Avoiding topless beaches?

[terryflorida]

Is there any chance my family will be able to find a beach that is not topless in Aruba? Thanks!

[Arubalisa]

No not really. It just depends on the type of people who are vacationing on the island at the time. If there are mainly Americans around, chances are minimal. If there are South Americans and Europeans around, your chances of being around topless women is much greater.

 

In September we did not see it once. Other trips at other times of the year, we have seen it everyday for 10 or 11 days. In December it was very prevalent in Curacao at Playa PortoMari.

 

Best bet though is to avoid Eagle Beach all together and stick with the Palm Beach. Europeans particulary are attracted to Eagle Beach.

[Lsimon]

I don't recall seeing any topless women at Palm Beach. So if there were any they were very few in numbers. We camped out near DePalm Pier, but walked a fair ways up the beach along the hotels and back down by the water.

 

Curacao - we stopped by Kontiki beach and there were a fair number there. Judging just from the languages we noticed, I think that Aruba were mostly Americans, but Curacao seemed to be many Europeans at the beach.

[Sheik]

In Europe topless beaches are very common. And yes, there are a lot of kids running and playing at the same beach. It's so normal, nobody gives a .... ;)

 

Do you have problems with topless beaches?

 

Because Aruba is part of the Netherlands, it's pretty likely to see topless European/Dutch ladies on most of the beaches. There are worse things going on in this world ;)

[cruisecamp]

We were at Palm Beach last week. Three girls right in front of us were topless. They were the only ones there that we saw. We were there 3 years ago and didn't see any. Depends on the day and the spot your at. You could always move down the beach as we saw many people do when they noticed the girls nearby.

[terryflorida]

Thanks very much for the responses. Guess we will have to stay in town and forget the beaches as we have children and are not Europeans. To each his own, but that doesn't mean we have to put up with it if we don't want to. We happen to like the way we do things here in the US, thanks. :-)

[laceyjane]

Our other 3 trips to Palm Beach we spent the entire day there from early morning until after 5:00pm and we did not see one topless person.

 

Our last cruise day there we must have had at least 6 girls (probably all in there 20's I'd guess) that were topless around us. They were mostly Americans and all off our ship- what happened was a few Dutch girls that lived locally came late afternoon and were topless and then all of a sudden we noticed all these other girls (who were americans from our ship and had already been on the beach at least half the day with there tops on) decided to also go topless after seeing the other girls. Another couple from our ship that spent the day on a different area of Palm Beach saw no topless sunbathing that day.

 

Palm Beach is such a great/beautiful/fun beach it would be a shame for you and your family to miss it-We have neighbors that spend a week there every year for the past 8 years and they said it has been very rare for them to ever see topless on Palm Beach. You should go, and IF (you may see it you may not) you encounter that type of sun bathing just either move to another spot on the beach or leave for the day. If you don't go you will miss a beautiful beach and if there was no one topless on the day you would have been there you missed Palm beach for no reason.

 

We took the local bus roundtrip (definitely the best/cheapest way to get to Palm Beach) -very cheap to do this-very safe-that way if you end up wanting to leave the beach before you are ready you really aren't out much money in transportation.

 

I hope you enjoy your day in Aruba whatever you and your family decide to do.

[Big Sky Country]

Thanks very much for the responses. Guess we will have to stay in town and forget the beaches as we have children and are not Europeans. To each his own, but that doesn't mean we have to put up with it if we don't want to. We happen to like the way we do things here in the US, thanks. :-)

 

Depending on where your cruise goes, this will probably be an issue for you on a bunch of the islands you are visiting, if not all of them. You may want to further investigate (if you haven't already) before you wind up spending your entire week hiding from the rest of the world and wonder why you didn't just go shopping at the mall instead. St. Martin, Curacao, Aruba, etc. all have European influence and, therefore, you may encounter some.

 

My suggestion would be to stay in the US or US territorities if you only want to be exposed to American culture. I'm not sure about the Virgin Islands, but you won't find any toplessness in Puerto Rico.

[itssunforme]

Topless is hit or miss and not usually a big deal. People were descreet about it. I wouldn't consider it a problem

[snowbirds2]

We were at Eagle beach a couple of weeks ago - late afternoon. The sun was low and really bright and I snapped some pictures up and down the beach. Hard to focus because of the glare so I just pointed and clicked. When I got back my DH grinned and said the two girls sunbathing a few yards down the beach from us were not best pleased when they saw me taking pictures! Guess that's the chance you take when you decide to go topless - I never noticed them and no - nothing showed up in the photos! But I'll be a bit more aware on our next visit!

[horsesandcruises]

The beach area at Manchebo is considered to be the more "topless accepted" beach. The Manchebo and Bucuti properties are located there and i personally think that it is by far the nicest strand of beach on the isalnd.Our adult group likes the area and the sight of attractive topless women is not a bad thing at all. The whole aruba experience is wonderful and we look forward to returning this winter.

[billathome]

 

We took the local bus roundtrip (definitely the best/cheapest way to get to Palm Beach) -very cheap to do this-very safe-that way if you end up wanting to leave the beach before you are ready you really aren't out much money in transportation.

 

A quick question about the bus. Does it run frequently, and is it difficult to get the right bus back to the cruise pier? (that's two)

 

I checked the bus schedule by Arubus, and it was so complicated, I couldn't figure it out.

 

Thanks

 

Becky

[laceyjane]

Yes, the bus runs frequently and it is very very easy to get a bus to and back from Palm Beach. I think at most we may have waited 10 minutes for the bus back to the cruise ship pier area/bus terminal. I paid for a round trip ticket when I got on the bus. At the bus terminal there is a trailer if you have any questions about any thing go in and ask them, they are very friendly or ask the driver or someone on/waiting for the bus. Buses leave the terminal every 10 or 15 minutes to go to hotel/palm beach area so you will definitely get a bus there and back.

 

On the same side of the street as all the hotels, there are several covered "bench type things" where the bus stops/may also be round bus stop signs there-can't remember-I know there is one in front of Holiday Inn and several others. All the buses that stop on the same side of the street as the hotels are all heading back to the bus station. Just wait at one of those "kiosk" type things in front of one of the hotels and you will see the bus and it will stop. (I got little nervous because I was waiting at the bus stop in front of hotels and the bus was on the other side of the street in front of restaurants etc. picking up people I thought I needed to cross the street and get on that bus which was heading AWAY from the bus terminal/cruise ship pier but just wait and a bus will come for you on your side of the street)

 

Everyone is very friendly/helpful and so are the drivers so if you have any questions just ask.

[billathome]

Thanks for the info Laceyjane.

 

Do you know if the snorkeling is good at Palm Beach?

 

Becky

[laceyjane]

I would say no snorkeling is not good at Palm Beach because it is a very sandy bottom at least in the area we have been in. Maybe others would no more about the snorkeling but I never really noticed anyone else snorkeling there and with the bottom being such soft sand and not rocky I wouldn't think it would be good for snorkeling-not sure though.

[Arubalisa]

Do you know if the snorkeling is good at Palm Beach?

Becky

There is nothing to see in the waters off Palm Beach. It is just a white sandy bottom. You may see some fish swimming by, but that is just a random thing.

 

If you have your own snorkel gear, for snorkeling, at the southern end of Palm Beach, just north of the Phoenix Resort and south of the Westin, there is a break that goes about 150 yards out into the water. There is also a little rock island there where you can view fish, octopus, etc. To hang out on that stretch of the beach for the day is a little difficult, in that the sand on this little stretch of Palm Beach (and that section only) is loaded with tiny coral pieces and rocks, but there is free shade and snorkeling.

[dgg4]

I don't think you need to avoid topless beaches just because you have kids. It gives you an opportunity to educate tham about the rest of the world and different cultures. In Panama on the Panama canal cruises, the native Indians there sell their handicrafts and the women are all topless. The men are barely coverd by a loin cloth. Would you avoid getting off the ship and going shopping just because the women are topless? I explained to my two sons (who were 9 and 11) that this is how these people dress as part of their culture. I also told them it wasn't polite to stare and you don't act or treat them any differently.

[billathome]

There is nothing to see in the waters off Palm Beach. It is just a white sandy bottom. You may see some fish swimming by, but that is just a random thing.

 

If you have your own snorkel gear, for snorkeling, at the southern end of Palm Beach, just north of the Phoenix Resort and south of the Westin, there is a break that goes about 150 yards out into the water. There is also a little rock island there where you can view fish, octopus, etc. To hang out on that stretch of the beach for the day is a little difficult, in that the sand on this little stretch of Palm Beach (and that section only) is loaded with tiny coral pieces and rocks, but there is free shade and snorkeling.

 

 

Not being familiar with the landscape; is this snorkeling area of Palm Beach on the end of the beach closest to the cruise pier or the other end farthest away from the pier? Or is there just one bus stop for the whole of Palm Beach?

 

Or, should we start over and ask, is there a good snorkeling place on the bus line?

 

Thanks

[UKRosie]

I have just been to Palm and Eagle Beach and did nt see any topless people. It would nt have bothered me at all if I had. In Europe it is so common its hard for Europeans to understand why anyone would be bothered by a pair of boobs! Children especially have no interest in them they are far more interested in the beach.

[LA_FadeAway]

Thanks very much for the responses. Guess we will have to stay in town and forget the beaches as we have children and are not Europeans. To each his own, but that doesn't mean we have to put up with it if we don't want to. We happen to like the way we do things here in the US, thanks. :-)

It seems like maybe you shouldn't leave the country if you're this concerned about your children seeing topless women. Lord knows what else you might run into out there. :rolleyes:

[caribbean dreams]

I'd stay clear of Palm beach because if i'm there, me and my daughters will be topless:eek:

 

It's a beautiful beach to miss just because of a few topless bodies.

 

How do you explain the drunks, speedo's and the occasional thong to the kids on the ship?

 

Sorry but my feeling is, the human body is nothing to be ashamed about.

[sgriff17]

Our last cruise day there we must have had at least 6 girls (probably all in there 20's I'd guess) that were topless around us. They were mostly Americans and all off our ship- what happened was a few Dutch girls that lived locally came late afternoon and were topless and then all of a sudden we noticed all these other girls (who were americans from our ship and had already been on the beach at least half the day with there tops on) decided to also go topless after seeing the other girls. .

 

WHY can't this happen when I'm around? Seriously. Why??

[green27]

LSimon- can you recommend me the nicest beaches you think to visit in aruba and curacao.. im looking for a beach without construction sites around, and pretty blue water with water activites and a bar. THANkYOU

[new2cruzing]

i was in Aruba in August and didn't see anyone topless.

[wato1963]

OMG a topless woman shock horror,life is TO short,get a life