Snorkeling from the beach in Aruba - Help please!

We will be there all day and wondered where we can take the bus to get to a beach with the best snorkeling. Some of our party likes to snorkel and some just want to enjoy a beach. We can make a couple stops if that is best. Just looking for some advice. Thank you!

Have you already gone? Did you find any good location for snorkeling from the beach? We are going next month.

Snorkling in Aruba -Palm Beach???

There are excursions to an island…is it Palm Island? - that I heard has ok snorkelling.

Palm Beach is definitely not the place for snorkelling, but a great place for tubing, para-sailing or to have a beer.

This has probably been addressed elsewhere but I'll give my 2 cents worth.

We have stopped in Aruba several times and have often found good snorkeling at Catalina Cove. This is where many/most of the catamaran tours go but you can just as easily snorkel from shore. When conditions are good--calm seas--it is easy to snorkel in the shallow areas so there is much more to be seen. There is easy entry from Boca Catalina beach where you can now rent lounges for $5 and use a palapa if you arrive early enough. Swim toward to right and out. I usually snorkel around to Arashi and out toward where the catamarans come. When I was there a couple of weeks ago, I saw an eel hiding in a gully about 8 feet from the entry and a school of squid shortly thereafter. A queen angelfish was practically in my face. Since the tours feed the fish, they may swarm around you looking for a handout.

You need to take a route 10 (I think it is a 10A) bus that goes to Arashi and ask to be let off at Boca Catalina. You could also take a Malmok bus (10B) and walk a ways. The Arashi bus only runs once an hour so ask for an approximate return time. The fare is $2.30 each way--they accept US$ but give change in gilders. The bus station is across the street and either to the left or right depending on your ship's docking position. Look for the bright colored pillars.

We just returned. We snorkeled at Baby Beach while our daughter did a shore dive there. Loved the JADS dive shop. It is a long taxi ride, you might want your own rental car to drive there. We booked with JADS and they picked us up. Beautiful beach, beautiful day!

We just returned from Aruba on the Enchantment of the Seas and booked a snorkle trip with "Aruba Bob". Check him out on Trip advisor. It was an awesome experience and you use "scooters" to help you move through the water. He also takes pictures for you and when we got home, I found hundreds(!) of pictures that he emailed me from our trip. It was well worth the trip and I would highly recommend him. Good luck!

If you don't mind me asking, what was the price of the snorkel tour.

If you don't mind me asking, what was the price of the snorkel tour.

I think it was $90. He picked us up at the ship. That included all equipment, 1 1/2 hrs in the water and when I got home they sent me over 500 pictures! I will find a few of the pictures that he took and post them later.

We had a great time!

COPIED from my previous post a few threads down (this is for Catalina Cove / Boca Catalina):

As soon as we walked off the ship and found the bus terminal (you need to walk straight off the pier unless you cross the busy main road, and terminal is on your right), we hopped the 10 and asked the driver to let us off at Boca Catalina. The beach entrance was much easier because there aren't as many rocks. We snorkeled out and right to Catalina Cove.

I noticed as soon as we started our gentle swim that we were heading NW with the current and told the other couple we were with to take it slow out since we'd be swimming against the current back to the beach. It was the perfect strategy. Although the current wasn't awful or unsafe, I could see how inexperienced snorkelers might extend too much energy in a hurry to get to the reefs. We saw a lot of really cool little critters, including starfish, and I was very happy we decided to do this on our own!

As we were getting ready to leave, the tours were all starting to drop off their snorkelers. It was about 10:30 or a little after. We waited about 20 mins or so for the 10 bus to turn around at Arashi and waved the driver down.

Our next stop was Eagle Beach, beautiful but really busy. We stayed for just under an hour...just long enough to float around and dig our toes into the powdery sand. Catching the bus back the port was easy.

Reiterating a great piece of advice given on this board - bring exact change for each one-way trip ($2.30 per person, per ride). You can use US$, but if it isn't exact, change is given in their currency. For us as a couple we spent a total of $13.80 (port to Boca Catalina / BC to Eagle Beach / EB to port). The bus has AC and is very clean.

COPIED from my previous post a few threads down (this is for Catalina Cove / Boca Catalina):

 

As soon as we walked off the ship and found the bus terminal (you need to walk straight off the pier unless you cross the busy main road, and terminal is on your right), we hopped the 10 and asked the driver to let us off at Boca Catalina. The beach entrance was much easier because there aren't as many rocks. We snorkeled out and right to Catalina Cove.

 

I noticed as soon as we started our gentle swim that we were heading NW with the current and told the other couple we were with to take it slow out since we'd be swimming against the current back to the beach. It was the perfect strategy. Although the current wasn't awful or unsafe, I could see how inexperienced snorkelers might extend too much energy in a hurry to get to the reefs. We saw a lot of really cool little critters, including starfish, and I was very happy we decided to do this on our own!

 

As we were getting ready to leave, the tours were all starting to drop off their snorkelers. It was about 10:30 or a little after. We waited about 20 mins or so for the 10 bus to turn around at Arashi and waved the driver down.

 

Our next stop was Eagle Beach, beautiful but really busy. We stayed for just under an hour...just long enough to float around and dig our toes into the powdery sand. Catching the bus back the port was easy.

 

Reiterating a great piece of advice given on this board - bring exact change for each one-way trip ($2.30 per person, per ride). You can use US$, but if it isn't exact, change is given in their currency. For us as a couple we spent a total of $13.80 (port to Boca Catalina / BC to Eagle Beach / EB to port). The bus has AC and is very clean.

Excellent information - This is the way to go - Hit everything and then make up your mind where to stop longer next visit - :D

We have made a couple of trips to Boca Catalina beach on the local transit bus. Lovely white coral sand, walk in beach with great snorkeling, most of the snorkel tours anchor off this beach. If there was a negative it is that if there is a wind blowing the wave action will kick up the white coral sand, in which case keep moving up island....to the right when you are facing out in the water, you will find some clear reef areas.

Ugh I dont know what to do never been to aruba. Should we go to catalina cove or take mi dushi snorkel sail for 85/pp thru carnival??? :confused:

Ugh I dont know what to do never been to aruba. Should we go to catalina cove or take mi dushi snorkel sail for 85/pp thru carnival??? :confused:

I can so vouch for MiDushi Snorkel Sail. We do at least twice every time we go to the island. Great fun.

Never took it off a cruise as we have 6 weeks of timeshare on the island. When we hit Aruba on a cruise we just go to our resort. I would look into booking MiDushi on your own. Don't know if transportation is included in the price of the Carnival tour but if you book on your own - the price is much cheaper. Go to their website.

MiDushi goes to Boca Catalina. We go to Boca Catalina from our resort early in the morning before the snorkeling tours come in and stir things up. Very easy shore snorkel.

Thank you for your help. We get into Aruba from 1-8 so wasn't sure what direction would be best for Aruba. Do you have any suggestions? I did see on a different post that you have a whole list of things are any of them within walking distance of the cruise port? I did read that we could get a bus and go to a beach also but wasn't sure if the beach areas that were talked about was something we could snorkel at or if we should spend time seeing other sites since it is our first time there. One of the reasons I wasn't sure about diving was because I know it take quite a bit of time out and wasn't sure if we'd have time to see or do anything else. I believe I read that the shops close up around 6 pm also, are they in walking distance from the port? Sorry for so many questions.

No problem. I am responding here in the Aruba forum to keep the Curacao forum on topic.

The stores are within walking distance of the port, but they do close at 6 pm. Unless you are looking for just souvenirs, it is not the best shopping in the world. For souvenirs, check out the vendors along the waterfront.

All below are accessible by public bus, with Boca Catalina, Catalina Cove and Arashi beach being the furthest from the port. Plan on a good hour. It will be less than that, it depends upon whether or not the bus has to stop at every stop.

There is nothing to see snorkeling off of Palm Beach or Eagle Beach. With a "only" a white sandy bottom, you may see some fish swimming by, but that is just a random thing.

On Palm Beach, there is a spot between the Westin and Divi Phoenix Resort (south end of Palm Beach) which you can snorkel. The water is very calm there as well. About 150 yards off the beach there is a little jetty like rock island.

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Here you can view fish, octopus, and other critters such as lobster, etc. There are also rock jetties along both sides of the Phoenix's beach which may offer some glimpses of sea life.

No chaises though nor much else real close by. The Westin is a short walk and the closest resort.

North of Palm Beach, by bus or taxi, there is a small beach at Boca Catalina which is perfect for swimming and snorkeling. There are a few shade palapas here but no restroom facilities. There are no "real" rest room facilities at all along the coast at either BC, Catalina Cove or Arashi. Though from what I understand, port-a-potties were a recent addition to Arashi beach as well as chaise lounge rentals. It is a beautiful white sand beach if only to get away from the hubbub of the Marriott.

Below is Arashi on a day with a few waves, it can be very calm here as well.

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Below is Boca Catalina

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If you enter at above, Boca Catalina there is a plain white sandy bottom. On some days, early in the morning, you will be able to see your feet. Put your fins on and walk backwards into the water or walk in as far as you need, sit or get into a crouched position and put your fins on there. This is the easiest spot for a beginner.

The snorkeling is a bit better at Catalina Cove below, though it is rocky which makes for a difficult entry. We normally enter the water at Boca Catalina and swim northward due to the difficult entry here at Catalina Cove pictured below.

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Catalina Cove, I would definitely put your fins on before entering and just walk backwards as best as you can. If one of you has more tender feet than the other, have the tough foot wade in without, holding your back so you do not fall.

I have further information and photos of this area here

Take the public bus and ask the bus driver to drop you off wherever you wish. It will literally be a few foot steps onto the beach. If you are at Boca Catalina the bus runs "about" every hour. Keep an eye out for it heading north and you can gather your things and be ready after it goes up and turns around at Arashi.

When we head to Boca Catalina to snorkel there are always other tourists there. It is a popular spot for those folks staying at apartments or villas to have beach access. Dh and I generally ask someone to keep an eye on our towels and of course never bring anything valuable in the first place.

There is a minuscule beach at Malmok. This photo is from 2 years ago. There was less beach here this past June.

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Arashi Beach is again pictured below. You can enter here and swim south towards and around the rocks and there is a reef there on the other side.

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It is a fairly easy walk street side from Arashi southward to Catalina Cove and then Boca Catalina. Malmok beach is further to the south.

Great info and pictures, arubalisa, thanks for posting!

You are very welcome! :)