What is the Aruban beach protocol/Palapas etc...?

[stinky2]

Hello all,
This is our first trip to Aruba. DH and myself are excited, but are in need of assistance. Is it best to stay in a hotel resort so you may have better access to the Eagle or Palm Beaches? We wanted to rent a villa with a pool(Paradera area), drive around the island and visit the other beaches, but I'm now concerned over parking and Palapas access. We are still renting a car, but I'm stressing over where to stay because of this issue and our beach time.

I know Aruba is very windy, so an umbrella may not be the best option. There's nothing like an umbrella blowing down to kill your beach fun. We love to go to the beach, hang out and swim for several hours. Are non hotel guests allowed to reserve Palapas, and how is general parking handled for the beaches that are amidst the resorts?? TIA!!

[Eagle Beach Boy]

If you do stay in land which is very nice there are a couple of nice beaches to go to by car.

Eagle Beach - There is a lot of parking either on a paved lot or amongst the trees on a sand lot. There are some sun shelters available for free or you can sit under the trees back from the waters edge.

Arashi Beach - Parking lot. Free Shelters.

Some hotels or Beach boys will rent palapas /shade.

[Arubalisa]

Beaches in Aruba are public.

In front of resorts, palapas and chaises are property of the hotel and for the use of their guests only.

There is information about half way down the page at http://www.arubabycruise.com/aboutaruba.html on Aruba resort day passes.
"Amsterdam Manor Resort
Full day package: US$ 10.00 (9 am – 6 pm),
Half Day package US$: 5.00 (3:00 pm – 6 pm)
*Offer includes 1 (one) towel and 1(one) lounge chair per person"

www.aruba.com/forum/f7/eagle-manchebo-beach-day-where-park-get-chair-42868/

On Palm Beach, MoomBa, just past the north end of the Holiday Inn, no longer charges for their chaise lounges. More photos

Otherwise, there are vendors all along Palm Beach who rent chaises and shade. Here are some prices from a few years back from the vendors at the south end of the Radisson's beach.

Also on Palm Beach, the Radisson has an all inclusive day pass, but contact them directly for a "palapa and chaise only" pass.

[stinky2]

Thanks so much guys!!! :-0)

[Chrisvec]

Are the resort packages for cruise visitors only?

[Arubalisa]

Originally Posted by Chrisvec

Are the resort packages for cruise visitors only?

Personally, I would contact each resort individually to verify availability and pricing.

[Schnauzerjoy]

Lisa are always extremely knowledgeable and thoughtful when presenting the facts, but something is very confusing here and I think that this is a very important point regarding what is actually the law regarding this.

"All beaches are public" I am pretty sure that is a fact (with very few exceptions).

"In front of resorts, palapas and chaises are property of the hotel and for the use of their guests only", now this is the area which is interesting to have confirmed.

A lot of places you will find opposing opinions regarding this and it would be nice to have a final clear answer to this one. Not a opinion or what is fair or a guess, but the clear fact.

In a normally well informed Aruba blog these 3 entries have come up recently which is completely opposite of the above statement:

http://www.arubabeaches.net/palapas-rules-and-rights/

http://www.arubabeaches.net/its-offi...to-be-removed/

http://www.arubabeaches.net/hotels-d...t-the-palapas/

Andrea and Lisa is always working hard to try to get people to present facts here, so it would be great if we could once and for all get a clear statement from someone official about what are the law regarding this.

I am sure we are many who are wondering.

[Randi]

As far as the Surf Club goes, people can come and put a towel down on the beach as the beach is public. Using of the chairs and huts are property of the hotel and you can only rent them if you are staying at the hotel.

At moomba there is a guy there that will rent you a chair for $5 and an umbrella for $20. These umbrellas do not fly away as he has a concrete base that he digs into the sand. He is there all year long.

Some hotels will sell you a package for the day but I do believe it is dependant on the time of the year and how busy the hotel is. I can't see any of the hotel in the high rise district allowing this during their busy season. But as suggested, it is good to check directly.

[Andrea J.]

many folks believe that since the beach furniture is "on a public beach" it is for "public use".

the resorts believe the furniture is only for the use of the particular resort's guests .

my thoughts are the latter.

this has always been a huge interesting topic.
it is a very gray area.

[jeffnev]

The Marriott Surf Club gives their guests chair tags and you must attach your tag to a chair in order to use it. This is a way to keep "the public" from using the private chairs. Same for the palapas-you get a card with a specific # on it which corresponds to the palapa. We all (the TS owners) complain about the procedure, but it does guarantee that the SC guests will get the equipment they essentially own. The sand and water are obviously public property but not the chairs and palapas.