Palm vs Eagle beach and Edwardo’s beach shack

[Tonimarieb]

Family of 3 (son is 9) first time in Aruba. Thinking of making it a beach day as our other ports are Curaçao and Amber Cove.

Thinking of taking a cab to Eagle or Palm beach. Edwardos beach shack is on my list. Which beach is it near?Which beach is best for families?

Any don’t miss shops or restaurants?

Edited December 16, 2018 by Tonimarieb

[Hatteras51]

Edwardos is near Playa Linda Resort on Palm Beach. There are tons of shops, bars and restaurants in that area. Palm Beach is a great beach for families. 

Edited December 16, 2018 by Hatteras51

[Tonimarieb]

Thank you! It doesn’t look like that resort offers day passes. I wonder if a resort near by does? 

[Hatteras51]

Both Barcelo and Riu offer day passes. They are very close by.

[Tonimarieb]

I will check them out-thanks!

[Tonimarieb]

Our ship gets in at 1pm. If you get a day pass how long can you stay?

[Hatteras51]

21 hours ago, Tonimarieb said:

Our ship gets in at 1pm. If you get a day pass how long can you stay?

I have a timeshare in Aruba so I have never rented a day pass. The best thing to do is to contact the resorts and ask them. However, if you don't need a pool, a day pass in Aruba isn't really necessary.  There are vendors renting chairs and umbrellas, and plenty of bars and restaurants along the beach in Palm Beach. 

[Tonimarieb]

Yes-I think we have decided it’s not worth the cost. We don’t dock until 1pm and the day pass is only good until 6pm. 

Sounds like there will be plenty of places to get chairs and food. Maybe we will try a sunset cruise that evening instead 

[LifesaBanquet]

Hatteras, so far the only places that I have been able to find for chair rentals is Coco Loco (which doesn't sound too promising), Paradise Beach Villas (where we will have to go to their pool bar to get food and drinks and probably have to pay to use the restrooms), or a vendor near La Cabana.  Are their others that I have missed?  I am afraid we have been spoiled by experiences like Kontiki in St Maarten where we had our own servers for drinks and food and a convenient restroom/changing room available.  In addition, we are retired seniors so searching a beach for vendors sounds a bit daunting.  I'm not keen on day passes but beginning to wonder if that would be the best for us.

Thank you so very much for all of your postings on this board.  We, the readers of this board are in your debt for all of the information you have supplied us with.

Thank you much, Nancy

[Hatteras51]

Hi Nancy. It looks like you have done your research.  You probably read that I discourage people from going to Coco Loco. The people who run that place are rude, and seem to be taking advantage of people. One other spot is the beach across from MVC.  That is a small, order resort that looks like an old motel, but the restaurant there is very nice. There is a beautiful beach there with another vendor.  The only problem here is that you have to cross the street to get drinks and use the bathroom at the restaurant. The best choice seems to be the beach across from Chalet Suisse Restaurant, and again, you have to use a beach vendor. There is a snack bar there with food and drinks, and a bathroom. The bathroom is attached to the snack bar. This is near Paradise Beach Villas, and is probably the one that you are referring to.  I've stayed at Paradise Beach Villas, and believe me,  there is no way that they will let a cruiser use their bathroom.  They post a security guard at the entrance when cruisers are on the beach.

 

If you want beach service, the best place to go is Reflextions Beach Club, which is on Surfside Beach. This is close to the port on a beautiful beach.  The only drawback is that it is not far from the airport and you might have some plane noise from time to time. We enjoy watching the planes coming in to land. You can google Reflextions and find out more. It wouldn't be an expensive taxi ride from the port. 

 

Thanks for the compliments. I've learned so much from these boards when I travel, and I try to return the favor. 

Edited January 29, 2019 by Hatteras51

[LifesaBanquet]

Wow.  Thank you for such a fast reply and thank you for all the info.

Now to decide :?)

Thanks again!

 

[Hatteras51]

You are very welcome.  There are lots of reviews of Reflexions on Tripadvisor.  You might want to check them out. Happy planning!