Are Palapas Free in Aruba? The Great Debate

Maybe you’ve heard of the great debate going on about whether palapas on the beach are free to use in Aruba or if they belong to the hotels for hotel guest usage only. Well, there’s finally been a decision made and published by the police.

Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about palapa usage in Aruba, but first, what is a palapa?

What is a Palapa in Aruba?

Palapa comes from the Spanish word of Tagalog origin meaning “petiole of the palm leaf”. Today it is used to describe an open-sided covering built with a thatched roof made from dry palm fronds. These umbrella-like structures are usually used for shade from the sun.

In Aruba, you’ll find them dotting the beaches with sun worshippers taking turns sitting in the shade of the palapas and in the sun.

Where can you find beach palapas in Aruba?

Many of the most popular beaches in Aruba have palapas set up on them for your convenience. If you want to find a palapa to use, consider visiting Eagle Beach, Palm Beach, Baby Beach, Boca Catalina, or Arashi Beach.

Beach Palapas are Free in Aruba

As all beaches in Aruba are public beaches, it means that you can visit any beach for free. No one can charge you to enter a beach area or prevent you from being on the beach – even if there is a hotel directly behind it.

But how much does it cost to rent a palapa in Aruba? I have good news… it’s $0! Yes, these too are public and free to use by anyone – even if they are located outside of a hotel on the beach.

Any beach palapas built between the hotel and the water are not exclusively for the use of the hotel guests. They are considered part of the free public beaches in Aruba. When hotels build them, they are aware that they are investing in palapas on a beach they do not own.

What about chairs under Palapas?

If there are open palapas, you can use them for free. This means you can use your beach towel to sit under it or bring your own chairs and pay nothing. Another option is you can rent chairs for under the palapa.

To rent chairs under a palapa, you have to see who is renting chairs in the area. It may be a hotel or resort located behind the palapa on the beach. They may choose to rent you a chair or not. Some will only rent chairs to hotel guests.

Even if they refuse to rent you a chair, you are welcome to continue sitting under the palapa on the sand, on your towel, or in your own beach chairs. You do not have to vacate the area!

What to do if the palapa isn’t occupied but there are chairs?

If there is a palapa unoccupied that has empty hotel chairs under it, you can use the palapa for free, but you cannot use the hotel chairs for free. What does this mean? Well, you’ll have to move the hotel chairs to the side and use your own chairs or your towel. You have no right to use the hotel’s chairs.

Typically this would either be in the morning when the hotel sets up for the day and they may be prepping for their guests coming to the beach or later in the day after hotel guests have vacated their palapa. If there are things on the chairs, it is considered still occupied and you cannot claim the palapa.

What are the numbers on the palapas?

Some palapas on Aruba’s beaches are numbered. These palapas are still on the free public beach. The numbers are not reservation numbers, but rather for the beach bar employees who are taking drink orders and delivering drinks. They use the numbers to know who ordered what to get the orders and charges correct for each palapa.

Can you reserve beach palapas?

Despite what some hotels may tell you, there is no way to reserve a palapa on Aruba’s public beach. That being said, some resorts have thrown around the idea of putting a person under the palapa to reserve it, and this would count as it is no longer an unoccupied palapa.

But, if you are sitting under a palapa and someone shows up claiming they have reserved that specific palapa, you do not have to move. They do not have any claim to that palapa. You were there first and can stay there.

If they tell you it was a paid reservation from the hotel, you can direct them back to the hotel to get their money back as there is no such thing as reserving a palapa. Empty palapas are first-come, first-served.

Similarly, if your hotel tells you that you can pay to reserve or use a palapa on the beaches of Aruba, you can challenge them as they are not reservable and are free to use. The hotels should only be charging for the chair rentals or temporary umbrellas or tents, not the permanent beach palapas.

Exceptions to the Free Palapa “Law” in Aruba

The only exception to the first-come first-served rules around Aruba palapas on the public beach is for palapas not on the beach. In some cases, resorts have also built palapas up on their property around the pool areas or at the edge of the beach. These are limited to hotel guests.

They can do with them what they want. This means they can charge for reservations for them and kick out people who did not pay to reserve them or are not hotel guests. Make sure you are only claiming public beach palapas, and you will have shade all day long… for free.

Aruba’s Private Islands

While all beaches are public and free to use in Aruba, there are two exceptions – the two private islands off Aruba, Renaissance Island, home to Flamingo Beach, and De Palm Island. These two islands are private and therefore have different rules based on the ownership.

That being said, they both require all visitors to have a day pass to get there. If you’re interested, just follow the links above to learn all about each of them. Once on the islands, they have a variety of types of coverings available, some for free, some paid.

What to do if you’re challenged about your palapa usage?

Shade can be a novelty in sunny Aruba. As such, people will try just about anything to secure the prime spot on the beach in the shade. This can include lying or bullying to try and get those using the free palapas to move or give them up.

You do not have to give in to them. If they continue to push the subject, you have two courses of action. If the people demanding the palapa came from the hotel near the palapas, you can get the hotel to try and handle it. Alternatively, you can call the police.

That is actually how this decision was made. Police were brought in to settle a dispute on the beaches about the usage of the palapas. They ruled that all “palapas and beaches in Aruba are accessible for free to the public”. They also instructed that if anyone had additional trouble or questions about palapa usage to call them.

There you have it, all you need to know about if palapas are free in Aruba!