Still confused about Eagle Beach specifically bathrooms and restaurants

I have read many posts re: Eagle Beach, but please clear up some confusion. We (me, my husband and teenage daughter) would like to take a cab from our cruise ship to Eagle Beach. Ideally, we would be looking for: chairs and umbrella to rent, watersports (jet-skis and parasailing), bathrooms, and lunch on the beach. I have found that chairs and umbrella should not be a problem. Julio Watersports will take care of the watersports. But where are the bathrooms and are there any casual restaurants right on the beach ? Is there a place where you can get the food to go and eat on the beach ? Thank you.

Yes, there are restrooms, showers, etc. There are eateries...I guess you could get food "to go".

Yes, there are restrooms, showers, etc. There are eateries...I guess you could get food "to go".

As of this time, there are no showers available on Eagle Beach. This poster must be thinking of Palm Beach. However, that is about to change. Aruba recognizes that Eagle Beach has never been cruiser friendly, so they are taking steps to correct that. Currently, they are building several areas on Eagle Beach that have restrooms and showers. I have also heard that they will have snack bars. The main issue is when they will actually open. They built one on Arashi and one on Surfside beach over a year ago that are still not open. Your best bet right now would be to go to MVC or Amsterdam Manor, if you would like food and bathroom access. MVC will only allow you to use their bathrooms if you order something from the bar. Some of the other hotels in the area will let you eat there. Most of the hotels that you will see on Eagle Beach are timeshares, with a few hotels. Some of them are all inclusives and don't serve people who aren't staying there. You just have to go there and ask. As I stated before, Eagle Beach is more set up for resort guests than day visitors. Palm Beach is set up for both. You can have a great day on Eagle Beach, but things are more spread out and you just have to look around. Perhaps the new facilities will be open by the time that you arrive, but knowing how slowly things progress in Aruba, that's doubtful.

Thank you Hatteras51. My confusion is all gone !

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Thank you Hatteras51. My confusion is all gone !

You are welcome! Happy to help.

As of this time, there are no showers available on Eagle Beach. This poster must be thinking of Palm Beach. However, that is about to change. Aruba recognizes that Eagle Beach has never been cruiser friendly, so they are taking steps to correct that. Currently, they are building several areas on Eagle Beach that have restrooms and showers. I have also heard that they will have snack bars. The main issue is when they will actually open. They built one on Arashi and one on Surfside beach over a year ago that are still not open. Your best bet right now would be to go to MVC or Amsterdam Manor, if you would like food and bathroom access. MVC will only allow you to use their bathrooms if you order something from the bar. Some of the other hotels in the area will let you eat there. Most of the hotels that you will see on Eagle Beach are timeshares, with a few hotels. Some of them are all inclusives and don't serve people who aren't staying there. You just have to go there and ask. As I stated before, Eagle Beach is more set up for resort guests than day visitors. Palm Beach is set up for both. You can have a great day on Eagle Beach, but things are more spread out and you just have to look around. Perhaps the new facilities will be open by the time that you arrive, but knowing how slowly things progress in Aruba, that's doubtful.

I wish we had a "like" button on this site so I could like your reply to trump's question. Thank you for all of that information. You didn't just help the OP, you helped other curious people like me too. And thank you too, trump, for asking such a great question!

Glad to help! Those of us who love Aruba enjoy sharing information with all of you. It pains me to see people get off of the ship and wander up and down the beach, looking for a place to find a chair and spend the day. Since we are also cruisers, we sympathize with everyone. Been there, done that!! It is our hopes (Arubalisa and I, along with a few other regular Aruba vacationers), that others will read what we write and have a better experience because of something that they learned here. :)

Glad to help! Those of us who love Aruba enjoy sharing information with all of you. It pains me to see people get off of the ship and wander up and down the beach, looking for a place to find a chair and spend the day. Since we are also cruisers, we sympathize with everyone. Been there, done that!! It is our hopes (Arubalisa and I, along with a few other regular Aruba vacationers), that others will read what we write and have a better experience because of something that they learned here. :)

One reason DW and i have enjoyed Eagle (for many years) is because it is not very cruiser friendly :). We have stayed near that beach when on the island, and have also used it when we are on a ship. We generally stay on the beach across the street from the Amsterdam Manor, where we "make a deal" and rent a couple of loungers. They usually allow us to use one of the rear palapas (the ones closest to the water are generally reserved for guests of the hotel). For rest room facilities we have always used the ones located across the street near the pool (also close to the restaurant).

If they do make the beach more cruiser friendly, we suspect it will lead to overcrowding like on Palm Beach. That would be a bummer for us, and we would have to consider spending more time at Arashi..which has little to know facilities.

Hank

One reason DW and i have enjoyed Eagle (for many years) is because it is not very cruiser friendly :). We have stayed near that beach when on the island, and have also used it when we are on a ship. We generally stay on the beach across the street from the Amsterdam Manor, where we "make a deal" and rent a couple of loungers. They usually allow us to use one of the rear palapas (the ones closest to the water are generally reserved for guests of the hotel). For rest room facilities we have always used the ones located across the street near the pool (also close to the restaurant).

 

If they do make the beach more cruiser friendly, we suspect it will lead to overcrowding like on Palm Beach. That would be a bummer for us, and we would have to consider spending more time at Arashi..which has little to know facilities.

 

Hank

Hank, I don't know if you've been to Eagle Beach recently, but it has become a lot more congested, especially from Amsterdam Manor and past Paradise Beach Villas (Chalet Suisse area). There are numerous vendors with umbrellas now, along with the jet ski guys that have been there for years. Hopefully, the new restroom areas will help spread out some of the vendors and alleviate some of the congestion. Not everyone who has stayed at Amsterdam Manor during high season has been happy about the congested situation. This past year, it lost some of it's "peace and serenity." We stay at Costa Linda, and they are building restrooms and a concession area in the open space right next door. I've always thought that would be a good place for the vendors to set up umbrellas and chairs. We are fine with that, as long as they don't set them in front of our palapa! My hubby gets up before daylight every morning to claim his spot, and he'll be pretty upset if they block our view. Hopefully, Eagle will not become as congested as Palm, but the congestion is already there.

I think it also may depend when you travel to Aruba. We just got back from a stay at La Cabana and did not feel Eagle Beach was over crowded at all. The people we spoke to at the Resort have been coming there in May for years some as long as 20 years.

We have already pre-booked for next May. in speaking with both natives they advise us that January and February are very busy and May thru Sept. is less crowded.

Hank, I don't know if you've been to Eagle Beach recently, but it has become a lot more congested, especially from Amsterdam Manor and past Paradise Beach Villas (Chalet Suisse area). There are numerous vendors with umbrellas now, along with the jet ski guys that have been there for years. Hopefully, the new restroom areas will help spread out some of the vendors and alleviate some of the congestion. Not everyone who has stayed at Amsterdam Manor during high season has been happy about the congested situation. This past year, it lost some of it's "peace and serenity." We stay at Costa Linda, and they are building restrooms and a concession area in the open space right next door. I've always thought that would be a good place for the vendors to set up umbrellas and chairs. We are fine with that, as long as they don't set them in front of our palapa! My hubby gets up before daylight every morning to claim his spot, and he'll be pretty upset if they block our view. Hopefully, Eagle will not become as congested as Palm, but the congestion is already there.

Have not been there since last December (will be there again in late Nov). We have long thought that Eagle is a place just waiting to be ruined by the "do gooders" who want to turn it into another Palm Beach (which we avoid like the plague. Sounds like the destruction has begun :(. On the other hand, if we happen to be in Aruba on a cruise (usually only one day a year) we do have other options. But if they ruin Eagle, and we do not want to stay on Manchebo...then we will simply vacation on other islands (we like Grand Case on St Maarten or St Barts).

Hank

I think it also may depend when you travel to Aruba. We just got back from a stay at La Cabana and did not feel Eagle Beach was over crowded at all. The people we spoke to at the Resort have been coming there in May for years some as long as 20 years.

 

We have already pre-booked for next May. in speaking with both natives they advise us that January and February are very busy and May thru Sept. is less crowded.

You picked a great time to be there. May is definitely low season. The resorts are a lot less crowded and the cruise season is over. We go in Feb. which is packed. All of the resorts are full and there are often 4 cruise ships in port. I read that one day, there were 5 cruise ships in town.

Have not been there since last December (will be there again in late Nov). We have long thought that Eagle is a place just waiting to be ruined by the "do gooders" who want to turn it into another Palm Beach (which we avoid like the plague. Sounds like the destruction has begun :(. On the other hand, if we happen to be in Aruba on a cruise (usually only one day a year) we do have other options. But if they ruin Eagle, and we do not want to stay on Manchebo...then we will simply vacation on other islands (we like Grand Case on St Maarten or St Barts).

 

Hank

Manchebo area should be unaffected by all of the changes. The public bathrooms and concession areas are being built across from Chalet Suisse and next to Costa Linda. The one by Chalet Suisse will hopefully reduce the congestion from Amsterdam Manor to Paradise Beach Villas. It would make more sense for the chair/umbrella vendors to move up to these areas, away from the resorts. The end of Nov. should still be fairly quiet, although Thanksgiving is busy on the island. We are thinking about going in early Nov. instead of Feb. this year.

You picked a great time to be there. May is definitely low season. The resorts are a lot less crowded and the cruise season is over. We go in Feb. which is packed. All of the resorts are full and there are often 4 cruise ships in port. I read that one day, there were 5 cruise ships in town.

We did speak to people at the Resort who used to travel in Feb. but now come in May as they enjoy having it less crowded.

Manchebo area should be unaffected by all of the changes. The public bathrooms and concession areas are being built across from Chalet Suisse and next to Costa Linda. The one by Chalet Suisse will hopefully reduce the congestion from Amsterdam Manor to Paradise Beach Villas. It would make more sense for the chair/umbrella vendors to move up to these areas, away from the resorts. The end of Nov. should still be fairly quiet, although Thanksgiving is busy on the island. We are thinking about going in early Nov. instead of Feb. this year.

Does anyone know if the public bathrooms and concession area has opened here?

The bathrooms are open. I don't know if the concession is open.

The bathrooms are open. I don't know if the concession is open.

Thanks so much! This is good to know.

If the concession is not as yet open, how far would the guys have to walk to get some snacks/drinks?

Thanks so much! This is good to know.

 

If the concession is not as yet open, how far would the guys have to walk to get some snacks/drinks?

Not far for drinks. There are some beach bars very close by, just down the beach, towards Palm Beach, at La Cabana and Amsterdam Manor. La Cabana has a nice little store on premises. Paradise Beach Villas also has a bar, which is across the street.

Not far for drinks. There are some beach bars very close by, just down the beach, towards Palm Beach, at La Cabana and Amsterdam Manor. La Cabana has a nice little store on premises. Paradise Beach Villas also has a bar, which is across the street.

Thank you!

Excellent! This sounds right for us ( 17 of us). So, we will tell taxi driver to drop us off at the public access next to Costa Linda?

Thank you!

 

Excellent! This sounds right for us ( 17 of us). So, we will tell taxi driver to drop us off at the public access next to Costa Linda?

Wow, 17 people! I don't believe that there are many chairs and umbrellas next to Costa Linda. That area just recently started renting chairs. I believe that you will be able to find more available if you have the cab driver drop you off at the beach access across from Chalet Suisse. There are several vendors in that area now.

Wow, 17 people! I don't believe that there are many chairs and umbrellas next to Costa Linda. That area just recently started renting chairs. I believe that you will be able to find more available if you have the cab driver drop you off at the beach access across from Chalet Suisse. There are several vendors in that area now.

Ok Thanks That is good to know - 8 of the 17 are kids and I think one of my daughters is bringing some sort of a beach pop up tent.

Thanks for all the invaluable info!