Beaches of Aruba

When I landed in Aruba it was a beautiful sunny day, the wind was blowing lightly and the sun was hot.

I stayed at the Hyatt Regency hotel, it was magnificent. The beach was big but, it was always too crowded. If you wanted a beach chair you needed to get up and out to the beach in the early morning and stay there all day or you would lose your spot.

I rented a 4x4 with my wife so we could really get out and see what beaches the Island had to offer. We went from one side of the Island to the other, 4x4ing our way to private and public beaches.

The most spectacular beach we made it to was small but, had the most amazingly soft sand. It was very secluded and you needed to risk rolling your 4x4 or breaking down to get to it. It is well worth the risk if you are looking for beauty and adventure.

It is about 30 yards long, between two huge rock cliffs. We spent most of the day there finding turtle eggs in the sand and enjoying each other’s company if you know what I mean ;)

Some of the beaches had less than desirable sand and views but, if you are a up for a little adventure you can really find beaches that are secluded and rival the beauty of any other in the world in Aruba.

Beaches of St. Maarten

It was a long journey from Vancouver, B.C to the beautiful Caribbean Island of St. Maarten but, it was well worth the 23 hours it took to get there. As soon as I stepped of the plane, I felt like I had arrived to paradise. The sweet smelling air mixed with the warmth of the sun, sent me into a euphoric state of happiness.

 I stayed at the Westin Hotel, It was situated on Dawn beach. Without a doubt, the most beautiful beach on the Island. It was a soft and silky, light colored sand that felt amazing on your bare feet.

 There were many great beaches in St. Maarten that had a different feel for any type of person. The beaches on the Dutch side of the Island usually would have lots of people tanning, playing and enjoying music and swimming. It felt more geared towards the younger crowd between 18 and 35.

 The French side of the Island had beautiful beaches but, had the quiet laid back feel to them. They were geared to the 30 to 65 crowd, with less people on the beach. Most of which were tanning and floating in the water.

 There was also a nude beach on the Island. It was mostly geared towards the 30 to 65 year old crowd with a few younger people hanging out. It was packed, with people interacting, listening to music and playing in the water. Once you got over the awkwardness of the nudity, it was a good place to feel free from the stresses of life and just enjoy the sand and sun.

 I would recommend the beaches of St. Maarten as a once in a lifetime place to visit.