We Found the Best Things to Do in Aruba (Beaches, Hidden Gems & more)
Aruba is probably one of the most popular international destinations for East Coasters like us. We had both been to Aruba before, but never together. And if you’ve been following us or our content for a while, then you know that Gabi’s family is from the nearby Caribbean island of Curaçao so we have high expectations of the Netherlands Antilles (since Curaçao is one of our favorite destinations ever haha). We tend not to like places that are over hyped and touristy, and while that was true of Aruba— we still had such an amazing time there!
Aruba is located in the Dutch Caribbean, and it’s only 20 miles long from the northern to southern points. It’s one of the most popular destinations for the East Coast of the USA to visit due to its warm climate year round, white sand, crystal clear blue water, and proximity to the East Coast of the USA. It’s only a 5 hour flight from NYC, and after visiting Aruba on a few different trips over the years, we understand why people love visiting the island so much.
Where to Stay in Aruba
On our most recent trip to Aruba, we stayed at the Radisson Blu. It’s a new 4-star resort with a boutique feel that just opened in 2021. The hotel has 3 pools, and one of them is a rooftop adults only infinity pool which is gorgeous! There is also designed beach access with chairs and umbrellas that you can get to with a less than 5 minute walk or use the hotel shuttle! We loved staying here and would definitely stay here again when visiting Aruba!
We stayed at the Aruba Marriott Stellaris Resort & Casino and we absolutely loved it there. The property was beautiful and right on the beach. There were two pools (one was an adults only pool), multiple restaurants on site, basically everything you could possibly need was there. We typically don’t stay in resorts when we travel but we adored this one and would definitely stay here again when visiting Aruba.
Find other Aruba accommodations here!
How to Get Around Aruba
The best way to get around Aruba is by renting a car. We chose not to do that since we were only staying for a weekend, but if you want the freedom to explore on your own, then we suggest renting a car. We took a taxi or walked to any area outside the hotel we wanted to visit. The taxi to town was $15 one way which we thought was very affordable!
Best Things to do in Aruba
Quadirikiri Cave in Arikok National Park
Palm Beach
De Palm Snorkeling Tour
California Lighthouse
Visit Palm Beach - Palm Beach is where majority of the hotels are located in Aruba. It’s a long strip of white sand beach with crystal clear blue water. We walked up and down the beach multiple times to check out different restaurants, we swam in the sea, and tanned on the sun beds. It’s the perfect beach for relaxing and is a must visit when in Aruba!
Explore Oranjestad - Oranjestad is the biggest city in Aruba. It’s also the port where most cruise ships dock. Since cruise ships are a major part of Aruba’s tourism, the city comes alive when a cruise ship is docked there. We happened to visit when there was no cruise ship, so the town itself was quiet but kind of nice at the same time. Here you will find lots of local shops, restaurants, bars, and other hotels.
Visit Arikok National Park - This National Park makes up 20% of the entire island! Here you’ll find hiking, rugged coastline, beaches, local wildlife, caves, and costs $11 to visit for the day. Some stops you’ll want to make are the Fontein Caves, Guadirikiri Cave, and snorkeling at Baby Beach!
Check out the California Lighthouse - located at the tip of Aruba, the lighthouse was built in 1916 and is surrounded by the country’s desert landscape. It’s also one of the best viewpoints on the island!
Do a snorkeling tour with De Palm Tours - De Palm Tours had a stand inside our hotel, but you can also book with them online and they were amazing! We did an afternoon snorkel boat tour with them and got to snorkel in the most beautiful, blue waters. They took us to 3 different snorkeling locations and we saw tons of fish as well as a shipwreck! Aruba is known for it’s snorkeling and diving so this is a must-do when visiting the island.
Book a Sunset Dinner Cruise with Monforte Luxury Cruise - a sunset dinner cruise catered by local sailors!
Walk around Paseo Herencia Mall - This outdoor mall is nearby to Palm Beach and has local shops, restaurants, bars, & more. They also have local performances on some nights as well. It was nice to walk around this area at night so if you need something to do, we recommend coming here.
Snap a Photo with the Aruba Sign - There are a few I Love Aruba signs on the island, but we really wanted to find the colorful Aruba sign. The location was hard to find online but it’s across from the Aruba Tourism Authority near Linear Park. Linear Park & Surfside Beach are both cute to walk through if you are in the area looking for the sign!
Book more Aruba activities & tours here!
Where to Eat & Drink in Aruba
Atardi
One Happy Bowl
Eduardo’s Beach Shack
Eduardo’s Beach Shack
One Happy Bowl
Garden Fresh Cafe
Lola
Lima Bistro
Atardi (located on the beach at the Aruba Marriott hotel. Perfect for sunset!)
La Vista (inside Aruba Marriott hotel)
Ketsu Sushi Bar (inside Aruba Marriott hotel)
The LGBTQ+ Scene in Aruba
For a small island, we noticed that Aruba was very welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community. Upon checking into our hotel, a staff member told us that he was queer and that he loved living in Aruba. We also saw many other queer couples on vacation openly showing affection to one another. We didn’t see a ton of rainbow flags or other very visible signs of inclusivity, but we can say that we felt safe and comfortable showing that we were a queer couple in Aruba.
If you want to see what we did on our trips to Aruba first hand, make sure you watch our Aruba YouTube vlogs linked below.
Thank you to Radisson Blu Aruba and Aruba Marriott for hosting us on our trips! As always, all opinions are honest and our own. Some links on this post are affiliate links of which we receive a small commission, but the price is the same for you.