Bushiri Beach, Aruba: The Stretch Between Town and the Resorts
A quiet strip of west-coast sand between Oranjestad and the airport, used mostly by locals.
Why Go
Bushiri is the piece of Aruba's west coast that sits between Oranjestad and the airport, south of the beaches everyone has heard of. There are no towers on it, no vendor line and no cruise-day crowd, and on most weekdays it is close to empty. It is not the best beach on the island and does not pretend to be — what it is, is calm, close to town, and a genuinely local stretch of water on an island where most of the shoreline has been organised around visitors.
The Experience
The sand is narrower than at Eagle or Manchebo and the water is shallow and flat, protected the way the whole leeward coast is. Palms and sea grape give patchy shade, which is more than the wide famous beaches manage. On weekends Aruban families use it and it becomes lively in an ordinary way — coolers, music, children in the shallows — and during the week it is nearly deserted. Aircraft come in low overhead on the approach to Queen Beatrix, which some people find a novelty and others find a nuisance. The high-rise strip is visible up the coast and a few minutes' drive away, and Oranjestad's waterfront is closer still. The stretch also carries a piece of Aruba's tourism history. A large government-backed resort operated on this shore for years and eventually closed, and the ground behind the beach has been through several plans since. It is a reminder that the island's west coast was not always the continuous success the high-rise strip suggests.
What to Try
Swim and stay put, because that is the beach's whole proposition. It is a good stretch for a long calm swim without navigating around watersports lanes. Come on a Sunday if you want to see Aruban weekend life rather than a resort beach, and bring what you need, since the facilities are limited compared with the strip. BOTÀNICA Cocktail Lab & Bar Academy is nearby for a drink with more thought behind it than the beach bars manage. Oranjestad's restaurants and the waterfront are minutes away, and Eagle and Manchebo are a short drive north for the wide-sand version of the same coast. Snorkel along the rocky edges rather than the open sand. The fish life concentrates where the bottom changes, and on a calm morning the visibility here is better than the narrow beach leads you to expect.
Insider Tip
Use it as the swim near the airport on a late departure day. Aruba's flights out are heavily afternoon-weighted, hotels check out at eleven, and Bushiri is the closest calm water to Queen Beatrix — a couple of hours here with a rinse afterwards beats sitting in a lobby. Park sensibly, keep valuables out of sight as anywhere, and note that the planes overhead are genuinely low, which is either the best or the worst thing about the beach depending on who you ask. And go on a weekday morning if you want it entirely to yourself. Aruba's visitor traffic concentrates on the beaches with names, and this stretch stays effectively empty until the local afternoon crowd arrives.
The Practical Stuff
Bushiri Beach is on Aruba's west coast between Oranjestad and Queen Beatrix International Airport, roughly five minutes from town and ten from the airport. Access is free with roadside parking. The water is shallow, calm and sheltered, and the sand is narrower than at Eagle or Manchebo, with patchy natural shade from palms and sea grape. Facilities are limited compared with the resort strip — bring water and supplies. Aircraft pass low overhead on approach. Aruba uses the florin with US dollars accepted everywhere. Papiamento, Dutch, English and Spanish are all in daily use. The island is dry, windy and below the main hurricane belt.
Common Questions
Where is Bushiri Beach?
On Aruba's west coast between Oranjestad and Queen Beatrix International Airport — about five minutes from town and ten from the airport.
Is it a good beach?
It is calm, sheltered and quiet rather than spectacular. The sand is narrower than Eagle or Manchebo, but there is more natural shade and far fewer people.
Who uses it?
Mostly Arubans, particularly at weekends, when families bring coolers and it becomes lively in an ordinary way. On weekdays it is close to empty.
What about the aircraft?
Planes pass low overhead on approach to the airport. Some visitors find that a novelty and others find it a nuisance — it is worth knowing before you settle in.
Is it good before a flight?
Yes, and that is its most practical use. It is the closest calm water to the airport, which suits Aruba's afternoon-heavy departure schedule and an eleven o'clock checkout.
Are there facilities?
Limited compared with the resort strip. Bring water and what you need; Oranjestad's restaurants are only minutes away.
Pair It With
- Oranjestad Guide — Food and the waterfront, five minutes north.
- BOTÀNICA Cocktail Lab & Bar Academy — A drink after the swim.
- Manchebo Beach — The wide sand a little further up the coast.
