Aruba Beaches
Arashi Beach
Located on northwestern end of the island at the edge of a lovely residential area, it skirts a barren lunar landscape and the winding road that leads up to the majestic California Lighthouse. This is a quiet narrow stretch of beach with makeshift huts and a large parking area. Tourists wishing to mix with the locals should explore this beach, particularly on weekends and holidays. The beach boasts gentle currents, shallow water and abundant marine life, making it a perfect for snorkeling.
Malmok Beach
This narrow stretch of beach is home to sprawling homes and modest windsurfing residences, just north of Palm Beach. its shallow clear waters make it a popular snorkeling spot. Here catamarans and sailboats stop for a daytime snorkeling stop just off the shoreline. Reefs and sunken wrecks nearby afford excellent diving. Boca Catalina is a small, secluded bay accessible by steps, perfect for a private swim.
Hadicurari Beach
A rocky beach strip just south of Malmok Beach very popular with windsurfers kitesurfers. Rare that you’ll find a sunny day not packed with them as far as the eye can see. Once home to the island’s fishermen (hence the nickname “Fisherman’s Huts”), this small beach area is also popular for surfing enthusiasts and sporting events throughout the year.
Palm Beach
This renowned two-mile, postcard beach located on the southern coast is home to glamorous resort hotels, time-share condos, water sports concessions, beach bars, restaurants and shops. Tradewinds that blow southeast calm the waters for wading, floating and swimming. Since it is the most popular beach, tourists should reserve a palapas for shaded seating a day before you plan to beach – you’ll thank yourself for getting a prime location. There’s a small desert garden between the two Marriott timeshare resorts where iguanas are fed everyday at 10 am, bring your camera. A walk along the coast at dawn or sunset is perfect for exercise and chilling out. It doesn’t take much to calmly lose your troubles while taking in magnificent sunsets on the horizon, then selecting from one of many candle-lit dinner spots. Palm Beach has largest collection of watersports activities on Aruba.
Eagle Beach
Eagle Beach is a popular public area fringing the main road, affording clear, sparkling seas, ample parking, shaded picnic areas, some huts, and a variety of motorized water sports. Several hotels are nearby and just across the road; some provide cabanas and lounges for their guests. During Easter week, tents dot the coastline as local families enjoy the tradition of camping out.
Manchebo Beach
Just south of Eagle Beach, this somewhat private area is named after a famous Arawak Indian chief who lived on the island hundreds of years ago. This very wide stretch of flat beach is dotted with swaying palms and the occasional beach lounge. Jutting out at the island’s most western point, this location has some rough angry surf resulting from converging currents. That makes it popular with body surfers.
Druif Beach
South of Manchebo Beach, a narrow oval-shaped stretch of sand is home to the low-rise resorts close to relatively calm Caribbean waters and not far from downtown Oranjestad. This beach is thought to be a relaxing spot for sunning and socializing by adults.
Mangel Halto Beach
Located on the southeast coast just south of the Spanish Lagoon, this spot is Aruba perfect for snorkeling in calm, shallow waters rich with marine that find shelter among the mangroves. Its white powdery sand, huts for shade and secluded location make it popular for private picnics. Some people even scuba dive from the shore because you can walk out to the edge of the reef and see plenty of blue tang, parrotfish, yellowtail snapper, sponges, and anemones. The reef plunges to over 100 feet 110’ where you can octopi, morays and barracuda as well.
Baby Beach
Local legend has it that many babies were conceived here at the southeastern end of the island, this area was once known as “The Colony” because executives and their families lived in a gated community when the Lago Refinery operated. Upon entry, you see a refreshment stand and huts where a sandy half-moon sandy expanse beach progresses towards a lagoon. The waters are shallow, but snorkelers can see coral and tropical fish without much effort. People who are not good swimmers should be careful not to snorkel out too far, because of the currents. Nearby Rodgers Beach attracts fishermen who anchor their boats after unloading the day’s catch.
Watersports
Palm Beach has the largest collection of water sports vendors on the island. You can rent/ride snorkel gear, banana towables, small towables, jetskis, parasail, windsurf boards, kitesurf boards and charter day boats to tour around the island.
Aruba is considered a watersports heaven because constant 15-knot trade winds, along with the variety of flat-water locations and challenging wave conditions attract windsurfers and kitesurfers from around the globe. Advanced students and experts have a choice of prime locations along the northern and southeastern coasts. Every year in June, Aruba hosts the Hi-Winds Amateur World Challenge windsurfing tournament. This 10-day competition attracts professional windsurfers and hundreds of amateurs of all stripes. Not a pro surfer? No problem. Aruba also has plenty of places to break in as a novice.
WEBSITE: http://www.aruba-hiwinds.org
