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Dos Playa at TripAdvisor
Santa Cruz#6 of 9 things to do in Santa Cruz

Dos Playa

★★★★½4.5 out of 5 · 57 reviews
Photo: © CanadianAmericanGirl via TripAdvisor

Dos Playa is a beach in Santa Cruz, Aruba, rated 4.5/5 by 57 TripAdvisor reviewers; swimming good; snorkeling good; moderate crowds; no facilities.

Not for swimming

Rugged northeastern windward coast with rough surf and strong currents; swimming is not advised at Dos Playa.

Sargassum: heavy in season

Windward north-east Atlantic coast; expect moderate to heavy seasonal sargassum May–October, no facilities to clear it.

About

Dos Playa sits on Aruba's rugged northeastern coast inside Arikok National Park, near the Santa Cruz area. The name translates to "two beaches," and that's what you get: a pair of small coves separated by rock, both framed by jagged cliffs and wild surf. The water here isn't calm — swimming and snorkeling are moderate at best, and the waves can be rough depending on conditions. There's no shade and no facilities, so bring everything you need and plan to carry it back out. Ranked #6 of 9 attractions in Santa Cruz, Dos Playa pulls a smaller crowd than the main west-coast beaches, which is part of the appeal. It's not family-friendly in the conventional sense — the hike in from the park road is short but uneven, and the environment is raw. If you want postcard-pretty tide pools and solitude over convenience, this is the stop. Just don't expect lifeguards or a snack bar.

At a glance

Area
Santa Cruz
Swimming quality
●●●○○
Snorkeling
●●●○○
Crowd level
fewer▮▮▮▯▯more
Facilities
–
Shade
–
Family friendly
–

Photos

Dos Playa at TripAdvisor© CanadianAmericanGirl via TripAdvisor

© CanadianAmericanGirl via TripAdvisor

Dos Playa at TripAdvisor© mattide84 via TripAdvisor

© mattide84 via TripAdvisor

Dos Playa at TripAdvisor© mattide84 via TripAdvisor

© mattide84 via TripAdvisor

Dos Playa at TripAdvisor© mattide84 via TripAdvisor
+1

© mattide84 via TripAdvisor

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Source: TripAdvisor · view on TripAdvisor →

Photos by individual contributors as credited above.

Review summaries are AI-paraphrased from public traveler reviews.