Aruba is small enough to cross in under an hour, so people assume the area you pick barely matters. It does. I stayed on the island for 8 days, split between very different hotels, and the difference in how those days felt was bigger than I expected. Palm Beach at 7pm and Savaneta at 7pm are two separate holidays. If you are still deciding what to fill your days with, my full guide to the best things to do on the island covers that side.

This is the practical version: where to stay on Aruba per area, which hotels I booked myself, what things cost and which neighbourhood works best if you are travelling solo.

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Boardwalk Hotel | Where to stay on Aruba

Where to stay on Aruba: the 5 areas in short

Aruba has 5 areas worth considering: Palm Beach for resorts and nightlife, Eagle Beach for a quieter wide beach, Oranjestad for walkability and shops, Noord for snorkelling and calm, Savaneta for the local south. Palm Beach sits technically inside Noord, which confuses a lot of booking maps.

For a first trip I would pick Palm Beach or Eagle Beach. For a second trip, Noord. Solo travellers without a rental car are best off in Oranjestad or Palm Beach, since those are the only 2 areas where you can walk to dinner without arranging anything. In Noord and Savaneta a rental car is not a luxury, it is the difference between eating out and eating whatever your hotel serves.

One timing note that saved me money: on my trip I booked roughly 3 months ahead and the same room was 40 percent more expensive when I checked again 6 weeks before departure. Aruba does not reward spontaneity.

Palm Beach: best area to stay on Aruba for first timers

– Click on the names for rooms and rates –

Palm Beach is the high-rise strip: resorts, casinos, beach bars, a promenade you can actually walk in the evening. It is busy and it is touristy, and for a first visit that is exactly why it works. You can land, drop your bags and have dinner 200 metres away without thinking about transport.

I spent my last 2 nights at the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort, right on the sand, where we had a private sunset dinner on the beach that I still think about. Loved this beautiful hotel, the friendly staff and endless pool & ocean hangouts.

Just up the coast, JOIA Aruba by Iberostar is the adults-only all-inclusive on this stretch, with food and drinks in the rate, which makes the daily maths a lot simpler on an island where a main course sits at 30 dollars. One of the highest rated hotels on the island!

Downside: the beach in front of the high-rises fills up early. Loungers were claimed by 8am on the days I walked past, towels and all. That is also why I booked a morning catamaran brunch cruise from this side of the island: on the water with champagne while the sunbeds are still being negotiated.

Where to stay on Aruba near Eagle Beach

Eagle Beach is 10 minutes south and feels like a different island. Low-rise hotels, a much wider stretch of sand, the Fofoti trees everyone photographs. Nightlife is limited to a handful of restaurants, so this is the pick if your evenings involve a book rather than a casino.

The Mill Resort and Suites sits between Eagle Beach and Palm Beach, a low-rise with garden suites and a pool, around 200 to 350 dollar a night. It is the sensible middle option: walking distance to both beaches, without the high-rise price tag.

Between April and November turtles nest here. Signs go up around the nests and you are asked to keep lights off the beach at night. Worth knowing before you plan a midnight walk. For a different setting on the same stretch of sand, I booked a sunset picnic on Eagle Beach: cushions, snacks and iced drinks facing the water. The most beautiful picnic I have ever had.

Noord: best boutique hotels

Noord is where I stayed longest and where I would go back. Quieter, more local, close to the snorkelling beaches Tres Trapi and Boca Catalina, and within reach of the California Lighthouse and Alto Vista Chapel.

I stayed at the Boardwalk Boutique Hotel Aruba, adults only, casitas set in an old coconut plantation with hammocks and a pool that never felt full. A home away from home and more personal than the big resorts. Photos of this place ended up on my Instagram more often than anything else from this trip. Most of the photos in this article are from Boardwalk!

Hotel RH Boutique Aruba is the smaller, simpler option in the same area, from around 130 dollar per night, useful if you want the location without the boutique price!

You need a car here. Reckon on 40 to 60 dollars a day and book it with the room, because the popular categories go first. From this side of the island a horseback ride through Arikok to the Natural Pool is the easiest half day to organise, and the early ride is the one to take.

Oranjestad: where to stay on Aruba without a car

Oranjestad is the capital and the only area where I would happily stay without renting anything. Dutch colonial buildings, the tram, museums, shops, restaurants within walking distance of each other. As a solo traveller that walkability matters more than a sea view.

Wonders Boutique Hotel is the one I recommend most here, small, personal, with a spring-fed pool and a budget friendly option with colorful rooms from 100 dollar per night.

Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort is the only hotel with access to the flamingos on its private island, which is the entire reason people book it. This is by far one of the most photogenic hotels on the island and worth every penny.

Cruise ship days change the mood downtown completely. Check the port schedule if crowds bother you.

Savaneta and the south: the local option

Savaneta is an old fishing village on the south coast and was once the capital. Nothing here is built for tourists, which is the appeal. Snorkelling at Mangel Halto, seafood at the fish shacks over the water, Baby Beach 20 minutes further.

Aruba Surfside Marina is the practical pick on this side of the island, right on the water and popular with divers, from around 150 dollars per night. Rates on the south coast generally sit 30 to 40 percent below Palm Beach for the same standard, but you have to book ahead.

Where to stay on Aruba: costs and practicalities

In the boutique and luxury segment the room is the budget. Reckon on 200 to 350 a night for a small boutique hotel, 400 to 700 for beachfront, and 130 to 200 for the simpler guesthouses and apartments. Add roughly 80 to 120 dollars per person per day for meals, a rental car and one activity. All-inclusive at JOIA changes that maths: the rate looks higher, but with drinks and dinner included the daily total lands lower than a beachfront room plus restaurants.

Solo travellers should count on more per person, since rooms are usually priced per room and not per head. Airport transfers run about 25 to 35 dollars to Palm Beach and Eagle Beach, more to the south. Getting a local eSIM before you fly saves the arrival scramble, and I use Saily for that: downloaded and active before boarding. Best travel time is April to August, when the rates drop and the beaches empty out. Aruba sits outside the hurricane belt, so the season is not a weather question but a price question. If this kind of slow island pace is what you are after, Isla Holbox in Mexico and the Dominican Republic are the 2 places I compare it to most.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best area to stay on Aruba for first timers?

Palm Beach. Everything is within walking distance, restaurants and beach bars are open late, and you do not need a car to have a full day. JOIA Aruba by Iberostar works well here if you want everything included. Eagle Beach is the quieter alternative 10 minutes south.

Where should solo female travellers stay?

Oranjestad or Palm Beach. Both are walkable and well lit in the evening, with people around until late. I walked back to my hotel after dark in both areas without a second thought, and Wonders Boutique Hotel puts you right in the middle of it. Noord and Savaneta are lovely but leave you dependent on a car.

Do you need a rental car on Aruba?

Only if you stay in Noord or Savaneta. In Palm Beach, Eagle Beach and Oranjestad you can manage on foot and taxis. For Arikok National Park, Dos Playa and the north coast a rental car pays for itself in a day.

THE BEST THINGS TO DO ON THE ISLAND

How far in advance should you book hotels on Aruba?

3 to 4 months ahead for high season, 6 to 8 weeks for April to August. I booked 3 months out and paid noticeably less than the rate I saw 6 weeks before departure. Small properties like Boardwalk Boutique Hotel Aruba go first.

What are the best boutique hotels?

Boardwalk Boutique Hotel in Noord, Wonders Boutique Hotel in Oranjestad and Hotel RH Boutique Aruba for a smaller budget. All 3 are personal and a world away from the high-rise strip on Palm Beach.