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Eagle Beach, Aruba: The Wide One With the Fofoti Trees

Low-rise hotels, more shade than Palm Beach, and turtles nesting on the sand.

Aruba Area
Wide beach Shade and palapas Low-rise hotels Turtle nesting Free parking

Why Go

Eagle Beach is the broad white stretch south of Palm Beach where the hotels stay low and the beach stays wide. It is the one with the two wind-bent fofoti trees that appear on half the photographs of Aruba, and it regularly turns up at the top of the world's-best-beach lists, which for once is not marketing — the sand is deep, the water is calm and the shade huts are plentiful enough that you can usually get one. Choose it over Palm Beach if you want the same sea with less noise, and accept a shorter walk-to list in exchange.

The Experience

The difference from Palm Beach a mile north is immediate: the buildings are two and three storeys instead of twelve, they sit further back from the water, and the beach in front is two or three times as deep. That depth is what makes it work — palapas are spread out rather than packed, there is room between groups, and the whole thing feels unhurried even when it is full. Manchebo Beach runs on to the south and Druif beyond that, all one continuous sweep of sand with the hotels strung along behind. Sea turtles nest here between roughly March and November and the marked-off nests appear right on the beach, which is the closest most visitors will get to that. The evening is quiet; this is not where the island goes out. What you are choosing, if you choose Eagle Beach, is a beach that is better than Palm Beach in the ways that involve lying on sand, and worse in every way that involves getting up off it. For most people that is the right trade, and for some it is precisely the wrong one.

What to Try

Eat along the low-rise strip: The Chophouse at Manchebo is the steak, Kokoa Restaurant & Bar and Tulip Restaurant are the reliable dinners, Chalet Suisse is the long-standing oddity that has been here for decades, and Horizons Lounge and Sandbar cover the drink with the view. Oceania 522 handles the sit-down alternative and Gelateria Italiana the afternoon. On the water, Julio Watersports Eagle Beach, Cesar Watersports, Pair A Dice Watersports and Delphi Watersports all rent and run trips straight off the sand, so nothing needs booking far ahead. Cabana Sunsets Aruba sets up the sunset properly if you want that organised, and Sip and Paint Aruba is the rainy-hour option. The Eagle Beach Playground is on the beach itself, which matters more than it sounds when you are here with children.

Insider Tip

You can still get a palapa here, which is the practical reason to choose Eagle over Palm Beach. There are more of them, they are spread further apart, and the dawn-towel competition is a fraction of what it is up the road. If you are here in nesting season, look for the marked-off patches of sand before you set up — they are turtle nests, they are protected, and the roped areas move as the season goes on.

The Practical Stuff

Eagle Beach is about fifteen minutes from Queen Beatrix airport and five to ten from Oranjestad, with Palm Beach a mile north. The Arubus route along the coast road connects all of them cheaply and frequently, so a car is optional if you are staying put, though you will want one for Arikok, the north coast or San Nicolas. There is free public parking along the road behind the beach, which is a genuine advantage over Palm Beach. The beach is public, as all Aruban beaches are. Restaurants here close earlier than on the high-rise strip and there is no nightlife to speak of — Palm Beach is ten minutes north for that. Aruba lies outside the main hurricane belt, and the trade wind blows steadily most of the year, which keeps the afternoons bearable.

Common Questions

Eagle Beach or Palm Beach?

Eagle Beach for a wider, quieter beach, low-rise hotels, more shade and free parking. Palm Beach for casinos, nightlife and a longer list of things within walking distance. They are a mile apart and the sea is the same.

Why is Eagle Beach famous?

For its width and its two wind-bent fofoti trees, which appear on much of Aruba's photography. It appears near the top of world beach rankings regularly, and the depth of the sand is what actually justifies that.

Can you get a palapa at Eagle Beach?

More easily than at Palm Beach. There are more shade huts spread across a much deeper beach, so the early-morning towel competition is far less intense, though high season still rewards an early start.

Are there turtles at Eagle Beach?

Yes — sea turtles nest on this stretch between roughly March and November, and the nests are marked off on the sand. Keep clear of the roped areas and do not use bright lights on the beach at night in season.

Is there parking at Eagle Beach?

Yes, free public parking along the road behind the beach, which is one of its practical advantages over Palm Beach. The Arubus along the coast road is the alternative.

Is Eagle Beach good for families?

Very — calm shallow water, a deep beach with room to spread out, a playground on the sand and quieter evenings. Families wanting more to do after dark tend to prefer Palm Beach.

Pair It With