I want to take the bus to a non crowded beach. Possible snorkle.

[Harley-Davidson_Family]

I've read what I could about beaches and I hesitate to ask another beach question but i really just want to go to a beautiful non crowded beach that I can snorkle at. I dont care about beach chairs, or drinks, or food. I just want to enjoy the beach with out paying $40 pp to be thrown on a crowded beach. I was ready to book the RCCL excursion but after reading a review of it, it seems more of a tour than beach. I dont care to see the island just swim and relax and maybe see a fish or two.

[Arubalisa]

The most popular beaches all have plain white sandy bottoms so nothing to see snorkeling.

 

There is no snorkeling within walking distance of the cruise terminal.

 

All below are accessible by public bus, with Boca Catalina, Catalina Cove and Arashi beach being the furthest from the port. Take the public bus and ask the bus driver to drop you off wherever you wish. It will literally be a few foot steps onto the beach. If you are at Boca Catalina the bus runs "about" every hour. It is all dependent upon how many stops the bus makes along the way. Keep an eye out for it heading north and you can gather your things and be ready after it goes up and turns around at Arashi.

 

North of Palm Beach, by bus or taxi, there is a small beach at Boca Catalina which is perfect for swimming and snorkeling. There are a few shade palapas here but no restroom facilities. There are no "real" rest room facilities at all along the coast at either BC, Catalina Cove or Arashi. It is a beautiful white sand beach if only to get away from the hubbub of Palm and Eagle Beaches.

 

Below is Arashi Beach on a day with a few waves, it can be very calm here as well.

click on thumbnail to enlarge

 

Arashi Beach is again pictured below. You can enter here and swim south towards and around the rocks and there is a reef there on the other side.

 

click on thumbnail to enlarge

 

It is a fairly easy walk street side from Arashi southward to Catalina Cove and then Boca Catalina. Malmok beach is further to the south.

 

Below is Boca Catalina

 

click on thumbnail to enlarge

 

If you enter at above, Boca Catalina there is a plain white sandy bottom. On some days, early in the morning, you will be able to see your feet. Put your fins on and walk backwards into the water or walk in as far as you need, sit or get into a crouched position and put your fins on there. This is the easiest spot for a beginner. Head north from here and you will eventually run into coral. Test the current before venturing too far!

 

The snorkeling is a bit better at Catalina Cove below, though it is rocky which makes for a difficult entry. We normally enter the water at Boca Catalina and swim northward due to the difficult entry here at Catalina Cove pictured below.

click on thumbnail to enlarge

 

Catalina Cove, I would definitely put your fins on before entering and just walk backwards as best as you can. If one of you has more tender feet than the other, have the tough foot wade in without, holding your back so you do not fall.

 

I have further information and photos of this area here.

 

When we head to Boca Catalina to snorkel there are always other tourists there. It is a popular spot for those folks staying at apartments or villas to have beach access. Dh and I generally ask someone to keep an eye on our towels and of course never bring anything valuable in the first place.

 

There is a minuscule beach at Malmok. This photo is from 2 years ago. There was less beach here this past June.

 

click on thumbnail to enlarge

[Harley-Davidson_Family]

Thanks for all the information. Im just afraid to go so far out and not get back in time and miss the ship:rolleyes:

[Harley-Davidson_Family]

Thanks for all the information. Im just afraid to go so far out and not get back in time and miss the ship:rolleyes:

[cb at sea]

All of the beaches are public...no charge unless you want to RENT something!

[Arubalisa]

Thanks for all the information. Im just afraid to go so far out and not get back in time and miss the ship:rolleyes:

 

That was why I did not recommend Baby Beach ;) besides it can get crowded. Any of the beaches I mentioned you would have no trouble getting back to the ship via bus or prearranged taxi pickup as long as you allot the correct amount of time.

[Extraordinaire]

Thanks for the info about the beaches, Arubalisa. How much is the bus and is there somewhere nearby those beaches that a person could go to the restroom if they needed to? Or alternatively, is there a beach with restrooms?

[Arubalisa]

The bus is $2.30 per person each way.

 

The only "snorkeling beach" with porta-potties is Baby Beach.

 

There are restrooms available at Eagle and Palm Beaches but nothing to see snorkeling.

[S&SCruisers]

Thanks for all the info Arubalisa! If time is not a problem (we are in port until 10pm), would Baby Beach be the best one to go to and is the bus the best way to get there? How far is the bus terminal from port? And what would you suggest for seeing a Caribbean sunset while on Aruba? Thanks so much!

[sccoast]

I've read what I could about beaches and I hesitate to ask another beach question but i really just want to go to a beautiful non crowded beach that I can snorkle at. I dont care about beach chairs, or drinks, or food. I just want to enjoy the beach with out paying $40 pp to be thrown on a crowded beach. I was ready to book the RCCL excursion but after reading a review of it, it seems more of a tour than beach. I dont care to see the island just swim and relax and maybe see a fish or two.

 

I don't like Baby Beach since its Man Made and further out. We just took the bus with a $10 day pass to Malmok which is where most go to snorkel, you can see the excursions just off shore with the snorkelers there. there is nothing there so plan to lay a towel down when done snorkeling. the only issue we had two weeks ago was that after the bus dropped us off (30min from port) and we walked the 10min up the beach, no bus ever came back to the spot they told us to wait at - we had to walk nearly an hour back to Moomba and then bus it back. so we wasted much time on bus, waiting for bus, walking to find a bus. the wind surfer beach just past the high rise Palm beach is nice also.

next time i think we will forget snorkeling and just enjoy eagle beach closer to port - when you don't arrive until 1 or 2pm it really cuts your sunshine time down.

[Arubalisa]

Even on a Sunday, if you were at Boca Catalina the bus would pass within 30 minutes. The #10 turns around at Arashi. http://arubus.com/schedules/

 

S&SCruisers http://arubus.com/baby-beach/ You can walk from the ship to the Oranjestad bus station. Take the bus from Oranjestad to San Nicolas. Plan on 1 hour+. At the San Nicolas station you will transfer to the mini van which will take you to Baby Beach. Transfer takes about 20 minutes.

 

An option to the bus is to rent a car for the day. A taxi is going to run you about $60 round trip.

 

If you were going to spend the day at Baby Beach I would head back to the ship for sunset. Anywhere on the ship starboard side will be perfect as evidenced by these photos. ;)

 

 

[Harley-Davidson_Family]

Thanks for the info. We easily took the public bus to eagle beach. Beautiful brach. No fish (which I knew going in). We just told the bus driver we were going to Eagle Beach and he made an anouncement when we got there. When we were ready to leave we just walked out to street by one of the oull over areas and a bus came with in minutes. Word of caution though, a bus kept yelling, he had room to take us back to cruise terminal but it wasn't a public bus. Just becareful.