion in not a problem, there are plent of space to sit and enjoy the beaches, like many other Aruba beaches, the resorts tend to remove the pebbles having brush them off, making them picture perfect. The water are a little be rougher and bit deeper, but still are excellent beaches that you can spend some time and access some of the resorts amenities as well; These three beaches are common wedding locations, and you will be able to take some of the most amazing pictures on any beache around.
South of Oranjestad, you will find Surfside Beach and the Renaissance private Island. Surfside Beach is well known and visited by locals and being next to Oranjestad, it has some of the easiest access that you can find on the island. The water is clear and shallow like on the father north side of the island, there are a few amenities and only a handful of places that you can stay. During the weekend, this area is popular and extremely busy to access, still a phenomenal beach for kids, since it is warm and shallow, and still be able to access Oranjestad for any necessity that you may have.
The Renaissance Island is one of the most exclusive places that you will have one on the island. Available to only guest of the hotel, is gives a sense of privacy not compare somewhere else on the island, you will have available all the amenities that you need; and the beaches are not different than any other on the island, but the whole place is worth to discover if you have a chance.
Along the coast, you will see some beaches like Mangle Halto, very popular with Arubans, with sandy beach; passing the airport and next the oil refinery south the town of San Nicolas, you will get to Rodger’s Beach. It is a bit of surreal place, to have a beach with shade huts calm waters, excellent for swimming and visited by many locals, but it is one of the best beaches outside Palm Beach area.
On the southern east tip of the island, south of San Nicholas and Rodger’s Beach, you will arrive to Baby Beach, it is very popular for families and snorkelers since it has one of the shallowest water on the island of no more 3 feet deep, it is surrounded by a coral reef wall, and that is visited by many tourist with plenty of fish and reef to see on the ocean portion of the wall. Amenities on many of the beaches south of Oranjestad are poor, with basic necessities; bring your own towels, sunscreen and gear. Where you have the Directory of Aruba Beaches:
Aruba Beaches - Most Beautiful:
- Palm Beach
Is the most important beach in Aruba, this is where the high rise section of the island is. It is the busiest with plenty of hotels, resorts, shops, restaurants and activities. Palm Beach has a great beach, with white sand that resort upkeep, light blue waters and some of the best amenities that you can find in Aruba. This is the place to be and to be seen. - Eagle Beach
Is located south of Palm and it is one of the most popular beaches for honeymooners, it is beach with calm light blue waters, making excellent for swimming. It has the famous Divi Divi tree that you see on many pictures, postal’s, and publicity from Aruba. It is a gorgeous beach to spend sometime and just relax. - Malmok Beach
Another beach that is great for snorkeling, often shadow by Arashi. It has almost the same characteristic with sandy beach, light blue water, shallow waves and plenty of reef and coral. Good place to know, but lacks some of the facilities that other beaches have. - Fishermens Hut
Is the Mecca of windsurfing, it is located on the north side of the island next to Palm beach, its shallow waters and constant wind makes it a perfect location to windsurf or kitesurf. This is the place that amateurs and professionals convey to show their expertise and abilities. - Arashi Beach
Is the best beach in Aruba for snorkeling only a few minutes away from Palm Beach. It has white sand, crystal and shallow waters, plenty of coral reef, fishes and calm water. Making the top snorkeling destination in Aruba. - Surfside Beach
Is the beach south of Oranjestad that has shallow waters great for family outing. It is popular beach and the sand and light blue waters make it a favorite to spend some time to the locals as well as tourist. Its location is phenomenal close to shops and restaurants making a popular location. - Rodgers Beach
Undervalue beach in Aruba, because it is located next Aruba’s refinery, it is not a popular place. Located on the southwest side of the island south of the airport is has a nice sandy beach with light and calm waters. Rodgers’s Beach is popular with locals and busy on the weekends, any other day it is deserted. - Manchebo Beach
The sister beach to Eagle Beach, it has some of the low rise hotels and resorts that Aruba has. It has a calm and tranquil waters with some facilities for visitors, the sand is white and it is a great beach for swimming. - Druif Beach
On the northwestern side of Aruba is one of the most undervalue beache in Aruba. It has great calm, blue waters excellent for swimming and is located in a quite section of busy roads that the north section of Aruba is.
- Boca Grandi
Great beach for windsurfers, it is recommended for more of expert windsurfers or kitesurfers. It is located on the south east portion of the island close to Saint Nicholas next to Aruba’s prison. Great beach for sports since most of the time is deserted. - Baby Beach
Is a great beach for snorkeling, located in the southern most part of Aruba is another popular beach location. Its reef wall makes a shallow beach perfect for family and kids. This outer wall gives snorkelers a place for them to see the reef, fish and underwater life in Baby Beach. - Dos Playas
Like Boca Prins, it is a beach that is great for a picnic, and for strong swimmers. The views are spectacular and the beach is beautiful, but with the water and wind, it is a rough beach to be in. - Boca Prins
It is a great place to picnic and enjoy the constant wind from that side of the island. It is a beautiful beach, but it is more for the more experience swimmers, it is not a family beach because of the rough waves that is has.
On the east side of the island, you will find Boca Grandi, Boca Prins, Dos Playa. These beaches provide a totally different picture that you may see on the western side of the island. Aruba beaches for windsurfing and the waters tend to be on the stronger side with constant wind, it is ideal for some water sports, because of their location, there is no amenities close by and access to some of them, like in the case of Boca Prins, will require an off-road vehicle. These Aruba Beaches are recommended to only the strong swimmers, it is not an ideal place for kids, but in general the constant breeze, makes it a perfect place to have a picnic. Still, you will have blue darker, more of the open sea water and not of the white sands, and crystal lighted waters that the eastern side of the island offers.
To the complete the whole island, you will have further north from Boca Grandi, Boca Prins, Dos Playa, the natural pool, as explained in another section of the WelcomeAruba, getting to the natural pools could be a difficult experience. The views are spectacular and short of breath taking, but again, being on the west side of the island, amenities are scare.
Not to mention out another Aruba beach, There is also the island that is operated by De Palm tour and it is named De Palm island, and it is located south of the airport and north of Rodger’s Beach, it is available to paying guest and it has plenty of facilities, including pool, snorkeling, restaurants and watesports. It is a private island without the necessity of being a guest in any of the resort on the island.
Aruba Beaches, what is not to like about them. You can find an endless affinity to them, you can be on white sandy beach, snorkeling on the north section or on the south section of the island; you can windsurfing on the west side on the island and being adventurous in seeing the natural Pool. Regardless, if you stay in a hotel with a private island, or just want to enjoy it with the locals, any little piece of any of the Aruba beaches, you will find the one that meets your needs and dreams, like many of us had on the island. Enjoy your Aruba Beaches !!!
Related Pages:
Return to top of Aruba Beaches.
Return to Aruba Vacations home page.
