Aruba – a Beach Lover’s Paradise
If you’ve landed on this blog post, chances are you are a beach lover and Aruba does not disappoint with its beautiful white sands and crystal clear turquoise waters. This is definitely the place if you love to explore underwater as Aruba offers excellent SCUBA and snorkeling experiences. In fact, there was no shortage of plenty of water activities including jet skis, banana boats, sunset cruises and parasailing just to name a few.
To be honest, I did not do a lot of planning. I noticed I had a cluster of days off from work and I took that opportunity to find a relatively decent-priced last-minute roundtrip flight to Oranjestad (United Airlines from IAD to AUA) and enjoy my time off on the sand instead of the swampy humidity of my hometown. Luckily, I didn’t need to do too much planning. Queen Beatrix Airport (AUA) was very easy to navigate and I had no trouble finding a taxi from the airport to my hotel. I didn’t pre-book any excursions but many options were available both at my hotel and in the downtown area and on the beach.
Highlights included a visit to Renaissance Island’s Flamingo Beach and a day at Eagle Beach.
In order to visit Flamingo Beach, you must be a registered guest at the Renaissance Aruba Hotel (also known as Wind Creek). I understand there are some day passes offered but they are subject to availability based on the capacity of the hotel. The only guaranteed access is to be a guest of the hotel. There are two sites which are near each other: Ocean Suites Tower and Marina Tower. Neither are high rises so I’m not sure why they are called “towers”. I decided to stay at the Ocean Suites Tower which is more family friendly and I was upgraded to an Ocean Front View 1-bedroom suite because of my Bon Voyage status. It’s important to note that Ocean Suites is closer to the ocean which is a rocky beach. There is a lagoon on site but you won’t be tackling any waves. The Marina Tower is located across the street and is an adults-only facility which overlooks a heavily-crossed road bridge and the marina. It’s also where the spa and fitness center are located. Personally, I enjoyed my stay at Ocean Suites but if you’re into the party vibes, a visit to the Marina Towers Infinity Pool and nearby bar is it. You do have access to both sites whether no matter which site you choose.
Access to Flamingo Beach is by water taxi. You will need to scan your room key before boarding. There are 2 beaches on Renaissance Island: Flamingo Beach and Iguana Beach. It’s important to note that Flamingo Beach is an adults-only beach after 10am. In order to prevent disturbing the resident flamingos, there is a rule in place that children can only visit for a short while in the morning. The flamingos were not really interested in the humans and even though there is food available to purchase for them, I noticed they weren’t really interested. The area is well maintained but the “beach” is also more of a man-made lagoon. I definitely enjoy listening to the sounds of waves crashing softly into the sand which led me to Eagle Beach.
Eagle Beach is located just a couple of miles down the road from Renaissance Aruba. It cost me US$14 to take a 10-minute taxi ride. There are huts/palapas available if you get there early enough. Palapas are free for anyone to use. It is of note that hotels will place their chairs/loungers there to reserve them for their guests. I rented a chair which cost me US$10 and enjoyed the shade under my palapa. There was a food truck and an ice cream truck located in the parking lot so it was not difficult to find snacks. The beach here is clean and water is calm which just minimal waves. I felt that most of the waves came from the wake of the jet skis passing by. There are plenty of water activities available on this beach and there was no need to make a reservation. There’s a reason that this beach ranks high on the world’s beach beaches list. 10/10 for me!