Where to stay · Aruba
Where to stay in Aruba
7 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Aruba Paradise Photos, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Palm Beach. High-rise resorts, watersports piers and the island's densest strip of bars and restaurants. Best alternatives — budget: Oranjestad.
Key facts
- First visit
- Palm Beach
- Families
- Palm Beach
- Budget
- Oranjestad
- Nightlife
- Palm Beach
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Palm Beach | High-rise resorts, watersports piers and the island's densest strip of bars and restaurants |
| Families | Palm Beach | High-rise resorts, watersports piers and the island's densest strip of bars and restaurants |
| Couples | Eagle Beach | Low-rise resorts behind one of the widest beaches in the Caribbean |
| Budget | Oranjestad | The capital's pastel Dutch-style buildings, cruise terminal and harbour-front shops |
| Luxury | Eagle Beach | Low-rise resorts behind one of the widest beaches in the Caribbean |
| Nightlife | Palm Beach | High-rise resorts, watersports piers and the island's densest strip of bars and restaurants |
| Food lovers | Savaneta | Old fishing village on the south coast with mangrove lagoons and the Zeerovers fish shack |
| Shopping | Oranjestad | The capital's pastel Dutch-style buildings, cruise terminal and harbour-front shops |
| Quiet stays | Eagle Beach | Low-rise resorts behind one of the widest beaches in the Caribbean |
| Beach | Palm Beach | High-rise resorts, watersports piers and the island's densest strip of bars and restaurants |
Aruba neighbourhoods in detail
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, families, nightlife and beach
Palm Beach
Palm Beach is a 3 km run of calm, shallow water backed by the big high-rise resorts and casinos. Wooden piers launch catamaran cruises, parasailing and jet-ski trips, and the parallel J.E. Irausquin Boulevard is lined with restaurants, shops and malls. It is the most convenient base for first-timers and families who want everything within walking distance, though the beach is busy and loungers are packed close together.
- Good
- Walk to dozens of restaurants and bars; Calm water for swimming; Watersports leave from the beach
- Watch out
- Crowded beach in high season; Expensive hotels and dining; Little local character
- Nearby
- Butterfly Farm, Bubali Bird Sanctuary, Malmok, Noord
$$$$ · Best for couples, quiet stays, beach and luxury
Eagle Beach
Eagle Beach is a wide, soft white beach south of Palm Beach, shaded in places by the twisted fofoti trees that appear in many Aruba photographs. The hotels here are mostly low-rise and set back across the road, so the sand feels open and calmer than Palm Beach. Sea turtles nest on this stretch, and parts of the beach are roped off during the nesting season.
- Good
- Spacious beach with room to spread out; Quieter than Palm Beach; Ten minutes by car from Oranjestad
- Watch out
- Fewer restaurants within walking distance; Little natural shade away from the palapas
- Nearby
- Fofoti trees, Oranjestad, Palm Beach
$$$ · Best for budget, shopping and culture
Oranjestad
Aruba's capital has the cruise port, the island's main bus terminal and a harbourfront of shops, marina restaurants and the pastel gabled buildings along Main Street (Caya G.F. Betico Croes). Fort Zoutman, built in 1798, houses the historical museum, and the National Archaeological Museum is a few blocks inland. Hotels here are fewer and better value, and the Renaissance hotel's private island is reached by boat from its lobby.
- Good
- Close to the airport; Shops, museums and harbour restaurants; Good bus links along the coast
- Watch out
- Busy when several cruise ships are in; Town beaches are smaller than Eagle or Palm Beach
- Nearby
- Fort Zoutman, National Archaeological Museum Aruba, Renaissance Island, Surfside Beach
$$ · Best for budget, families and quiet stays
Noord
Noord spreads inland behind the hotel strip and is where many villas, vacation apartments and smaller guesthouses are found. It is five to ten minutes by car from Palm Beach and has large supermarkets, local snack bars and the yellow Alto Vista Chapel on its northern edge. It suits longer stays and self-catering families, but a car is close to essential.
- Good
- Lower prices than beachfront hotels; Supermarkets for self-catering; Quiet residential streets
- Watch out
- Not on the beach; A car is needed for most trips
- Nearby
- Alto Vista Chapel, Palm Beach, Philip's Animal Garden
$$$ · Best for couples, quiet stays and beach
Malmok and Arashi
North of Palm Beach the coast turns rocky, with small sandy coves at Boca Catalina, Malmok and Arashi that are among the island's most popular snorkelling spots. The area is mostly private villas and a few boutique places, and it ends at the California Lighthouse and the sand dunes of the island's northwest tip. Kitesurfers gather near Fisherman's Huts at Hadicurari.
- Good
- Calm snorkelling straight from the shore; Beautiful sunsets; Short drive to Palm Beach restaurants
- Watch out
- Few hotels, mostly villas; Little shade on the beaches
- Nearby
- California Lighthouse, Boca Catalina, Arashi Beach, Hadicurari
$$ · Best for quiet stays, food lovers and couples
Savaneta
Savaneta was Aruba's first capital and remains a quiet stretch of fishing piers, small guesthouses and waterfront homes on the southeast coast. Zeerovers, a dockside fish fry, is one of the island's best-loved local places to eat, and the Mangel Halto mangroves just to the west have sheltered snorkelling and kayaking. It is about 20 minutes from the airport and 30 minutes from Palm Beach.
- Good
- Local atmosphere away from the resorts; Sheltered water for snorkelling and kayaking; Fresh fish straight off the boats
- Watch out
- Far from nightlife and big beaches; Few places to stay
- Nearby
- Mangel Halto, Zeerovers, Pos Chiquito, De Palm Island
$ · Best for culture and budget
San Nicolas
Aruba's second town grew around the oil refinery at its southern edge and is now known for dozens of large murals painted during the island's annual art fair. It has a different, more Caribbean feel from Oranjestad, with small bars and snack shops, and it is the gateway to Baby Beach and Rodgers Beach at the island's southeastern tip.
- Good
- Street art and local character; Close to Baby Beach; Inexpensive food
- Watch out
- Very few hotels; About 40 minutes from the main resort area
- Nearby
- Baby Beach, Rodgers Beach, Seroe Colorado
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Palm Beach | $$$$ | Butterfly Farm, Bubali Bird Sanctuary, Malmok, Noord |
| Eagle Beach | $$$$ | Fofoti trees, Oranjestad, Palm Beach |
| Oranjestad | $$$ | Fort Zoutman, National Archaeological Museum Aruba, Renaissance Island, Surfside Beach |
| Noord | $$ | Alto Vista Chapel, Palm Beach, Philip's Animal Garden |
| Malmok and Arashi | $$$ | California Lighthouse, Boca Catalina, Arashi Beach, Hadicurari |
| Savaneta | $$ | Mangel Halto, Zeerovers, Pos Chiquito, De Palm Island |
| San Nicolas | $ | Baby Beach, Rodgers Beach, Seroe Colorado |
Getting to your hotel
Queen Beatrix International Airport is on the south coast about 4 km from Oranjestad. Taxis reach Eagle Beach in about 15–20 minutes and Palm Beach in about 20–25 minutes; most hotels can also arrange transfers.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Aruba for first-time visitors?
Palm Beach. Palm Beach is a 3 km run of calm, shallow water backed by the big high-rise resorts and casinos.
+Where should families stay in Aruba?
Palm Beach: Walk to dozens of restaurants and bars.
+Which area of Aruba is best for a budget stay?
Oranjestad ($$$): The capital's pastel Dutch-style buildings, cruise terminal and harbour-front shops.