Free Beaches in Aruba

[kapcruiser]

Can anyone give me information on free beaches in aruba? Also, are there any beaches that we can go to by taking a taxi to one on the hotels and using the beach there free of charge?:confused:

[smoothdancer]

All of the beaches are public in Aruba, and you can use any beach you want!! What you cannot do however, is use the accomodations that the hotels or timeshare's offer....IE...lounge chairs, ect...

 

There are two thoughts for you. The low rise section is quiet, and not as much activity on the beach, in my view much less people, and this is the part of the island I prefer.

 

You could also go to the high rise section, beach is more crowded, but all of the beach activity it there(sailing, ect)

 

You could also try baby beach, that is not in the hotel section at all.

 

Good Luck

[cruislovin]

We want to go to a beach in Aruba and use the hotels facilities - bar, restroom, etc. Is there no place available to do this?

[smoothdancer]

I may of mislead you. Certainly you can visit any of the bars and use restrooms at any of the hotels.... Most people vacationing on the island are doing just that... hotel bar hopping!!

 

I just meant at least in the low rise sections that I have stayed at, the beach and pool chairs are only for the guests... But really, not once have I even been asked for ID to prove I was staying at the hotel/timeshare

[Heidict]

We were at the beach in the high rise section and after about an hour on the chair a person from the hotel came over and asked us if we were guests of the hotel. We said no, got off of the chairs and laid our towels in front of the chairs.

 

I think he did it more because they were cleaning up and stacking the chairs (at was late in the day). I wonder they would have checked on us if it has been earlier in the day and more crowded.

 

We had no problem using their bathroom though.

[cruislovin]

We were at the beach in the high rise section and after about an hour on the chair a person from the hotel came over and asked us if we were guests of the hotel. We said no, got off of the chairs and laid our towels in front of the chairs.

 

I think he did it more because they were cleaning up and stacking the chairs (at was late in the day). I wonder they would have checked on us if it has been earlier in the day and more crowded.

 

We had no problem using their bathroom though.

Which hotel were you near? How was the beach?

[Arubalisa]

Excellent information--

 

Go to Palm Beach...it is up by the nice hotels. ...

great spot-- "between the Radisson and the Aruba Grand "

[cal101]

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Resort about 2 yrs ago and when we get off the Infinity in March I plan on taking the bus in that direction. It is almost at the end of hotel row, but right where a lot of activity is. You can take any number of boat excursions, snorkeling, glass bottom boats, etc from the dock to the left (when facing the water) of the hotel. The beach there and all along hotel row is beautiful and public. There were plenty of chairs by the hotel and no one asked us if we were guests or not. There is also a paved walkway that goes from the Holiday Inn for about a mile or more between the beach and right in front of a number of the high rise hotels. You can walk into any of the hotels and look around, use the rest rooms, have a drink at the bar, etc.

[cruislovin]

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Resort about 2 yrs ago and when we get off the Infinity in March I plan on taking the bus in that direction. It is almost at the end of hotel row, but right where a lot of activity is. You can take any number of boat excursions, snorkeling, glass bottom boats, etc from the dock to the left (when facing the water) of the hotel. The beach there and all along hotel row is beautiful and public. There were plenty of chairs by the hotel and no one asked us if we were guests or not. There is also a paved walkway that goes from the Holiday Inn for about a mile or more between the beach and right in front of a number of the high rise hotels. You can walk into any of the hotels and look around, use the rest rooms, have a drink at the bar, etc.

Thanks for the helpful info! Last time we were in Aruba we did a RCCL shore excursion that was lots of fun but we had too little time on that gorgeous beach. So we just want to do the beach this trip.

 

Which bus do you take? Where do you get the bus? What is the cost per person for the bus?

 

Any additional info is greatly appreciated!

[smoothdancer]

You may also want to consider a Taxi. they are not very costly in Aruba, and gets you there quicker!!. I myself prefer the low rise section, it is quiter and less crowded, but the high rise section is a real good choice for a one day, and other posters are correct...lots of activity there.

 

One of the most interesting things about Aruba beaches... They condition of the beach really does change from week to week, so advise on beach condition on this board can become dated very fast. This is especially true in the low rise section. On all of my stays at the low rise section I never experienced rocky beaches, while people just a few weeks after me, did... I always go to the Aruba board as my vacation is coming up to get updated info...

 

I just love Aruba. We switch from going on a cruise, to going to Aruba for the week, each year.

 

HAve a great time.

[cruislovin]

What would a cab cost for 4 people to the hotels? Is the cab charged by person or by cab? Are there cabs available all the time at the hotels to get back to the ship?

 

Does anyone know if there are snack bars near the hotels?

 

How about shopping near the hotels?

[smoothdancer]

Here is my favorite Aurba board. I think this might answer the taxi question for you.

 

http://www.aruba-bb.com

[Arubalisa]

Sample taxi fares:

 

http://www.arubatourism.com/gettingaround/taxifares.html

[Tania]

Many hotels, especially the timeshares, on Palm Beach have security guards who politely ask squatters to vacate loungers. Squatters are identified by the colour of their beach towels. Please understand that timeshare owners have paid for their loungers and are not simply renting them.

 

I returned from Aruba yesterday and for two weeks I watched frustrated cruisers unable to "squat"on a lounger and had to sit on the sand. Many weren't happy about it. The two holiday weeks are the busiest of the year and perhaps the resorts who usually do hire out loungers didn't do so because they barely had enough for their own clientele.

 

The saddest thing I observed again this year is the number of cruisers who actually leave their towels of the beach. How do they think the towels are going to get back to the ship??? This year I saw Princess, RCCL and Holland America towels left on Palm Beach. Maybe the cruise lines should start charging an automatic deposit for the towels as the resorts do.