Beach snorkeling - Curacao and Aruba?

[pakarinen]

Is there good beach snorkeling near the docks on Curacao or Aruba or should we plan on taking a bus or taxi somewhere? I'm planning on bringing my own gear.

 

If so, is there shade anywhere on the beach(es)? My fiancee has very fair skin and needs to watch her sun exposure.

 

Thanks!

[6rugrats]

IMO, snorkeling is really not good off the beach anywhere in Aruba. Better in Curacao. You may want to visit the Ports of Call board on this site and read through the Caribbean boards for specific suggestions.

[cb at sea]

Most beaches have trees of some sort boardering the sand....shade is there! And, most public beaches have umbrella rentals, too.

 

She can still get sun in the shade, so make sure she wears plenty of sunscreen!

[Hlitner]

Yes, there is decent beach snorkeling on both islands but you really need to know where to go. On Aruba there are only two areas generally used from snorkeling (from a beach). One, used by some cruise line tours, is Baby Beach. Personally, we are not big fans of Baby Beach since its usually too crowded and whatever coral there used to be at that location has long been picked apart by ignorant tourists. Our favorite snorkel area in Aruba is off of Arashi Beach. This beach is located out past Palm Beach relatively close to the Light House and can be reached by local bus (the bus station is only a block from the cruise port). One problem with Arashi is that there are no facilities so make sure to do a rest room stop before the trip and take a bottle of water. Once on Arashi you need to swim to the left of the beach and you will probably see some snorkel tour boats out at the reef. It does involve swimming some distance from the beach but this should not be a problem for experienced snorkelers. As to Curacao there are quite a few decent snorkel beaches. Our favorite is the remote Jeremi Beach which is about 20 miles from town (we rent a car). The nice thing about Jeremi is that you will seldom see any cruise ship passengers at that beach (its too far for most tours) although you might see an ocassional small group of SCUBA divers since a nearby dive shop often uses this beach for its classes.

 

Hank

[babygurl200]

This has been helpful.

[TravlGrl]

Another vote for Arashi Beach on Aruba. This is hands down our favorite beach off of Aruba. The fact that there are no facilities here is a HUGE plus, IMHO, as it keeps most of the tourists away...and was the primary reason we first sought out Arashi Beach during our 13-day stay on Aruba. They DO have palapas (with attached round tables) spread out along the beach, but that's it.

 

My recommendation is to pack yourself some food (perhaps pick up a little cooler), grab the bus (buses in Aruba are inexpensive and safe), and head to Arashi. This beach is off the beaten path, in the middle of a residential area near the Lighthouse. If you get there early enough (before 10am) you should be able to grab a palapa. After that, the palapas may be taken but there is ample space to lay down towels.

 

The best snorkeling is between Malmok and Arashi, so as the previous poster said, you'll want to float/swim south of Arashi to the coral rocks where you'll see fish.

 

Have fun!

[Hlitner]

Another vote for Arashi Beach on Aruba. This is hands down our favorite beach off of Aruba. The fact that there are no facilities here is a HUGE plus, IMHO, as it keeps most of the tourists away...and was the primary reason we first sought out Arashi Beach during our 13-day stay on Aruba. They DO have palapas (with attached round tables) spread out along the beach, but that's it.

 

My recommendation is to pack yourself some food (perhaps pick up a little cooler), grab the bus (buses in Aruba are inexpensive and safe), and head to Arashi. This beach is off the beaten path, in the middle of a residential area near the Lighthouse. If you get there early enough (before 10am) you should be able to grab a palapa. After that, the palapas may be taken but there is ample space to lay down towels.

 

The best snorkeling is between Malmok and Arashi, so as the previous poster said, you'll want to float/swim south of Arashi to the coral rocks where you'll see fish.

 

Have fun!

 

We just wish they would at, the very least, put a "porta poti" in the parking area :) We should also make it clear that its a pretty long swim from the beach to the reef area. The swim is not difficult for anyone comfortable moving around the water in fins, but we are talking about more then 10 minutes from the beach. The currents in this area are no an issue, which is why we love it. DW, who is not a strong swimmer, has actually stayed in the water for about 1 1/2 hours in this area.

 

Hank