Beaches and or Day Passes in Aruba?

[hoosier sailor]

It's been a while since i have been to Aruba but will be there in a couple of months. I am looking for a full day or relaxation. Any suggestions?

 

The last time I was there, we went to the private island at the Renaissance. 

?

[negn]

Guess it depends on how much you eat and drink.    It’s cheaper to just go to either Eagle or Palm beach.  We’re going toReflections beach club.   Close to port.  Chairs and umbrellas for rent.  

[pauly]

Reflexions is nice. We have been a couple of times. There are chair/umbrella rentals with beverages available.  They have a Facebook page. Just search for Reflexions Beach Club.

[Bandet]

Reflexions looks like an option. I am going in June 2023

[jonsmom]

How likely are you to get a lounger for the day?  I was contemplating RIU or Barcelo but read that often times they are not available.

[TTEllis]

Barcelo best day pass on Aruba. If you can get one.

[CraigCruiser]

Can you taxi it to Reflexions? Is it better than Eagle Beach? Thanks.....

[TTEllis]

6 hours ago, CraigCruiser said:

Can you taxi it to Reflexions? Is it better than Eagle Beach? Thanks.....

I don't know anything about Reflexions.

I've been to Eagle Beach several times.

Eagle is the best beach on the island.

Everything you need is right there. Chair palapa rental, Amsterdam Manor Beach Bar. Great food ice cold drinks beach is beautiful water is awesome. 

 You can absolutely take a taxi or do what I and everyone else does. Take the city bus to Eagle Beach it's only like $2.00 roundtrip. Best ticket on the Aruba.

When you have finished your day on Eagle Beach the bus stop is RIGHT beside the beach. Hop on the bus it will take you right back to the station which is right across the street from the port. Walk over and have cocktails at Iguana Joe's before getting back on the ship with everyone else. Lots of fun and the best way to spend your day on the Happy Island. Your gonna have a blast. Aruba is nothing but fun.

[Sarahg0915]

I'm not joking when I say I've emailed every hotel on the beach in Aruba, and the only one besides Riu and Barcelo offering a day option is a timeshare that requires you to sit through a half-hour presentation. I was really hoping to find a place where my kids could use the pool and we could wash off and change, but no luck. One hotel did say we could rent a room for the day, but we couldn't reserve in advance and would have to call the morning of. I can't live with that kind of unknown lol. 

[jonsmom]

I tried email and Facebook asking about Reflexions, but no answer there.  Just going to take a bus to Eagle. Not going til April

[TTEllis]

6 hours ago, Sarahg0915 said:

I'm not joking when I say I've emailed every hotel on the beach in Aruba, and the only one besides Riu and Barcelo offering a day option is a timeshare that requires you to sit through a half-hour presentation. I was really hoping to find a place where my kids could use the pool and we could wash off and change, but no luck. One hotel did say we could rent a room for the day, but we couldn't reserve in advance and would have to call the morning of. I can't live with that kind of unknown lol. 

Yep this sums it up. The Barcelo day pass if you buy the pass and plan on spending some time on the beach, it ain't happenin. Hotel guests have priority on the beach. You'll be spending your day at the pool. 

If you think I'm kidding go drop  $90 a pop for the day pass and when you get back give us a review on THE POOL. The beach you'll get to wave at it. 👎

 

[TTEllis]

5 hours ago, jonsmom said:

I tried email and Facebook asking about Reflexions, but no answer there.  Just going to take a bus to Eagle. Not going til April

Your making the right decision and your spending half the $$$ without all the B.S.. Aruba day passes I quit trying to figure them out about 10 years ago and it's been nothing but fun ever since. 

[jonsmom]

28 minutes ago, TTEllis said:

Your making the right decision and your spending half the $$$ without all the B.S.. Aruba day passes I quit trying to figure them out about 10 years ago and it's been nothing but fun ever since. 

And like you said - the people staying on property get first dibs on the beach - rightly so.  They paid alot of $$ to stay there.  I wouldn't want a bunch of cruisers overwhelming the beach

[TTEllis]

5 minutes ago, jonsmom said:

And like you said - the people staying on property get first dibs on the beach - rightly so.  They paid alot of $$ to stay there.  I wouldn't want a bunch of cruisers overwhelming the beach

Yes they did pay a lot of money to stay there(better them than me). I go with the rest of the cruisers to Eagle Beach rent MY OWN palapa and chair drink buckets of Stella's all day ON THE BEACH. Grilled chicken panini sandwich with goat cheese for lunch exactly ON THE BEACH. 

I highly recommend you doing the day pass at RUI it's got your name all over it. Sounds like a time, have a good'n. 

😉

 

That was the RUI day pass. Barcelo take your pick, give everybody at the kiddie pool my best for $90 a pop. 

You go mom!!

[jonsmom]

Not sure if you understand my post - I am with you - just going to a beach, renting a chair and a palapa and enjoying my day - there will be 5 of us and I am not paying $90 a pop for a day at the beach

[TTEllis]

5 minutes ago, jonsmom said:

Not sure if you understand my post - I am with you - just going to a beach, renting a chair and a palapa and enjoying my day - there will be 5 of us and I am not paying $90 a pop for a day at the beach

I understood it perfectly. Have a nice day on Aruba whatever you do. 

[Sarahg0915]

4 hours ago, TTEllis said:

Yep this sums it up. The Barcelo day pass if you buy the pass and plan on spending some time on the beach, it ain't happenin. Hotel guests have priority on the beach. You'll be spending your day at the pool. 

If you think I'm kidding go drop  $90 a pop for the day pass and when you get back give us a review on THE POOL. The beach you'll get to wave at it. 👎

 

According to TripAdvisor reviews, even hotel guests say they get up at 4, 5 a.m. to make sure they get chairs on the beach! More ppl than chairs, it sounds like.  

[TTEllis]

22 minutes ago, Sarahg0915 said:

According to TripAdvisor reviews, even hotel guests say they get up at 4, 5 a.m. to make sure they get chairs on the beach! More ppl than chairs, it sounds like.  

They sell too many day passes. The Barcelo unless your a hotel guest other than walking to the beach and swimming in it your not going near the beach. If it'll make anyone feel any better your ship could port at 2am you could get to the Barcelo at 3am with your day passes, beach towels and unless your a current guest at the hotel your still not getting a chair on the beach.

Exactly, city bus to Eagle Beach and forget about it. 

[dcbiker97]

On 7/7/2023 at 11:50 PM, Sarahg0915 said:

According to TripAdvisor reviews, even hotel guests say they get up at 4, 5 a.m. to make sure they get chairs on the beach! More ppl than chairs, it sounds like.  

That sounds about right.  We staked out at 9am what we thought were available chairs at the Riu.  They had a rolled up towel on them.   At 11am hotel guests came out and proceeded to yell at us for taking their chairs which they reserved with the towel at 6am.  Between that and the bar serving alcohol from bottles only marked with masking tape, we will never go back.  

[Kosherpoker]

On 7/8/2023 at 12:19 AM, TTEllis said:

They sell too many day passes. The Barcelo unless your a hotel guest other than walking to the beach and swimming in it your not going near the beach. If it'll make anyone feel any better your ship could port at 2am you could get to the Barcelo at 3am with your day passes, beach towels and unless your a current guest at the hotel your still not getting a chair on the beach.

Exactly, city bus to Eagle Beach and forget about it. 

Based on the above info, I believe I'll be going (via taxi or bus) to Eagle Beach for our day in Aruba. Thanks so much for the info! 

Is there any way we can book or reserve beach chairs and/or umbrellas in advance though? Also, do they have Cabanas (aka Palapas?) for rent there?

We're a group of 9 people with a couple of young kids... So we're not sure exactly what mode of transportation will be best, so any suggestions for that too would be appreciated, thanks!

[TTEllis]

I can help you out with that. 

When your group of 9(how nice!!) gets off your ship, your going to bottleneck out of port security to your left then go to the right into town. 

Your not solo like myself. If I were you I would find a minivan taxi never a problem and pay them to take you and pick you up at an agreed upon time to and from Eagle Beach. They'll be a ZILLION taxi drivers as you walk outside of security.

With a group that size your own taxi van with just your family is the way to go. You can work out a very reasonable fee and time to be picked up. 

I'm solo for me it's very easy to take city transportation but in your case you can all go together in the same van for a very reasonable price. 

 

Nice palapas for rent at Eagle Beach. 

It's nice. Your group if you get there early you can rent a couple of them right beside each other. With 2 loungers, I'm not sure what they cost a palapa and 2 chairs is around $25 a day. Great deal great beach. 

Passions at the Beach as you go down the ramp to the beach will be on your right, I recommend you getting palapas close to Passions. Get your palapas BETWEEN Passions and the Beach not on the side, go up front get you a couple of palapas where you can see everything plus if you get thirsty or hungry Passions is right there. GREAT food I found their menu for a beach bar, incredible. Best seat on the beach.

 

I don't know if you can rent palapas ahead of time. I've never done that I just get to the beach EARLY find me the nicest palapa, drop my backpack pay the man, and get the party started.  

I guess you could email Amsterdam Manor and check OR get your group together early and get to Eagle Beach.

Unless there's a large number of ships in port there really shouldn't be too much of a problem renting a couple of palapas. Have a nice vacation and when you get back please don't forget to give us a review. Take care 

 

[jonsmom]

1 hour ago, TTEllis said:

I can help you out with that. 

When your group of 9(how nice!!) gets off your ship, your going to bottleneck out of port security to your left then go to the right into town. 

Your not solo like myself. If I were you I would find a minivan taxi never a problem and pay them to take you and pick you up at an agreed upon time to and from Eagle Beach. They'll be a ZILLION taxi drivers as you walk outside of security.

With a group that size your own taxi van with just your family is the way to go. You can work out a very reasonable fee and time to be picked up. 

I'm solo for me it's very easy to take city transportation but in your case you can all go together in the same van for a very reasonable price. 

 

Nice palapas for rent at Eagle Beach. 

It's nice. Your group if you get there early you can rent a couple of them right beside each other. With 2 loungers, I'm not sure what they cost a palapa and 2 chairs is around $25 a day. Great deal great beach. 

Passions at the Beach as you go down the ramp to the beach will be on your right, I recommend you getting palapas close to Passions. Get your palapas BETWEEN Passions and the Beach not on the side, go up front get you a couple of palapas where you can see everything plus if you get thirsty or hungry Passions is right there. GREAT food I found their menu for a beach bar, incredible. Best seat on the beach.

 

I don't know if you can rent palapas ahead of time. I've never done that I just get to the beach EARLY find me the nicest palapa, drop my backpack pay the man, and get the party started.  

I guess you could email Amsterdam Manor and check OR get your group together early and get to Eagle Beach.

Unless there's a large number of ships in port there really shouldn't be too much of a problem renting a couple of palapas. Have a nice vacation and when you get back please don't forget to give us a review. Take care 

 

You are such a great source of info.  Our family party of 5 has become a party of 7 so I think we will do the mini van route as well.  I assume we should plan to bring our car seat.

 

[TTEllis]

16 minutes ago, jonsmom said:

You are such a great source of info.  Our family party of 5 has become a party of 7 so I think we will do the mini van route as well.  I assume we should plan to bring our car seat.

 

I'm glad to be of help. If you have a small group like that 7.  I would definitely hire a taxi van they'll take you right to Eagle Beach and pick you right up at a specified time your group wants to head back to your ship. JUST YOUR GROUP. Nice!! 

No worries have fun. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

 

I'm going to check on the car seat for you, but just to be safe bringing one would be something I would keep in mind. 

 

Do not forget there are a million taxi drivers vying for your business. No worries. They'll be right there for you. Plus Eagle Beach is NOT far from your ship. 

 

[jonsmom]

Thanks

[TTEllis]

No problem.