Aruba is 32km long and 10km wide — small enough to drive end-to-end in under an hour. Here’s how the island is laid out and where everything is.
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Where everything actually is
Twenty-seven places, plotted on real coordinates. Pick where you are staying and the map tells you how far everything is — and what nobody selling you a tour will.
Drive times are estimates from real straight-line distances, adjusted for Aruba's road network — about 52 km/h on paved roads and 18 km/h on the unpaved tracks into Arikok. Add time in cruise-ship season and around Palm Beach at sunset.
Coastline drawn from Natural Earth 1:10m public-domain data and generalised for legibility. Aruba is 32 km long, 10 km across at its widest, 179 km² in all.
Use the map with our guides to the best tours in Aruba, Aruba catamaran tours and boutique hotels in Aruba.
Island Layout
North coast (Caribbean/western side): This is where everything is — Palm Beach, Eagle Beach, Manchebo Beach, Oranjestad, the hotels, restaurants, and most tours. Calm water, white sand, trade winds. South coast (Atlantic/eastern side): Rugged, windswept, dramatic. Baby Beach and Boca Grandi are here, as is Arikok National Park and the Natural Pool. Very few tourists, very few facilities.
New to the island? Start with exactly where Aruba is located and how far it is from the US.
Key Distances
Airport to Palm Beach: 20 minutes. Airport to Eagle Beach: 15 minutes. Palm Beach to Oranjestad: 15 minutes. Palm Beach to Baby Beach (south): 35 minutes. Palm Beach to Natural Pool (Conchi): 50 minutes (4×4 required). Palm Beach to San Nicolas: 30 minutes. California Lighthouse (northern tip) to Baby Beach (southern tip): 55 minutes.
Areas at a Glance
Palm Beach: The main tourist strip — hotels, beach bars, catamaran departures, restaurants, casinos. Eagle Beach: Quieter, more beautiful, fewer tourists. Best beach on the island. Manchebo/Druif Beach: Widest beach, quietest area. Oranjestad: The capital — Dutch Colonial architecture, duty-free shopping, Renaissance flamingos, harbour. Noord: Residential area between Palm Beach and the lighthouse. San Nicolas: Second city, street art murals, local food, Carnival history. Savaneta: Fishing village with the best local seafood (Zeerovers).
Do You Need a Car?
Not necessarily — Palm Beach is walkable and taxis are fixed-rate. But to visit Baby Beach, San Nicolas, the Natural Pool, or Arikok, you need either a rental car or to join a guided tour. A 4×4 is required for the Natural Pool specifically. See the car rental guide and getting around guide.
Getting around Aruba | Car rental | Complete travel guide
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