11 Best Nightlife in Palm Beach and Noord, Aruba

Night and day, this crazy colorful beach bar at the tip of De Palm Pier on busy Palm Beach is packed. Paint-spattered wooden tables and chairs on a plank floor under a massive palapa draw barefoot beachcombers in for frozen cocktails, cold beer, and casual fare where live music is king. There are karaoke nights, salsa nights, and daily food specials including breakfast. It’s an optimal spot to catch a magical sunset over the waves. 

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.

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.

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. 

A very lively happy-hour spot with its cool swim-up pool bar, purebeach is the place to be, especially on Sundays for live music and dancing. They are also open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but day or night, they are known for killer Caribbean cocktails and creative international fare with weekly specials. There's also an oversize adult-only seafront whirlpool right beside it for romantic nights under the tropical stars with music. Steps from the sea, there are beachfront tables that are a great place to enjoy happy hour (5--6 pm) while watching the sunset.

With a theme loosely based on the famous HBO TV series, Sopranos has a fun atmosphere with live piano music nightly that encourages the crowd to join in a sing-along. Top-notch barkeeps shake up a big list of creative cocktails, and the top-shelf spirit list is impressive. It's loud and rowdy most nights, but nostalgic and low-key when there are no crowds. A DJ sometimes spins late into the night on weekends.

Contrary to its name, it's not a store but a bar, and a very local one at that. Live local bands, lots of resident partiers, and a laid-back, down-to-earth atmosphere make this the place to kick back and have fun, especially on weekends. Good prices on drinks, a huge selection of craft beers, local Aruban snacks like funchi fries (made from seasoned cornmeal or polenta with a crispy outside and a creamy inside), and over a dozen kinds of artisanal chicken wings attract the tourists, too.

It might not be located on a beach, but you can expect a South Beach Miami vibe with electronic music, flashy lights, and a big outdoor dance floor with DJs. The party starts late and gets crazier as it gets later, attracting a young hip crowd with bottle service and different special events every night of the week.

Based on the famous Bulldog in the Netherlands, this one is all about partying hearty in the center of Paseo Herencia's courtyard with zany antics by the barkeeps and lots of dance action after the water shows end.

Located in the spacious lobby of the Aruba Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino, this cool and classy enclave is also about craft cocktails, sushi rolls, sips, snacks, and sometimes soft live lounge music. The combination provides an escape ideal for pre-dinner or post-partying relaxation. Don't miss their unique Aruba Mule cocktail, made with aloe vera juice.

The island's coolest new dance hot spot has great DJs and dazzling techno light shows that welcome people to party late into the night in the same complex as Brutto Beach Bar just off the Strip. It's a great excuse to put on your glam to enjoy stellar craft cocktails and dance 'till you drop, and it's one of the few spots on Aruba with VIP tables and bottle service. Check their Facebook page for the music schedule and specials.