Palm Beach

[Cigar Dude]

Apparently Palm Beach is the place to go.

 

That being said is there anywhere in particular that is better than others?

 

We love a beautiful, quiet beach with the availability of drinks and food.

 

From the ship is it better to take a cab or bus? What is the cost of each?

 

Are there any special shopping spots that we should not miss?

 

We'll probably spend the day on the beach but want to keep my options open.

 

Thanks for the help!

[Arubalisa]

Search the forum for info on both Palm beach and Eagle beach. Palm beach is more active. Both have places to eat and drink.

[MDSue]

I spent a week at Palm Beach recently and loved every minute of it. I've also traveled there for the day when on a cruise. We took the bus- it cost $2.30 cents and took less than 30 minutes to get there. It took about an hour to get back because we stopped over a dozen times. I'm not sure if some buses make less stops or they are all the same. If you want to save time, the taxi fare is $14.

 

There are nice hotels that line the beach, so they tend to have plenty of people for the entire length where I walked. I'm not sure the best place to go for a secluded area, but it definitely wouldn't be in front of the resort area.

 

We stayed by the De Palm Pier, which had a nice bar/restaurant- a nice place to hang out. There are plenty of options up and down the beach for water sports rentals, or chair and umbrella rentals.

 

The shopping is mostly across the strret from the beach. They have quite a few shopping areas. I walked down by Playa Linda resort where they have a lot of nice shops (my favorite area for shopping).

 

Out of everything you mentioned, I think the only thing you might be missing is the "quiet" part. I never felt crowded, but the fact that resorts line the beach means there are going to be plenty of people. I did notice a park like area that looked like a public beach on my walks up the beach. From the De Palm Pier, I walked up to the left for a little bit to get there. Unfortunately, I have no idea the name of the beach to tell you how to get there. It would be near the beginning on Palm Beach coming from the port area.

I never went as far as the end of Palm Beach on the other side of the resort areas to see what was up that way. I'm sure if you ask some of the locals when you get there, you'll get some suggestiosn (that is, if you don't find the answers here).

 

Enjoy. I love the area, myself.

[Cigar Dude]

Thank you MDSue. The "quiet" part is not literally "quiet", just a nice place where we can enjoy the beautiful water and walk the beach. Sounds like it will work perfectly!

[tartan cruiser]

Just back from Aruba last week and went to DePalm Pier on Palm Beach. Took the bus for $2.30 pp and told the driver we wanted to get off at a nice beach. Locals on the bus told us Palm Beach was the place to go. About 25 cruisers on the bus and we all got off at the Palm Beach stop. Walked down a path between the Radisson and Rui hotels. Very beautiful beach. Many vendors on the beach renting chairs and umbrellas. Also floats, jet ski etc. The vendor in front of the Radisson wanted $10 for a chaise and $15 for an umbrella, the vendor to the left in front of the Rui was only $5 for a chaise and an umbrella wasn't needed because there was plenty of shade under the palm trees. The only place you couldn't sit was under the palapas. Those were for the hotel guests. There was a bar and restaurant, a gift shop and dunkin donut shop on the pier. A can of Coke or bottle of water was $2. Beach toys, pails, etc. were also available for purchase for the kids. Restrooms were $.50. We were waiting for the bus back to the pier when a tour bus dropped off some people and told us to hop on and he would take us back to the pier. Very nice of him and very nice narration on

the way back. He didn't want any money but we gave him our bus fare plus a little extra as a tip. Had the choice of being dropped off in the shopping area or at the ship. Very good experience and very easy to find the bus.

[Hlitner]

Palm Beach is the place to go? Hmmm. Having spent a few vacations on the island we have somehow managed to avoid going to "the place to go." In fact, our first visit to Palm Beach (many years ago on a cruise stop) was our last visit to Palm Beach :). For a more quiet beach that is somewhat of a compromise between the overbuilt overcrowded Palm and the quiet Arashi we would recommend Eagle.

 

Hank

[tartan cruiser]

1st time looking for a beach on our own in Aruba and taking the bus. Just trying to relate our experience. I'm not saying this is"the place to go", that is what the locals told us. I felt they were trying to be helpful and friendly and told us exactly where to get off the bus. Had never been to Palm or Eagle beach before. Last time we had a car and went to Baby Beach. Some people must like this beach because as you say it is crowded. That doesn't necessarily make it bad IMHO. Different strokes for different folks.Just trying to help others make up their own minds. Whatever beach you choose I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Aruba is beautiful. As they say "One Happy Island".

[MDSue]

1st time looking for a beach on our own in Aruba and taking the bus. Just trying to relate our experience. I'm not saying this is"the place to go", that is what the locals told us. I felt they were trying to be helpful and friendly and told us exactly where to get off the bus. Had never been to Palm or Eagle beach before. Last time we had a car and went to Baby Beach. Some people must like this beach because as you say it is crowded. That doesn't necessarily make it bad IMHO. Different strokes for different folks.Just trying to help others make up their own minds. Whatever beach you choose I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Aruba is beautiful. As they say "One Happy Island".

I loved it because there was lots to do and see, and the beaches were clean and nice. There were plenty of people there, but I never felt as if we were sitting on top of each other.

I haven't tried any of the quieter beaches in Aruba, but I can only imagine that they are nice, also. I think it's just a matter of whether you are just looking for a beach, or whether you want a beach with lunch, shopping, and water sports options. I spent a week at Palm Beach, and never got bored or felt the need to go anywhere else- I must admit a scenic beach with snorkel options sounds enticing, but I'm headed back to Palm Beach at the end of the month because my sister wants to go back and see some of the places I told her about from my last visit.

[Arubalisa]

Locals direct tourists to Palm Beach due to the fact that it has the widest variety of things to do and EASY access to food, beverages and restrooms. Also, unless there is a storm in the area, it is the one beach which is consistently calm with no waves.

 

Imo, all beaches in Aruba are beautiful however each has its own pluses and minuses.

 

Eagle Beach is quieter but has little in the way of activities which is terrific if you wish to vegetate on the beach all day, however there are only a few hotels which offer food, beverage and restrooms.

 

Arashi Beach can have waves and has NO facilities.

 

Druif Beach can have waves and be rocky and has no facilities, bordered by two all inclusive only resorts.

 

Rogers Beach is my personal favorite for tranquility but there are no facilities and many complain about the view of the "stacks" from the oil refinery to the north. No smell though from the refinery since the wind normally blows opposite the beach.

Baby Beach though calm and picturesque with the exception of a distant view of the refinery, for facilities has a porto-potty and food truck/shack. Some complain the water is too shallow.

 

On the windward side, Boca Prins and Dos Playa are the most popular and better known beaches.

Bachelors Beach and Boca Grande on the windward coast as well, are some of the most tranquil and isolated spots on the island.

There is no swimming on the windward side of the island due to treacherous currents.

You can get lost on Boca Grande due to its size, but there are no facilities there or at Bachelor's Beach.

[MDSue]

Great review of all the beaches-ArubaLisa- Thanks!

[Arubalisa]

Eagle Beach is quieter but has little in the way of activities which is terrific if you wish to vegetate on the beach all day, however there are only a few hotels which offer food, beverage and restrooms.

Thanks Sue :)

 

I did forget one thing about Eagle Beach. It too like Druif Beach can have some waves. In our 20+ visits to the island we find that there is a great tendency for waves on beaches OTHER than Palm Beach during the winter. The photo below of Eagle Beach, the water is calm :)

The tables set up on the beach are for dinner at Passions at the Amsterdam Manor. The area where all of the people are in the water are spill over from La Cabana resort next door to the Amsterdam Manor.

[Cigar Dude]

Arubalisa,

 

You talk about several nice beaches on Eagle Beach but you say there are no facilities on most. What do you do when nature calls? Or when you get hungry? Where do you go???

 

Do the all inclusive resorts you spoke of adjacent to one of the beaches allow you to use their facilities?

[Hatteras51]

I vacation on Eagle Beach every year. I just spent two weeks there last month. There are only a few places that cruisers can get a chair and shade, and use facilities. They are at Amsterdam Manor, and MVC. They also have food. There is another vendor renting a small number of chairs on Eagle Beach, right in between them, but no shade or facilities. Most everything else in that area is for resort guests, only. There are a few places where anyone can eat, and several that are only for resort guests. I watched many, many cruisers walk up and down the beach nearly every day, trying to find a place to sit. Several times, they stopped at my resort, sat down in a chair, and were run off by security. My suggestion is, if you are going to Eagle Beach, have a plan. Lots of people get off the bus at Eagle Beach, and spend their day roaming around, trying to find a place. Amsterdam Manor and MVC are based on availability only. You can sit on any beach on the sand, but not in the chairs or under the palapas. Palm Beach will probably have more available options, which is why locals recommend it so much. I'm sure if you are paying to use one of the all inclusives, you can use their facilities.

[Arubalisa]

I could not have said it any better! :)

My suggestion is, if you are going to Eagle Beach, have a plan. Lots of people get off the bus at Eagle Beach, and spend their day roaming around, trying to find a place. Amsterdam Manor and MVC are based on availability only.

...always have a plan "B" :)

 

I'm sure if you are paying to use one of the all inclusives, you can use their facilities.

Absolutely