The verdict on Palm Beach
- Who it suitsTravellers who want their beach social and convenient, with calm water for easy swimming, water sports on tap and a long row of bars and restaurants at their back.
- Best spotThe sand near the De Palm Pier early for the calmest water, then a sunset table at one of the beach bars as the strip comes alive.
- One thing to knowThe water here is the calmest of the resort beaches, but the front rows of palapas belong to the hotels, so non guests take the open sand or rent a lounger.
Published 21 February 2026. Last reviewed 28 May 2026
Palm Beach is the loud, social heart of the Aruba coast, the two mile strip where the high rise hotels stand shoulder to shoulder and the beach becomes a scene as much as a shore. If Eagle Beach is the place to spread out and go quiet, Palm Beach is the place to do things, with water sports off the sand, a wall of bars and restaurants behind it, and a steady hum of music and people from late morning on.
What it does genuinely well is calm water and convenience. This is the most sheltered of the main resort beaches, so the swimming is easy, the paddleboarding gentle and the floating about pleasant, and you are never more than a short walk from a cold drink, a sun lounger or a parasail. For a family or a group that wants everything within reach, that ease is the real draw, and it is worth being honest that the convenience is the product here.
The honest catch is crowds and markup. The front rows of shaded palapas belong to the hotels, the sand fills quickly, and food and loungers carry resort prices, so the quiet exclusivity of the island is not what you come here for. The water is calm and the sunset bars are a genuine pleasure, but if you picture an empty postcard beach you will want to go elsewhere by day and treat Palm Beach as the evening.
Come to Palm Beach for the water sports, the calm swimming and the sunset bar scene. For wider, quieter sand visit Eagle Beach, for a sheltered lagoon made for children try Baby Beach, and for a calm snorkel cove see Arashi Beach. For the bars, the pier venues and how to reserve a daybed, use our Aruba beach clubs directory.
Bars and clubs on and near Palm Beach
Palm Beach is a public beach lined with beach bars and resort loungers rather than minimum spend clubs, and we never invent venues, prices or status. Lounger fees and food minimums vary by venue and season, so anything we cannot confirm we list as to be confirmed. For the full picture, use the Aruba beach clubs directory.
Bugaloe Beach Bar and Grill
The lively bar on the De Palm Pier is the social heart of the strip, with live music, happy hours and sunset views over the water. Loungers, menus and any minimum are best confirmed with the venue.
MooMba Beach Bar
The big open air bar on the sand between the Marriott and Holiday Inn draws a steady crowd for food, drinks and music by day and into the evening. Loungers and any minimum are best confirmed with the venue.
Palm Beach, Aruba
Palm Beach runs along the high rise hotel district near Noord, about fifteen minutes northwest of Oranjestad and twenty five from the airport. You can drive, take a taxi or ride the island bus, with paid and resort parking near the hotels and public access points to the sand between them.
Because the beach is public, you can settle on the open sand or rent a lounger from a beach bar. Bring sun cover, water and reef safe products, watch for boat and water sports traffic offshore as there is no reliable lifeguard, and treat the calm of the early hours as typical rather than guaranteed.
Not ready to book?
Keep the good shorelines coming. Shore Notes is our occasional letter on the best beaches and the clubs worth your day, sent straight to your inbox. One field, unsubscribe any time.
Reserve a daybed near Palm Beach
Send your details and we will help arrange a daybed or a beach bar table near Palm Beach and along the Aruba strip. We confirm current rates and availability with the venue before you commit. Nothing is charged here.
Independent and honest · 1,340 beaches ranked across 103 destinations · We answer to no resort
Palm Beach FAQ
Is Palm Beach Aruba free to visit?
Yes. Like all beaches in Aruba, Palm Beach is public and free, so you can walk on and lie on the sand at no charge. The catch is that the resorts reserve the shaded palapas and front rows for their guests, so a non guest usually pays for a lounger or settles on the open sand toward the bars and the pier.
Is the water calm at Palm Beach?
Yes, this is the calmest swimming water of the main resort beaches. Palm Beach is the most sheltered of the strip, which is why it suits easy swimming, paddleboarding and floating about, though the trade wind still firms up in the afternoon. There is no permanent lifeguard, so swim within your depth.
What is there to do at Palm Beach?
Plenty. Palm Beach is the activity hub of Aruba, with jet ski and parasail operators, paddleboard and snorkel trips, sunset sails from the sand and a long row of beach bars and restaurants behind it. Bugaloe and MooMba Beach Bar anchor the scene with live music and food through the day and into the evening.
Is Palm Beach or Eagle Beach better?
It depends on the day you want. Palm Beach is the busier, livelier choice, with high rise resorts, water sports and a wall of bars, while Eagle Beach is wider, quieter and more beautiful. For a social, convenient day choose Palm, and for space and calm choose Eagle. Many visitors enjoy splitting their time between the two.
When is the best time to visit Palm Beach?
Early morning for the calmest water and a quiet stretch before the loungers and water sports fill, then late afternoon for the bars and the sunset. Aruba is sunny most of the year and sits below the hurricane belt, with the lightest showers and the biggest crowds falling between December and April.