Baby Beach, Aruba: a practical guide to the shallow lagoon

Baby Beach is the reason families drive all the way to the far end of Aruba. It is a half moon of sheltered lagoon at the island's southeastern tip where the water stays waist deep and warm for a very long way out, which is exactly what you want when the smallest member of the party is three years old and fearless.

Where it is

The beach sits at Seroe Colorado, past the town of San Nicolas, at the bottom corner of the island. From Oranjestad expect somewhere in the region of half an hour by car. From Savaneta on the south coast it is roughly twenty minutes further east. The road is straightforward and well signed once you are past San Nicolas.

The lagoon, and the rope

The bay is almost enclosed, which is what makes it so calm. Inside, the water is shallow, clear and largely free of current, and children can wade out much further than they can at an open beach.

Snorkeling happens toward the mouth of the bay, where the lagoon opens to the ocean and the reef life gathers. There is a marked area for it, and there is a rope line.

Do not cross the rope. This is the one piece of advice worth taking seriously here. Beyond the barrier the conditions change completely: real current, real wave exposure, open ocean. Inside it, the bay is as gentle as it looks. That contrast catches confident swimmers out, so treat the line as a wall rather than a suggestion.

Facilities and timing

Parking. Free, paved and reasonably large, but it fills. On weekends and on days when cruise ships are in port the lot and the beach both get busy well before midday.

Shade and seating. There are free sun huts, and chairs, umbrellas and snorkel gear can be rented on site.

Food and facilities. There are public bathrooms, a casual food stand and a grill restaurant on the beach, plus a dive shop nearby. This is the most serviced beach on this end of the island.

Timing. Arrive before mid morning if you want your pick of parking and shade. Weekdays outside cruise days are noticeably calmer.

Making a day of the southeast

Baby Beach pairs naturally with two things nearby: Rodgers Beach, its quieter neighbor a minute away, and the murals of San Nicolas a short drive back up the road.

If you would rather be on the water

Baby Beach is a lovely place to float. It is not a place to paddle to anything. The kayaking on this coast happens further west, on the sheltered middle stretch nearer Savaneta, about twenty minutes from here.

The Sea Glass Island kayak tour crosses from the Savaneta ramp to an offshore islet whose shoreline is scattered with ocean tumbled glass. The Mangel Halto kayak and snorkel tour paddles mangrove channels and stops twice over the reef. Both run daily, last 2.5 hours and cap at 10 guests, with departures at 8:30 AM, 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM, and the 5:00 PM one turns the way home into a sunset paddle.

The company was founded by a veteran Aruban ranger with decades on Aruba's south coast, and every guide learned the water from him. Adults pay $89.99 at our summer rate, children from 6 to 12 pay $69.99, and the minimum age is 6. Booking confirms instantly, cancellation is free up to 24 hours ahead, and WhatsApp reaches a person at +1 786 971 2221. See times and book, or browse all our Aruba kayak tours.