The 5 Best Watering Holes On Aruba The 5 Best Watering Holes On Aruba

The 5 Best Watering Holes On Aruba

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On Aruba, there’s a bar for all sorts of budgets, so you can have a blast no matter what type of place you prefer. Due to Aruba’s strong expat community, major tourism infrastructure, and young residents, the nightlife here can get wild. Within the vibrant nightlife scene, these are the best watering holes you’ll want to have a nightcap.

  • Bugaloe

    Bugaloe, J.E. Irausquin Boulevard, Noord, Aruba
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    Raised on stilts over the water in Palm Beach, Bugaloe allows you to party literally right on top of the Caribbean Sea. This place is a magnet for beach bums, backpackers, honeymooners, locals, hipsters, and rich dudes who need a break from their yachts, Bugaloe is known for their mojitos but don’t leave without trying a signature Bugaloe cocktail (tropical frozen house special with rum, peach Schnapps and peaches with topped with sangria).

    over the water | great signature cocktails

  • MooMba Beach Bar

    MooMba Beach Bar & Restaurant, J.E. Irausquin Boulevard, Noord, Aruba
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    You may not remember drinking stiff cocktails under a thatched roof palapa and singing along to the band’s cover of “What’s Up” while air guitaring until sunset. But just because you won’t remember doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Right on the sand with tons of lounge chairs and tables (and, of course, huge thatch-roof palapas), MooMba is a feel-good beach bar with island vibes and ice-cold drinks. Happy hour has amazing sunsets and people make a beeline here to enjoy them along with the MooMba shooter (it’s blue!) As the night goes on, people start dancing, socializing, and knocking back shots. It’s that sorta place.

    on the beach | amazing sunsets

  • BLUE bar

    Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino, L.G. Smith Boulevard, Oranjestad, Aruba
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    Speaking of blue, BLUE bar at Renaissance Aruba  has become the preferred stomping ground for jetsetters, locals, cool expats, and martini lovers. Attached to the lobby, the ultramodern bar in tints of blue is stylish and sleek, and it transforms into one of the most happening after-hours dance clubs when DJs take to the decks. There are often live performances, and they’ll usually spill out poolside to fully take advantage of the breeze off the Caribbean. So, dance, drink, be merry and definitely order a martini, the specialty here.

    ultramodern | live performers | after-hours party

  • Cafe Chaos

    Café Chaos, Oranjestad, Aruba
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    When a nightlife venue puts the word ‘chaos’ in their name, they obviously expect you to rage, and they want you to rage hard. There’s no such thing as quiet chaos: Chaos is loud and wild and fun and crazy and it’s completely fitting at Cafe Chaos. This pub is a stomping ground for local expats (particularly those crazy Dutch), and it’s known mostly for live music shows that can start as late as midnight. While rock and punk bands are generally headlining here, you can also expect blues and even reggae. This watering hole is off the beaten path, and there’s a ton of local bands that take center stage, so grab a beer, prepare for some head banging and fist pumping, and expect a riotous night out partying with the locals.

    loud | wild | punk rock

  • Sopranos Piano Bar

    The Soprano's Piano Bar, Noord, Aruba
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    The complete opposite of Cafe Chaos, Sopranos is a mild, casual and fun piano bar where patrons sit with smiles, moving their shoulders to the live piano player, snapping their fingers, and knocking back martinis. You might have to grin and bear it for a bit, but trust us. The later it gets, the wilder it gets, like people dancing on top of the bar, those quiet people in the corner singing like they’re on The Voice and random people buying you shots because it’s your honeymoon. Expect jazz, Elton John, Frank Sinatra, John Legend, whatever the piano man feels like playing. Bring large bills as he takes requests (the more money forked over, the quicker you’ll hear your song).

    mild | casual | piano man