ARUBA

Palm Beach vs. Eagle Beach & Manchebo Beach

(Hi-Rise vs. Lo-Rise Resorts)

Palm Beach
Eagle Beach and Manchebo Beach

Palm beach is where all the highrises are located. The beach is narrow but beautiful. The water is very calm here and is great for floating on a raft. However, this is also where all the boats come in and where all the watersports are located. The boats tend to churn up the bottom so the water can sometimes be a little cloudy, and they tend to get some seaweed problems here. Also because the beach is narrow and the highrises are located close together you have a lot of people, therefore the beach gets very crowded. Eagle beach is where the low rises are. The beach is wider here. There are a lot less people and there is more of a surf. This area is better for swimming but not for floating on rafts. The water is very clear as no boats are allowed into shore on this beach (and it is also quieter). Some sections can get windy.
(excerpt from Aruba On-Line bulletin board - Jeff Launiere)

Pros & Cons:

Palm Beach

resorts here are more luxurious, pampering

more action (can walk to a lot of resorts/lots of restaurants/casinos)

better for people-watching

lots of watercraft buzzing around (good - fun to watch)

lots of watercraft buzzing around (bad - bothersome)

calmer water - good for floating/rafting/poor swimmers

less windy - possibly the hi-rises act as a wind block

water occassionally cloudy/seaweedy (still much clearer than most North American coasts)

beach narrower (good - feel like the caribbean's right at your door)

beach narrower (bad - feel crowded)

resorts here tend to be the most expensive

resorts here tend to have large, creatively landscaped, free-form pools

this area is recommended for those who like to be in the middle of all the action, who like to have a lot of ammenities nearby, who prefer americanized to tropical surroundings, who prefer large & plush to small & cozy.

Eagle Beach & Manchebo Beach

resorts here are less luxurious, more cozy

less action (quieter, more peaceful)

Manchebo Beach known for occassional (illegal) toplessness

less watercraft & people around (good & bad - see above)

stronger surf (good if you're a good swimmer)

stronger surf (bad for poor swimmers/floating/rafting)

clearer water

windier area

beach wider (good - feeling of wide open expanse)

beach wider (bad - have to walk a lot farther across hot sand to get to water)

Eagle Beach is separated from its resorts by a highway

resorts here tend to be more moderately-priced than the hi-rise resorts

resorts here tend to have plain, small, square pools

this area is recommended for those who like to be out of the action, who prefer seclusion, peace & quiet, want a more tropical feel, who prefer small & cozy over large and plush.

Your choice will depend on your situation - single/honeymooners/families, action-oriented or seeking peace & quiet, financial situation, sense of aesthetics, need for luxury, etc.

This site went online 1999.
Photos by Patti MacK copyrighted 1999 and may not be used without permission.

DISCLAIMER

As information may not always be up-to-date, you are advised to use it as a guideline only. You will find e-mail and website addresses, as well as phone and fax #s included on this site - please use them to contact the particular resort/restaurant/business in person to confirm times, prices, and details. The webmaster, site owner, and Internet provider assume no responsibility for any damages or claims resulting in use of information contained in this site. If, in spite of every precaution, any copyrights have been infringed in this site or any borrowed photo uncredited, your notification with respect to photo credit or removal will be greatly appreciated.