Three Places to Stay in Aruba
The island of Aruba is small— 20 miles long, 6 miles wide— with three main areas to stay. All three of them are on the northern side of the island. They are Palm Beach, Oranjestad, and Noord. Where you decide to stay is up to your personal preference! Below is a break down of each one.
Palm Beach
Palm Beach is the most popular location on the island. It’s where all the high-rise hotels and where the majority of the tourists hang out. It’s where you’ll get the full Caribbean vacation feel complete with palm trees, beaches with bars on the sand, and a short walk up to your hotel room.
J.E. Irausquin Blvd runs through Palm Beach and is lined with restaurants, little shops, and souvenir stands. If you’re traveling during the coronavirus, there are testing sites here as well so you can get tested before traveling back to the states for $50-$75.
Buses, taxis, and UTVs are always coming through the hotel pick-up and drop-off areas taking tourists on fun adventures and then dropping them back off. My husband and I stayed nearby in an Airbnb and would drive to the Holiday Inn where my mom and her friends were staying to hang out on the beach or pick them up and go out exploring. There’s a public parking lot by the Holiday Inn and you can walk through the hotel to get to the beach. Easy peasy!
Oranjestad
Oranjestad is the capital city in Aruba. There are some hotels here but I believe they are higher-end and more expensive. They are also not on the beach like the hotels on Palm Beach are.
Oranjestad also has a lot of restaurants, shopping, and nightlife. It can be a busy city if an event like The Carnival is going on. The people on the island are always looking for something to celebrate!
When we went in 2020, the streets were full of vendors and music because it was Carnival season but also Valentine’s Day. They went all out for Valentine’s Day with a parade and everything. Since Covid-19 happened though, they have not been having their parties on the streets so it was much quieter when we went in 2021.
If you visit Aruba once the regulations are lifted, BEWARE of Carnival season. It’s generally two weeks long in February. We visited Aruba for our first time in February 2020 and stayed in a small Airbnb in Oranjestad. Our solid house was shaking and vibrating because of the booming music coming from the Carnival!
We saw it on TV because we were not up for venturing out to see it in real life; people were dressed in feathers and sparkles and dancing down the street. That’s not our type of scene and we didn’t know about it so we just buried our heads in pillows until it stopped around 2 am. If you’re down for a crazy party in Aruba, stay in Oranjestad during the Carnival.
Noord
If you look on Airbnb for a place to stay, the majority of them are in Noord. We stayed in two different places in Noord when we went in 2021. If you want a little extra privacy and to feel like you live on the island, renting a home or apartment is the way to go.
For the first week, it was just my husband and me so we rented a small apartment. It was tucked in the back behind a gate and super private. It was also completely remodeled so the place was very nice. In the morning, the neighborhood rooster, chickens, and chicks would cluck around outside and I’d throw them bread. It was very peaceful and quiet. We were only a 3-minute drive away from the hotels so we could pop over there when we were ready to go.
My mom and her friends left after a week and other friends came down for the second week so we rented a larger house. It had a pool, grill, and complete backyard living space!
We were in a different area of Noord but it was still private and quiet and near everything. Renting a house with a pool is a MUST when we travel with our friends. We hang out all day traveling around and always spend the nights in the pool. We like to have a slow day where we stay around the house and somehow the pool is always the highlight of our trip!
Palm Beach, Oranjestad, and Noord are three great places to stay in Aruba. Each one has its perks; it all depends on the type of vacation you are looking to have.