New beach near cruise port

[cantstopingcruising]

I heard that either there is a new beach walking distance from the cruise port or they are building one.

 

Has anyone seen this?

 

Thanks

[crewsweeper]

We're there on the 16th, will try to remember to look.

[cantstopingcruising]

 

thank you!

[Hatteras51]

I have mentioned the new beach at Surfside Beach several times on this board. This is the section of Surfside that is by Splash Park Aruba.  They have umbrellas and chairs for rent, and a nice snack bar with food, drinks, and bathrooms.  This is a gorgeous beach. The only drawback is that it is close to the airport,  with planes coming and going.  I enjoy that part because the planes that are landing fly in low overhead, and it's fun to watch. 

 

There is an area of beach where the old Bushiri Hotel was torn down last year.  It is not far from port.  There has been rumors that it will be fixed up for day guests but I've also heard rumors that they want to put another hotel there. I'll be back in Aruba in February and I can check on this then.

[GeorgiaMomof4]

2 hours ago, Hatteras51 said:

I have mentioned the new beach at Surfside Beach several times on this board. This is the section of Surfside that is by Splash Park Aruba.  They have umbrellas and chairs for rent, and a nice snack bar with food, drinks, and bathrooms.  This is a gorgeous beach. The only drawback is that it is close to the airport,  with planes coming and going.  I enjoy that part because the planes that are landing fly in low overhead, and it's fun to watch. 

 

There is an area of beach where the old Bushiri Hotel was torn down last year.  It is not far from port.  There has been rumors that it will be fixed up for day guests but I've also heard rumors that they want to put another hotel there. I'll be back in Aruba in February and I can check on this then.

 

 

Hatteras51 - It seems you know quite a bit about Aruba which is great for me since our first trip there will be in February.  I'm

hoping you might be able to give me some suggestions on what to do.  There will be 2 couples going mid 50's down to 40.  My husband has some mobility issues and doesn't do well with a lot of walking.  Having never been to Aruba we would like to

do some sightseeing and definitely spend some time on at least one gorgeous beach (might want to do a little snorkeling too).

 

We've thought about renting a car and doing our own thing but I've always been wary of renting out of the US - thoughts on this?

 

Also thought about trying to find a driver for the day - someone who would take us where we wanted to go and stay close by so we could keep our things in his car, etc.

 

Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated.  I can also give you my email address if you would prefer to

answer through email.

 

Thanks!

 

Angela

 

[Hatteras51]

Hi Angela. I have a timeshare in Aruba and vacation there for several weeks every year.  My favorite tours are with a taxi driver named Bully. He has a nice van, and can take you all over the island. The price is $50.00 per hour, which is set by the government. He can probably drop you off at a beach and pick you up later, after the tour. He books up quickly,  so he might not be available. His email is bullytaxi79@hotmail.com. The email response will come to you under the name Amador Lacle. Be sure and check your spam because a lot of emails from Aruba go there.  If he is booked up, ask him if Ivan or Hubert can take you.

 

I've never rented a car at the port. I've only been to Aruba by ship once and didn't need one. We are renting a car from Jays  this year, and I think that they also rent at the port. They are very reliable. Good luck, and let me know what you decide. 

Edited January 8, 2019 by Hatteras51

[GeorgiaMomof4]

7 minutes ago, Hatteras51 said:

Hi Angela. I have a timeshare in Aruba and vacation there for several weeks every year.  My favorite tours are with a taxi driver named Bully. He has a nice van, and can take you all over the island. The price is $50.00 per hour, which is set by the government. He can probably drop you off at a beach and pick you up later, after the tour. He books up quickly,  so he might not be available. His email is bullytaxi79@hotmail.com. The email response will come to you under the name Amador Lacle. Be sure and check your spam because a lot of emails from Aruba go there.  If he is booked up, ask him if Ivan or Hubert can take you.

 

I've never rented a car at the port. I've only been to Aruba by ship once and didn't need one. We are renting a car from Jays  this year, and I think that they also rent at the port. They are very reliable. Good luck, and let me know what you decide. 

That's funny that you mention Bully.  I just emailed him - hopefully he will be available.  My email is agrant1965@gmail.com.  Will you email me?  I have some more questions about things to do in Aruba.

 

Thanks again!

 

[Tante Din]

16 hours ago, Hatteras51 said:

I have mentioned the new beach at Surfside Beach several times on this board. This is the section of Surfside that is by Splash Park Aruba.  They have umbrellas and chairs for rent, and a nice snack bar with food, drinks, and bathrooms.  This is a gorgeous beach. The only drawback is that it is close to the airport,  with planes coming and going.  I enjoy that part because the planes that are landing fly in low overhead, and it's fun to watch. 

 

There is an area of beach where the old Bushiri Hotel was torn down last year.  It is not far from port.  There has been rumors that it will be fixed up for day guests but I've also heard rumors that they want to put another hotel there. I'll be back in Aruba in February and I can check on this then.

Hi there.

Can you tell me more about this beach ?

I can´t find other comments about it.

How far ? How do I get there ? Do I have to rent loungers or can I just sit at a bar or something ?

We are going in April and still don´t know what to do.

 

Nadine

[Hatteras51]

10 hours ago, Tante Din said:

Hi there.

Can you tell me more about this beach ?

I can´t find other comments about it.

How far ? How do I get there ? Do I have to rent loungers or can I just sit at a bar or something ?

We are going in April and still don´t know what to do.

 

Nadine

Hi Nadine. Surfside is probably about a 10 minute taxi ride from the port.  I don't know of a bus that goes in that direction, since it is near the airport,  not the resort area.  There are two places to visit. One is Reflextions Beach Club on Surfside Beach,  and the other is on Surfside near Splash Park Aruba.  I'm not sure if you can just sit at the bar if you don't want to rent a lounger. If you'd like to do that, Reflextions Beach Club would probably be the place. If you are just looking for a place to hang out, and not lounge on the beach,  Bugaloe Beach Bar or Moomba Beach Bar in Palm Beach would probably be better for you.

[Ronaldo807]

On ‎1‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 9:23 AM, Hatteras51 said:

I have mentioned the new beach at Surfside Beach several times on this board. This is the section of Surfside that is by Splash Park Aruba.  They have umbrellas and chairs for rent, and a nice snack bar with food, drinks, and bathrooms.  This is a gorgeous beach. The only drawback is that it is close to the airport,  with planes coming and going.  I enjoy that part because the planes that are landing fly in low overhead, and it's fun to watch. 

 

There is an area of beach where the old Bushiri Hotel was torn down last year.  It is not far from port.  There has been rumors that it will be fixed up for day guests but I've also heard rumors that they want to put another hotel there. I'll be back in Aruba in February and I can check on this then.

Hi Hatteras,

 

How does this beach compare to Palm or Eagle?

[Hatteras51]

New beach isn't really the right way to describe Surfside. This was always a locals beach. Up until the last few years, there were no facilities at all. They now have shade, chairs, bathrooms, food and drinks here, but not many people go there, so it is usually quiet. The water is very calm. As I've mentioned before, it is close to the airport, away from the tourist areas, but close to the port. Palm Beach has calm water but is in the middle of the hustle and bustle. There's lots of restaurants,  bars, shopping, water sports.  Eagle Beach often has waves, and doesn't have shopping, or many bars or restaurants. That area is mostly timeshares and a few hotels,  but can get extremely busy when ships are in port.

Edited January 10, 2019 by Hatteras51

[Ronaldo807]

22 hours ago, Hatteras51 said:

New beach isn't really the right way to describe Surfside. This was always a locals beach. Up until the last few years, there were no facilities at all. They now have shade, chairs, bathrooms, food and drinks here, but not many people go there, so it is usually quiet. The water is very calm. As I've mentioned before, it is close to the airport, away from the tourist areas, but close to the port. Palm Beach has calm water but is in the middle of the hustle and bustle. There's lots of restaurants,  bars, shopping, water sports.  Eagle Beach often has waves, and doesn't have shopping, or many bars or restaurants. That area is mostly timeshares and a few hotels,  but can get extremely busy when ships are in port.

Thank you for that explanation. From a water perspective (color, clarity, depth, etc) how does it compare? I have read that Palm Beach, while calm, is not always very clear due to a lot of motorized traffic churning up the sand. I have read that Eagle can be a little more choppy at times.

[Hatteras51]

I've only walked along the beach in that area so I can't answer your questions. I can say that the water is a beautiful, Carribean blue, but so are the other beaches. 

[i retired in 2015]

Hi Have been interested about your comments on surfside beach, I will be in Aruba with my daughter in Feb, I am looking for a beach we can go to for about 3 hours, (she wants to sightsee after). I have been before and went to Palm Beach, we got a cab and were dropped off near the Hilton Hotel we rented loungers but it was very busy. So I was looking at Eagle beach but my daughter said she read to rent loungers were very expensive, as we wont be there all day, (on the beach).

a beach near the airport is ok I am a retired airline agent so used to planes, we will get a  cab so would be interested in going to surfside beach.

[Hatteras51]

6 minutes ago, i retired in 2015 said:

Hi Have been interested about your comments on surfside beach, I will be in Aruba with my daughter in Feb, I am looking for a beach we can go to for about 3 hours, (she wants to sightsee after). I have been before and went to Palm Beach, we got a cab and were dropped off near the Hilton Hotel we rented loungers but it was very busy. So I was looking at Eagle beach but my daughter said she read to rent loungers were very expensive, as we wont be there all day, (on the beach).

a beach near the airport is ok I am a retired airline agent so used to planes, we will get a  cab so would be interested in going to surfside beach.

I don't know the price of the loungers but they might be the same as Eagle and Palm. Make sure that you tell the driver that you want to go to Surfside Beach next to Splash Park Aruba.  Most of Surfside is still undeveloped, and he might drop you off at the wrong spot.

[Tante Din]

Thank you for all the tipps.

We are thinking about going to surfside.

Is it possible to walk there ?

We are a party of 6 and I saw that thay only allow 5 persons in a taxi.

Do we have to take to or is there another way to get there ?

Nadine

[Hatteras51]

People have tried to walk there and have reported back that they wish that they hadn't.  I wouldn't do it. It would be a long, hot walk. Surfside Beach runs along the entire walkway. Most of it is not developed, and I think that it would be very difficult to find the right place if you've never been there. The sidewalks downtown are very narrow and uneven, and the downtown traffic is bumper to bumper.  Just take 2 taxis. I don't know the fare, but it won't cost much.

[crewsweeper]

On 1/6/2019 at 12:27 AM, cantstopingcruising said:

I heard that either there is a new beach walking distance from the cruise port or they are building one.

 

Has anyone seen this?

 

Thanks

I saw a new beach/ condos/ resort being constructed near the port in Curacao, but saw nothing new in Aruba.  We were at the head of the pier and had the sunshine docked behind us so could not tell from our ship if anything was there on west side of port. 

Edited January 21, 2019 by crewsweeper