Arashi Beach Guide

One of our favourite beaches is Arashi. It’s usually less crowded, has ample parking, a beach bar with food, and there are no speedboats and jetskis constantly buzzing around. We often head up to Arashi for a late afternoon swim or for a sunset picnic. 

Arashi is located at the northern tip of the island and is about 900 feet in length.  

Upon arriving, you’ll see the restaurant and the main beach area where the beach is widest. To get away from the crowds, walk up the beach to where it gets narrower. 

Is there shade at Arashi Beach? 

The sun is strong in Aruba and shade can be hard to find on the beach.  Arashi has about a dozen public palapas that are  free to use. You’ll have to get to the beach early or be lucky to snag a palapa.  

You can rent an umbrella and sunbeds. This can get expensive if you rent every day. During busy times of year, the rental umbrellas will sell out. 

You can bring your own shade but keep in mind that Aruba can be very windy and standard beach umbrellas won’t hold up. 

The three shade solutions that we’ve seen working in Aruba are the Neso Tent, the Shibumi and the BeachBub Umbrella.   We’ve written about these in this article. 

Is there Parking at Arashi Beach? 

Yes, there is a decent sized parking lot. If it’s full, you can continue north on the main road and turn left at these stone gates to get onto a dirt road that runs along the beach and has room to park. Parking at Arashi is free. 

Does Arashi Beach have bathrooms? 

There are bathrooms and showers at the restaurant but there is a fee for access unless you order food at the bar or have rented an umbrella. The access rules for the bathroom sometimes depend on who is working the bathroom door. 

Is there Wifi and cell reception at Arashi Beach? 

If the restaurant’s wifi is working, they usually post the password somewhere on the wall by the bar.  Cellular reception can be quite poor at Arashi on both the Digicel and Setar networks. It sometimes comes and goes, enough to send / receive a text but not enough to browse or stream. 

Is Arashi Beach good for snorkelling? 

Not really. There is a reef out from the north end of the beach but it can be wavy and the currents can be strong. There are better places to snorkel including Boca Catalina, a couple minutes down the raod from Arashi. 

How can I get to Arashi Beach? 

Arashi is easy to get to by car, taxi and bus.  Bus L10 travels from Oranjestad up the coast to Arashi. The timetable can be found here. There is no taxi stand at Arashi to get back home but you might get lucky and catch one that is dropping someone off. If the driver can’t take you, ask them if they can call a taxi for you.