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Aruba and Curacao Beaches

vwgolf2
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vwgolf2

vwgolf2

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Our ship stops at Aruba and Curacao and we'd like to visit a beach in at least one of those places. Some look like that might be overcrowded and/or over-priced so I was wondering if anyone had personal recommendations? And is a shop excursion worth it or is it better to make your own way there?

 

Thanks! 

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teknoge3k

teknoge3k

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I'd say most cruisers go to Eagle Beach in Aruba since it's so close to port and they don't want to venture out. Baby Beach in Aruba is my favorite and we usually spend a few hours at Baby Beach. Baby Beach is the best beach on the island imho. We like to get away from the cruise crowds.

 

In Curacao, most cruiser go to Mambo Beach which is a manmade tourist trap. Excursions usually go there and Cas Abao. I'd recommend PortoMari or Jeremi Beach. Grote Knip is also nice! 

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thenexus2k

thenexus2k

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We found a great beach by accident in Aruba. Took at 15 minute cab ride out to the hard rock cafe and walked from there, across the street to the Hilton. Just kind of walked through the lobby (it's open air) and out on to the beach. One of the best beaches I have ever been to. Sand was perfect. Water was clear, calm and warm. 

Edited by thenexus2k
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TrqoisWtrs

TrqoisWtrs

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In Curacao, we booked a private ride with Natasja.  We told her we wanted to snorkel at Playa Lagun which has a nice beach too.  She picked us up at the port and gave us a bit of a tour, then dropped us off for snorkeling.  There is a dive shop and restaurant there too.  Playa Lagun is about 45 min from the port so we set a time for her to come back and pick us up.   Still had time to walk around the port and go over to the floating bridge.  She was great; just send her an email for rates.

 

https://dushitaxi.weebly.com/

 

You can rent gear at the dive shop if needed.  

https://www.bahia-apartments.com/diving

 

Edited by cruisin*tigger
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jvteach77

jvteach77

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Check out Grote Knip in Curacao.  Smaller beach, few services, but beautiful and also has a ledge about 15 feet above the water you can jump off of into about 10ft of water.  Water was crystal clear.  You'll take a taxi to get to it.  

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ledges1 Great Review Rare

ledges1

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If you want to try something that is not expensive. Check out Arubus.com. This is the public transportation in Aruba. The terminal is across the street from the cruise port. For $5 you can get a round trip ticket from your stopping point; such as Eagle Beach. The buses  are clean and the ride is bumpy. My daughter and I took the bus to the last stop just below the California Lighthouse. There is a beach at that stop but we did not go to the beach. We had to get off the bus and get back on for our round trip. We could have stayed for several hours on the beach and caught another bus later. All for $5 per person. That is a lot cheaper than a cab. There are other stops along Eagle Beach also. Check out the website. The cost is a lot less than an excursion and you can stay as long as you want.

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3smithboys

3smithboys

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This isn’t exactly what you asked for, however, when we went on our A, B, C cruise, we rented an UTV through Arubiana in Aruba and went all over the island. We were able to go to different beaches as well as see the desert side too. It was amazing. In Curaçao, we rented a car though Advance Car Rental… the guy who helped us is called Celestino and he’s amazing to deal with. You get a gps pre programmed with spots to visit and a cell phone in case of emergencies. We brought our own snorkeling gear to both islands and had the best snorkeling experiences ever. We saw more turtles than we’ve ever seen before!
 

If you are going to Bonaire, I have a great recommendation for a private excursion. it might be the best excursion we’ve ever been on. 

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tha sista

tha sista

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13 minutes ago, 3smithboys said:

This isn’t exactly what you asked for, however, when we went on our A, B, C cruise, we rented an UTV through Arubiana in Aruba and went all over the island. We were able to go to different beaches as well as see the desert side too. It was amazing. In Curaçao, we rented a car though Advance Car Rental… the guy who helped us is called Celestino and he’s amazing to deal with. You get a gps pre programmed with spots to visit and a cell phone in case of emergencies. We brought our own snorkeling gear to both islands and had the best snorkeling experiences ever. We saw more turtles than we’ve ever seen before!
 

If you are going to Bonaire, I have a great recommendation for a private excursion. it might be the best excursion we’ve ever been on. 

Let’s hear about the Bonaire excursion. I’m heading back there this year 

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3smithboys

3smithboys

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12 minutes ago, tha sista said:

Let’s hear about the Bonaire excursion. I’m heading back there this year 

We went snorkeling with Woodwind. They don’t advertise, so you need to go to their website https://www.woodwindbonaire.com/

I believe we were out there for 5 hours and had 3 snorkel stops. They have all equipment including masks with prescriptions (that was great- never had that before) wetsuits, swim shirts, etc. They also served drinks & lunch. The guides were extremely knowledgeable & they only take out a small group. 

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tha sista

tha sista

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3 minutes ago, 3smithboys said:

We went snorkeling with Woodwind. They don’t advertise, so you need to go to their website https://www.woodwindbonaire.com/

I believe we were out there for 5 hours and had 3 snorkel stops. They have all equipment including masks with prescriptions (that was great- never had that before) wetsuits, swim shirts, etc. They also served drinks & lunch. The guides were extremely knowledgeable & they only take out a small group. 

Thanks for the info. I’ll file that away!

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mdin Great Review Rare

mdin

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16 hours ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

we did a day pass at Barcelo. It was cheaper than the RIU right up the beach.

How was Barcelo? I was thinking about going there with my family on our New Years cruise.

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