Coral Reef Beach

The location was fantastic. Right on the water, with easy swim and kayak access. Close to two great restaurants. The small kitchen made for a perfect spot to store snacks and light bites as well as preparing drinks for the veranda.

This place is a bit more remote on the island, but that ends up being part of the appeal. It feels genuinely local, and you’re removed from the more crowded areas. The couple (Jenny and Erik) who run the property are truly incredible. They put so much care into creating a space that feels welcoming and easy to settle into. I ended up meeting some wonderful people there, which I think says a lot about the kind of environment they’ve built. Being right on the waterfront is a huge plus in Aruba — it’s hard to overstate how nice that is. There’s also a restaurant right next door that always seemed lively and well enjoyed.

One small note: Despite the tireless hard-work of Graciela, the property’s wonderful and dedicated caretaker, I did notice a few cockroaches in the room during my stay. I didn’t mention it at the time, so I didn’t give them a chance to address it. Other than that, it was a really memorable experience. If you’re looking for something relaxed, social, and a little more local — and you’re not overly fussy about small things — this is a great spot.

This place is a gem. We loved being right by the water, we could see the ocean from bed, so I have to say more? Such a cozy and cute place, you have everything you need to enjoy the water and the beach. There is a shared kitchen if you need it, kind of hostel ambiance. I was a bit worried about the restaurant so close to the hotel/beach but honestly didn’t bother us at all. They kept the noise to a minimum and by 10:30pm was pretty much empty. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. We will definitely come back!

The location is ideal if you want to explore all of Aruba and get a real sense of the island beyond the tourist hotel strip on the northern beaches. San Nicolas and Baby Beach are super close, maybe 15 minutes drive, and Oranjestad wasn't too far either. It was great having a little beach and dock and being able to use the hotel kayaks and life jackets to check out Seaglass Island. It was also great being a 5 minute walk from Zeerover, the best deal for dinner that we found on the island. We didn't eat at Flying Fishbone, which shares a fence with Coral Reef Beach, because we didn't feel like we needed to splurge that much for good food, but it's very popular and everyone eating there seemed very happy. We did use the Flying Fishbone parking lot one evening when the small hotel parking lot was full. Apartment #2 has a bedroom with 2 queen beds, a dining room, a small, fully equipped kitchenette (I think the only thing making it a kitchenette vs a kitchen is that it has a two burner cooktop vs a stove. The kitchen has a door directly to/from the parking lot, which made it super easy to bring in bags and groceries. The bedroom also has a door to the courtyard and beach access, which made it even faster to get to the water. By the end of our 9 nights my husband and I were finding our bed a bit hard, but that was our only real complaint. It's not fancy or super modern, and you need to bring your own shampoo and conditioner, but the apartment had everything we needed for our time in Aruba including beach towels. We brought our own snorkeling gear but we could probably have just used the gear available in the courtyard. You also don't need to bring a cooler for beach trips as there are several available to borrow in the shared kitchen off the courtyard. Graciela was very welcoming and does a wonderful job cleaning -- the apartment was spotless. The people staying here all seemed very chill and kind, no noisy partiers.