How do I get around Palm Beach?

Rent a car. That is the short answer for anything beyond the hotel strip. Aruba is 32 km long and 10 km wide, roads are well-paved, gas runs about $1.50 per liter, and you drive on the right. Budget, Hertz, and local agencies like Tropic Car Rental cluster along L.G. Smith Boulevard near the airport. Expect $45-65 USD per day for a basic sedan in high season, $35-50 in September through November. A compact handles everything except the unpaved roads in Arikok National Park, where a 4x4 matters. Parking is free at every hotel and nearly every attraction. The one catch is that Aruba has roundabouts everywhere, and the signage assumes you know where you are going. Download offline maps before you leave your hotel room.

Taxis operate on government-fixed fares posted inside the vehicle, not meters. Palm Beach to Oranjestad costs $10-12. Palm Beach to the airport runs $25. A trip down to San Nicolas is $35-40. You will not haggle, and drivers do not expect tips beyond rounding up. The main taxi stand sits at the north end of the strip near the Marriott, and most high-rise hotels have a dispatcher at the front desk. After midnight, wait times stretch to 20-30 minutes. There is no Uber, no Bolt, no local ridehail app. If you need a late ride, ask your hotel to pre-arrange it.

The Arubus system works for one specific corridor. The L10 route runs from San Nicolas through Oranjestad to the Palm Beach strip along J.E. Irausquin Boulevard, roughly every 20 minutes between 6 AM and 9 PM. Fare is $2.50 exact change in USD or 4.50 Aruban florin. The buses are air-conditioned and clean. That said, they stop running early enough that you cannot rely on them for a dinner return. Worth noting for a day trip to Oranjestad's shops along Caya G.F. Betico Croes, but not a system you will build your week around.

Walking the Palm Beach strip itself is fine. The stretch from the Riu Palace to the Hilton is about 2 km along the beach or the paved boulevard sidewalk. Flat ground, sea breeze cutting the 28°C heat, the smell of coconut sunscreen and grilled fish from the beachside palapas. You can reach most restaurants, bars, and the Paseo Herencia mall on foot from any high-rise hotel. Beyond the strip, sidewalks disappear. The road south toward Eagle Beach has a narrow shoulder, fast traffic, and no shade. That 3 km walk to Oranjestad looks short on a map but feels miserable at noon with the asphalt radiating heat upward and trade winds blocked by low buildings. Take the bus or a taxi instead.