Manchebo Beach, Aruba
Also within 20 km of Oranjestad
Watch this spot We email you when Manchebo Beach is worth the trip.

About Manchebo Beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces W (266°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (86°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 17). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 26°C in February, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in September, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Oranjestad, 3.7 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots and 1 dive site.
Water about 29°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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Book the trip
From Chicago: about 9 h 25 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to AUA, direct.
See flights ORD → AUA · Skyscanner from about £260 returnAdGetting there. 25 min from the airport to Manchebo Beach.
Accommodation.
Stay in OranjestadAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Oranjestad (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Oranjestad 7 min by car · rooms from £60 a night · 45 places to stay · where Manchebo Beach stays
Places to stay in Oranjestad · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Oranjestad · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Oranjestad · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
Manchebo Beach on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
Manchebo Beach does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 7, too small | 2 ft5 smushy | 14kJ | offshorewind from the east, 16 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 5, too small | 2 ft5 smushy | 9kJ | offshorewind from the east, 16 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 6, too small | 2 ft4 smushy | 8kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 14 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 6, too small | 2 ft4 smushy | 8kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 14 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 8, too small | 2 ft4 smushy | 13kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 12 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 6, too small | 2 ft5 smushy | 15kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 15 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 10, too small | 2 ft5 smushy | 25kJ | offshorewind from the east, 15 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 8, too small | 2 ft5 smushy | 14kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 14 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 5, too small | 1 ft5 shollow | 8kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 3 knots | 30°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 3, too small | 1 ft5 shollow | 7kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 2 knots | 28°C |
Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.
Your trip, day by day
6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Direct flight ORD to AUA, then 25 min by road. About 9h 25 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Too small: 3 ft at best.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Too small: 3 ft at best.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight ORD to AUA, then 25 min by road. About 9h 25 door to door
The plan picks the best of 7 spots near Oranjestad each day: Andicuri, harbour, los pipas, Manchebo Beach, Rami Beach, Shark Bay, Wariruri.
Rough cost
About £695–£1,310 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to AUA, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | £260–£545 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | £15–£25 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £165–£280 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £155–£290 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £65–£105 |
| Total | £695–£1,310 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Oranjestad
- Delimar Peruvian RestaurantPeruvian · 0.1 km from the centre
- Driftwood RestaurantSeafood · 0.2 km from the centre
- Kowloon Restaurant ArubaChinese · 0.2 km from the centre
- Bentang BaliSeafood · 0.3 km from the centre
- Cuba's Cookin'Cuban · 0.3 km from the centre
- Elephant In The RoomItalian · 0.3 km from the centre
Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits
Book the trip
Where to stayAd
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