Palm Beach or Eagle Beach in Aruba?
I will be going to Aruba soon and I just cannot decide between Palm Beach or Eagle Beach. There are resorts we like in both areas, so the question comes down to which beach is more clear and soft sand? Also, is either area better for college students in regards to night life?
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The high rise resorts are located on Palm Beach. The low rise resorts are located on Eagle/Manchebo/Druif Beaches. There are some pretty drastic differences between the areas.
Eagle/Manchebo/Druif Beaches can have some waves, at other times it will be dead calm and lake like. Water all over the island is blue, warm and refreshing. From Eagle Beach to Druif Beach, you will find wide, long and very white beaches. Because of its width and length it will be less crowded than Palm Beach. There is less boat activity, so the water is clearer. Thought admittedly, there are other islands such as the Bahamas which do have clearer water. The water clarity in Aruba varies from day to day but as divers I can say it is rarely "perfect".
The sand is the same whether you stay on Palm/Eagle/Manchebo or Druif Beaches- powder white sugary sand. Cool to the touch, even on the hottest days it is so white.
Aruba is a windy island with average tradewinds of 17 mph. A positive of Palm Beach is that it is less windy here because the wind is blocked by most of the resort's buildings. Palm Beach is also long and white, but narrower and the resorts are larger. The beach here is more crowded, but in my mind, crowding is relative. If you grew up at the Jersey shore like I did, Palm Beach will not be that bad. Overall the area is much more congested in comparison to Eagle Beach. Street side along Palm Beach there is a number of restaurants, shops and bars.
If activities are a must have within walking distance you will have everything you need right in the Palm Beach area. Within walking distance on Palm Beach you will also find seven casinos at the following resorts- Marriott Stellaris, Holiday Inn Resort Aruba, Hyatt, Occidental, Radisson, Riu and Westin. We prefer the Radisson on Palm beach because they have the longest stretch of beach. The area of the 3 Marriott properties is very crowded.
For quiet, less crowds, wider beaches then Eagle/ Manchebo/Druif Beaches would be your choice. If you were staying here without an all inclusive package, a rental car would most likely be a good idea. This will give you transportation to dinner each evening as well as shopping trips into downtown Oranjestad and a day of driving around the island and doing some sightseeing.
For the college students there are bars within walking distance of the Palm beach resorts, but NOT Eagle/Manchebo or Druif Beaches.
Palm Beach Aruba Nightlife