Where Is the Best Place to Stay in Aruba?

Palm Beach is the postcard. A two-mile run of high-rise resorts along J.E. Irausquin Boulevard, with the calmest swimming water on the island and Pelican Pier sticking out front. You walk out of the Hilton or the Hyatt and you are on white sand within 90 seconds. Palm Beach Plaza and the Paseo Herencia mall sit one block back for shopping and a movie theater. Nightlife clusters around South Beach Centre and the casinos at the Stellaris and the Hilton. The trade-off is density. Loungers go down by 7am, the beach bars run live music until midnight, and you will share the sand with a few thousand neighbors. Pick this if you want to walk to dinner.

Best for

First Aruba tripfamilies with kidsanyone who wants to walk to bars and casinos

Walk times

from most resorts to the sand 2 min
from Hilton to Pelican Pier 8 min
from north end to Paseo Herencia 15 min

Skip if: You want quiet mornings or empty beach photos

Local tip: Cross the boulevard for breakfast at Linda's Dutch Pancakes instead of the resort buffet. Half the price and the pannenkoeken are the real thing.

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$246per night

Eagle Beach

Lower, quieter, and arguably the better beach

Luxury $280-$750/night

Eagle Beach sits ten minutes south of Palm Beach along the same coast, but the rules change. A local height restriction caps buildings at low-rise, so the sand stretches wider and the sightlines stay open. The two fofoti trees in front of the Manchebo are the most photographed spot on the island. Bucuti and Tara is adults-only and consistently rated one of the top beach resorts in the Caribbean. Amsterdam Manor is the mid-range pick. The strip along L.G. Smith Boulevard is residential and calm after dark, with a handful of strong restaurants like Elements and Passions on the Beach for toes-in-sand dinner. You will need a taxi or a rental car to reach Palm Beach nightlife or Oranjestad.

Best for

Coupleshoneymoonsrepeat visitors who want quiet

Walk times

from Bucuti to the fofoti trees 1 min
from Amsterdam Manor to Manchebo 6 min
along the sand to Palm Beach 20 min

Skip if: You want bars and casinos a short walk from your room

Local tip: Park the rental car at the small public lot near Manchebo Beach Resort. Free, shaded, and you skip the resort day-pass fee for using the beach.

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$314per night

Oranjestad

The capital, for culture and cruise-day energy

Mid-range $140-$320/night

Oranjestad is the pastel Dutch capital on the south coast, fifteen minutes from the airport and twenty from Palm Beach. The free streetcar runs the length of Caya G.F. Betico Croes past the Royal Plaza Mall, the Renaissance Marketplace, and the harbor. The Renaissance Wind Creek is the only hotel with a private island, reached by a boat from the lobby. Mainland staying options are limited and mostly mid-range, including the Talk of the Town and a few boutique guesthouses near Wilhelmina Park. Restaurants are stronger here than on the resort strips. Try Yemanja for grilled fish or Wilhelmina for a courtyard dinner. The downside is that you are not on the beach. Cruise days bring crowds between 10am and 4pm.

Best for

Culture seekersfood-first travelersshort stopovers

Walk times

from Renaissance to the streetcar 3 min
across downtown end to end 10 min
from Wilhelmina Park to the harbor 12 min

Skip if: Your priority is walking out of the lobby onto sand

Local tip: Take the free Renaissance boat to Flamingo Beach even if you are not staying there. Buy a day pass at the Cove pool bar instead of the marketplace kiosk and you save about $30.

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$157per night

Noord

Residential and cheap, but you need a car

Mid-range $90-$180/night

Noord is the inland district behind Palm Beach, where most of the islanders who work the resorts actually live. Streets like Bakval and Sasakiweg are lined with small guesthouses, apartment rentals, and a few boutique hotels like Boardwalk Boutique and the Mill Resort. You are a five to ten minute drive from Palm Beach, the California Lighthouse, and Arashi Beach. Prices run half what you pay on the strip, and you get more space. The catch is real. Sidewalks are patchy, the area is dark at night, and the public Arubus only runs about once an hour. A rental car is not optional here. Grocery shopping at Ling and Sons or Super Food is a major upside for longer stays.

Best for

Budget travelerstwo-week staysreturning visitors with a rental car

Walk times

from Boardwalk Boutique to Palm Beach sand 10 min
from the Mill Resort to Palm Beach Plaza 5 min
from inner Noord streets to the bus stop 15 min

Skip if: You do not want to drive, or this is your first Caribbean trip

Local tip: Rent the car from Amigo or Royal at the airport, not the resort desks. About $35 a day instead of $75, and they deliver to Noord guesthouses for free.

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Prices shown for 1 room, 2 adults. Click to see current availability.

$101per night