Beach Guide
How to Get to Baby Beach: Taxi, Rental & Tours
It's the beach everyone tells you not to miss — a shallow turquoise lagoon at the southern tip of the island, sheltered from the waves, with snorkeling that rivals anything you'll find in the Caribbean. Getting there is the only tricky part.
Every Aruba guide puts Baby Beach on the must-visit list — and they're right. It's a wide, shallow lagoon with water so calm and clear it barely feels real. The snorkeling along the reef at the edge of the lagoon is some of the best on the island. Kids can wade out forever without worrying about waves. It's the kind of beach that makes you understand why people come back to Aruba year after year.
The catch? It's at the very southern tip of the island, about as far from the hotel strip as you can get. From Palm Beach, you're looking at a one-hour drive longer with traffic. That's not far by most standards — Aruba is only 20 miles long — but it does mean you need a plan for getting there and back.
The short answer: rent a car
A round-trip taxi from Palm Beach to Baby Beach runs US$142. A basic rental car for the day from US$40 plus US5 in gas gets you to Baby Beach and back — with stops at Zeerover for fresh fish or San Nicolas on the way. For this specific day, the math isn't close.
All three options — taxi, rental car, guided tour — are covered below.
By rental car
This is the option that gives you the most flexibility — and for Baby Beach specifically, it's worth considering.
The drive from the high-rise hotels on Palm Beach takes about 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic. The road is paved and straightforward — no 4x4 needed, no unpaved tracks. A basic rental car handles it easily. You head south through San Nicolas, follow the signs, and the parking area is right at the beach.
Having your own car means you can stay as long as you want, leave when you're ready, and make stops along the way. A lot of visitors combine Baby Beach with a stop at Zeerover for fresh fish in Savaneta — it's on the way back and worth the detour.
Basic rentals start around US$40/day (US$60 with Collision Damage Waiver). Pre-booking is almost always cheaper. Check Priceline to compare rates before you fly.
If you're only renting a car for one day during your trip, Baby Beach day is the day to do it.
By Jeep
Baby Beach itself is paved road — no 4x4 required. But if you're already heading to the south side, a Jeep rental opens up the full island day: Arikok National Park, the Natural Pool, the north coast caves, and the rugged windward beaches on the way back.
A basic car gets you to Baby Beach and back. A Jeep turns that into a one-day island tour you can't replicate any other way. Jeep rentals can be found from US$100/day — pre-book through Priceline for the best rates.
If Baby Beach is the only thing on your list, the basic car is fine. If you want the south-side day plus Arikok in one shot, this is the move.
By guided tour
If you'd rather have someone else handle the driving and the planning, several tours include Baby Beach as part of a full-day island experience.
Full-day safari tours on GetYourGuide typically include Baby Beach along with Arikok National Park, the Natural Pool, and the north coast. They run about 6–8 hours, include pickup from your hotel, and start around US$70–90 per person.
There are also snorkeling-focused tours that stop at Baby Beach and other reef spots along the south coast. If snorkeling is the main reason you're going — and it's a very good reason — these tours provide gear and a guide who knows exactly where the best spots are along the reef.
The trade-off is flexibility. You're on someone else's schedule, and you'll share the tour with other visitors. If Baby Beach turns out to be everything you hoped for, you might wish you could stay longer. If a stop doesn't land the way you expected, you're there until the group moves on. But you don't have to think about driving, parking, or arranging a return taxi — and you may see more of the island in a single day than you would on your own.
By taxi
If you'd rather not drive, here's what the taxi version of this trip costs round-trip. From a Palm Beach hotel like the Ritz-Carlton: US$142. From Eagle Beach: US$134. From the low-rise hotels: US$134.
The return trip — plan it before your driver leaves
This is the part people forget. Baby Beach is remote. There's no taxi queue, no cars waiting in the parking lot, and you're far from any hotel that could call one for you.
Arrange the return trip before your driver takes you there — not when they drop you off. When you get in the taxi, tell them you want a round trip. If they can come back, agree on a pickup time and exchange WhatsApp numbers. If they can't, you still have time to figure out an alternative before you're stranded at the southern tip of the island.
This matters even more for cruise passengers — and especially if you're on a shorter-stay line where Baby Beach already eats half the day. A taxi will eventually come if you call dispatch from Baby Beach, but "eventually" and "my ship leaves at 4" don't mix well.
If you didn't plan ahead, your options are finding a taxi in San Nicolas — the nearest town, about 5 minutes away — or calling a dispatch service and waiting. On a busy day, that wait can be long.
And when your ride does show up — make sure you're dry. Drivers can refuse wet or sandy passengers , and after waiting 30 minutes for a pickup from Baby Beach, that's not the moment you want to find out. Bring a towel and give yourself a few minutes to dry off before your pickup time.
What to know before you go
Bring everything you need. There's a snack bar at the beach, but it's small and basic. Bring water, sunscreen, and snacks. If you want shade, bring your own umbrella or tent — the natural shade spots fill up early.
Go early. Baby Beach gets busy, especially when cruise ships are in port. Arriving before 10 AM means better parking (if you're driving), more shade options, and a calmer, quieter beach. By midday it can feel crowded.
The snorkeling is at the reef edge. The lagoon itself is shallow and calm — perfect for wading and kids. The real snorkeling is along the rocky barrier at the edge of the lagoon, where the water gets deeper and the fish are everywhere. Bring your own gear or rent it on the way. Watch the current on the ocean side of the rocks — stay inside the lagoon unless you're experienced.
Budget most of the day. The roughly one-hour drive each way from Palm Beach and the time you'll want at the beach, this isn't a half-day trip — it's a full-day commitment. If you're taking a taxi and arranging a pickup, tell your driver 3–4 hours at the beach.
Combine it with Savaneta or San Nicolas. Both are on the way back. Savaneta has Zeerover — a waterfront fish market where you pick your fish and they fry it while you wait. San Nicolas has a growing street art scene, Charlie's Bar — a legendary dive covered floor to ceiling in decades of memorabilia — and a few local spots worth exploring. Either one turns the Baby Beach trip into a proper south-side day.
Which option is right for you?
Rental car if Baby Beach is the day's focus and you want flexibility — stay as long as you want, leave when you want, stop at Zeerover on the way back without watching a meter. This is the best single-day rental you can do in Aruba.
Jeep if you want to stack Baby Beach with Arikok or the Natural Pool on the same trip. Higher daily rate, but you're covering the south and east side of the island in one go.
Guided tour if you want someone else handling the driving and the route — and you're fine sharing the day with other visitors.
Taxi if driving isn't an option for you. Fixed fare per car, but the return trip needs to be arranged before you go. See our taxi vs. rental breakdown for the cost comparison.
No matter how you get there, go. Baby Beach is the real thing — and it's worth every minute of the drive.
Look up the fare to Baby Beach
Type in your hotel and see the exact taxi fare. Fixed rate, no surprises — and you'll know the cost before you book.
The water is warm. The lagoon is calm. The reef is waiting. Baby Beach is worth the trip south. Every single time.