8 Best Bars in Aruba

Right between San Nicolas and Savaneta on the coastal route is the little neighborhood of Cura Cabai. There is a small beach, a fisherman’s pier, and Battata Beach Bar’s colorful alfresco food-and-drink emporium where the nightlife lives. Dancing in the sand is a thing during live music weekends and special lobster night events. Happy hours start early, often with great music, and always with stellar sunsets over the sea.

It’s hard to miss this alfresco two-story Latin club in the South Beach Mall area—your ears will find it before your feet do. Live bands and hot DJs are the thing here, but it's the flashing neon lights and so many beautiful people dancing salsa on the sidewalk that will make you want to join the action. The beverage offerings focus on spirits, with top shelf bottles always on tap. And though some of their premium cocktails can be eyebrow-raising pricey, there is a nightly double happy hour and specials on beer buckets.

Food, fun, and fiesta is the motto behind this family-friendly beachy bar (without the beach). Located on the new Harbour Walk directly across from the old fisherman's pier, SharQys Bahia always offers fresh fish, tacos, and pizza, but it's the casual camaraderie and service, buckets of beer specials, giant frozen drinks, and lively music that make this spot the nightlife anchor of this region on the north side of the marina.

These odd-combination sister spots are hard to miss on the Palm Beach strip with their colorful outdoor decor. They share a wide swath of the sidewalk, but they specialize in two very different things. Craft is best known as a quality coffee bar and breakfast spot; they serve breakfast until 4 pm with a legendary Saturday Live Music Brunch and Boogie Nights every Saturday that start at 10 pm. Lola, next door, is all about casual Mexican fare and margaritas at lunch, but turns into a full-on fiesta place late night. It’s a strange fusion of offerings but it works, and both spots are typically hopping, so make reservations—especially for dinner at Lola.

As the central party spot on the busiest part of Palm Beach, this open-air bar is famous for its Sunday-night blowouts with big crowds of locals gathering to dance in the sand to live bands or DJs. The barkeeps are mixology masters, and happy hours are very popular. Check their website for current and upcoming special events. The attached restaurant is also a wonderful surf-side spot for breakfast (big buffet until noon), lunch, and dinner, and there are tables in the sand for romantic dinners before partying. You can also rent lounges and umbrellas on the beach and order from their bar menu.

Aruba’s premier wild and crazy party bus outfit has been operating for almost two decades now, and they’ve added a new twist. Evenings, it’s all about shaking your maracas and bar-hopping through the town via their famous “Pub Krawl” tour or doing a dinner and bar-hop night that stops at the cool Casibari Grill in the outback for great BBQ, and then motors on for a wild tour to local party spots. But during the day, the bus morphs into one big happy family-friendly vehicle that offers a trip to the Casibari rock formations and Baby Beach in San Nicolas, or an “Animal Lover’s” outing that goes to the Aruba Donkey Sanctuary, Phillips Animal Garden, and the Butterfly Farm. Either way, their guides are fabulous entertainers night and day. Hotel pickup and drop-off included. No tours on Sunday. Private charters also available. Book direct by phone for a discount, or book a night tour at the same time as a day tour and receive $10 off.

Most of the main events during the annual Carnival take place in Oranjestad, but San Nicolas is considered to be the birthplace of the island’s Carnival traditions. Celebrations include a lighting parade, music competitions, and a mini-grand parade the day before the big one in Oranjestad. And this is the only location for Jouvert Morning, the annual sunrise road march that starts at 4 am—another reason the town was dubbed “Sunrise City.” The Carnival Village in the heart of town hosts many more events year-round, and on weekend nights you'll often have small bands outside the colorful little food truck–style kiosks for local's night out. You can also grab some great local food and cold beer there during the day after 11 am; there's always at least one of them open.

It doesn't get any more old-school local downtown than this spot. By day, it's the closest thing to an old-time malt shop where workers gather to gossip and take hot dogs, pastechis, and krokets to go; but every Friday night 7–9 pm, the colored outdoor lights go up, the plastic chairs come out, and local live bands set up to play old-time music for the seniors to dance like they used to right out in the street. Visitors are always welcome to join the big impromptu party, and there's cold Balashi beer by the bottle and limited bar service, too.