Best beaches in Aruba near cruise port
The Aruban sun shines more days than on any competing Caribbean destination, making it an incredibly popular cruise ship port of call. With more than 1.2 million tourists each year coming to the island, it remains the beaches here that are the biggest tourist draw.
The island destination provides simply miles upon miles of world-leading white powdery sand beaches lapped by a pristine turquoise Caribbean Sea. If you are an adventurous vacationer who looks for something to do while on her eight hours in the port, here we look at the best beaches in Aruba near cruise port that are certainly worth visiting!
Attention: it might easily happen that you fall in love with the island’s wonderful beaches so you will book a longer vacation in Aruba!
Surfside Beach
The narrow and lengthy stretch of sand at Surfside Beach is surely one of the best beaches in Aruba near cruise port. It is perfect for get-togethers and picnics beneath the palm trees along the calm seas and welcomes canoeing and stand up paddleboarding too. The destination is an Oranjestad capital city beach that lies directly along the renowned linear park in the city’s downtown.
The Surfside Beach boasts a range of restaurants and bars. Some of the best known of these are Reflexions Beach Club, Barefoot, and Pincho’s. This beach also lies near enough to the island’s airport that you can enjoy airplane spotting from the sands. Facilities here include lounge chairs, beach tanning beds, and more for rent out of the Reflexions concession. For the children, there is an excellent floating water park. The beach also hosts a good diving school as well as the water’s edge Surfside Beach Bar.
Renaissance Island Flamingo Beach
Visiting Renaissance Island to see the flamingos is a must even if you spend just one day in Aruba. This tropical oasis provides fantastic wedding venues, romantic honeymoon destinations, and also a nice day trip for cruisers looking for a more secluded beach experience for the day in port.
The detractor from the beach is that the sand here belongs to the Renaissance Resort. Do not fret though. If you are not staying as a paying guest of the hotel, then you can still purchase a one-day pass to enjoy it as cruise ship passenger.
Druif Beach
Another glorious mile-long stretch of sandy beach near the ship terminal is called Druif Beach. It lies in between Manchebo Beach and Oranjestad. Home to the low rising Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusive Resort, the beach also boasts restaurants alongside the numerous hotel rooms found only steps from the powder sandy beach shores. Swimming conditions here are rated excellent for the calm surf conditions. This beach is easily accessed via taxi, rental car, or public bus transportation options.
SeaSpiration Tip: Read what are the best hotels for couples in Aruba!
Divi Beach
A list of the best beaches in Aruba near cruise port would not be at all complete without considering Divi Beach. You only need to walk down the shoreline for several hundred yards (or meters) to reach it by foot form Druif. This particular stretch of sand boasts as much as 100 yards of width and an impressive span of roughly 500 yards. The beach runs as far as Tamarijn Beach Resort to the south.
Divi Beach plays host each year to the Divi Beach Tennis Aruba event that occurs in the November month during the third week annually. In this unique melting pot of many cultures from around the world, participants play tennis on fully 20 individual beachside tennis courts in what is always a friendly and not overly competitive ambience.
If you fancy a round of golf while you are on your shore excursion to the beach, this is a great destination. Only a few seconds behind Druif Beach lays the All Inclusive Divi Village Golf and Beach Resort where you can pay to play the game.
Manchebo Beach
This vast expanse of powdery white sand is also a quieter beach that lies along the southwestern part of Aruba. The views are stunning from here and always postcard picture perfect. If you have time to take in the sunset here, they are without equal possibly in the whole of the Caribbean Sea.
The beach stuns visitors with its uninterrupted vistas of the sea and its glorious blue waters, bright white sand, and palapa featuring resorts that lie along the shoreline. From Manchebo, you can easily walk it to Eagle Beach which the most famous of Aruba beaches with good reason!
SeaSpiration Tip: Arriving with kids? Check what are the best beaches for toddlers!
Eagle Beach
Eagle Beach not only one of the best beaches in Aruba near cruise port, but also the island’s Nr. 1 beach! If this wouldn’t be enough, it was rated several times as one of the most beautiful beaches of the world so make sure you visit this place even if you have just one day on the island.
This could be your one-stop-shop spot while in Aruba if you are looking for the perfect beach to enjoy Caribbean vibes. With its gorgeous white sand, turquoise waters, shaded areas, water sports opportunities and plenty of restaurants around, Eagle Beach certainly has something to offer for everybody. Another benefit is that most Arubus routes include a stop here, so it shouldn’t be a problem getting here from the cruise ship terminal using public transport.
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