The 9 Best Things to Do in Aruba

October 8, 2017 Major Galusha

Aruba is the quintessential Caribbean island, all sun and sea and stretches of powdery white sand. Time will slow to a pleasant crawl as you linger over a tropical cocktail or flutter serenely underwater, where only the parrotfish are in a hurry. The pastel façades of Oranjestad landmarks and shops lend an inviting and playful vibe to the capital city. Enjoy the shade of an Eagle Beach divi tree while the crashing waves of turquoise water create a soothing soundtrack just for you.
Restaurants in Aruba

1. Eagle BeachAruba Tourism AuthorityTop 10 Aruba Beaches

J.E. Irausquin Blvd., Palm - Eagle Beach, Aruba
Excellent
77%
Good
18%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 7 reviews

Eagle BeachAruba Tourism AuthorityTop 10 Aruba Beaches

This popular resort beach features the white sand and turquoise waters of an ideal Caribbean beach.

Reviewed By Ronald L - Longmont, United States

Stopped at Eagle Beach for a swim as part of our tour from the cruise ship. The beach is supposedly ranked 4th best in the world and is 4.5 km long with white, sandy beach. Wind was blowing fairly hard and sand was flying and stinging. As with most of the Islands in this area they do not offer lounges or umbrellas unless you are staying at one of the pricey hotels. Everyone is crowded under trees or bushes on their blankets to get out of the sun.

2. Manchebo Beach

Palm - Eagle Beach, Aruba
Excellent
77%
Good
18%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 448 reviews

Manchebo Beach

An impressive strand of white powder, this quiet spot on the southwestern tip of Aruba is ideal for a leisure day at the beach.

Reviewed By Steve1362 - Avon, Ohio

Located just south of Eagle Beach, Manchebo Beach is a beautiful, relaxing white sand beach with shimmering blue water. Unlike Eagle Beach, low-rise hotels and resorts are located directly on the beach but, unlike Palm Beach, there is a lot of room between the hotel facilities and the water and never felt crowded as most of Manchebo Beach is very wide.
Water sports can be arranged at Coco Loco Aruba at the very northern end of the beach and while the very southern end of the beach, where it transitions into Divi Beach, gets narrow and a bit rocky, it provides an area for birds, crabs and other bits of nature and can be very photogenic. Sunsets here are spectacular and there is often an increase in activity around sunset with people coming to witness the daily spectacle.

3. The Butterfly Farm

J. E. Irausquin Blvd., Oranjestad, Aruba +297 586 3656
Excellent
65%
Good
26%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 2 reviews

The Butterfly Farm

Reviewed By Carl R - Fort Wayne, Indiana

The staff at The Butterfly Farm are wonderful! They have created one of the best attractions on the island. I walk 3 km there most every morning to visit and meditate in the garden, surrounded by 100s of beautiful butterflies and flowering plants. This time we were treated to a new addition: a “rescue” parakeet named Tweety that adds another layer of fascination to the Gardens. Every visit brings new knowledge of the most wondrous of creatures.

4. Palm BeachAruba Tourism AuthorityTop 10 Aruba Beaches

J.E. Irausquin Boulevard, Palm - Eagle Beach, Aruba
Excellent
68%
Good
24%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 6 reviews

Palm BeachAruba Tourism AuthorityTop 10 Aruba Beaches

Located on the west side of the island, Palm Beach offers white sands and calm waters for excellent swimming conditions.

Reviewed By MIDWESTROBIN - Kansas City, MO

Palm Beach is super calm and has beautiful turquoise waters. Great from just hanging out in or rafting. Not the clearest we have seen. Bitter sweet: Lot's of activities like tubing, jet packing, parasailing, jet ski's, etc. These things are fun when YOU are doing them but are annoying when you just want to have a relaxing time on the beach.

5. Arashi BeachAruba Tourism AuthorityTop 10 Aruba Beaches

Palm - Eagle Beach, Aruba
Excellent
65%
Good
27%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 2 reviews

Arashi BeachAruba Tourism AuthorityTop 10 Aruba Beaches

This quiet and secluded beach is known not only for its excellent snorkeling but a variety of water activities including windsurfing, scuba diving, deep-sea fishing, swimming and sailing.

Reviewed By lovetosnorkel1 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The beach here is beautiful and would be a great place to spend the day.
We went to snorkel and saw average fish, what we didn't like about it was the water was very shallow (at least where we swam). There was a large dead moray eel, not sure why it was dead but with as shallow as the water was we didn't want to see a live eel with being in such shallow water.
The water is pretty clear and calm on this beach.
There is a beach bar however we did not try it out.

6. Druif BeachAruba Tourism AuthorityTop 10 Aruba Beaches

Noord, Aruba
Excellent
71%
Good
25%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 124 reviews

Druif BeachAruba Tourism AuthorityTop 10 Aruba Beaches

A section of a seven-mile-stretch of beach that offers excellent swimming conditions due to calm water.

Reviewed By Easylivingtravel - Tampa, Florida

This beach seemed private although it was open to public. It is used by the DIVI resort. In fact all the chairs and umbrellas belong to the resort. However it is a nice place for a beach walk and it wasn't hard to park during low season. Perhaps next time I'm in Aruba I'll stay at the DIVI resort just to have unlimited access to this beautiful beach.

7. Boca CatalinaAruba Tourism AuthorityTop 10 Aruba Beaches

Noord, Aruba
Excellent
64%
Good
30%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 715 reviews

Boca CatalinaAruba Tourism AuthorityTop 10 Aruba Beaches

Reviewed By scubaDave52 - Lansing, Michigan

Any time you sit on a beach and look at the ocean the rating should be 4+. We hit a lot of Beaches. All pretty nice. This one is fine, and you can reach it by rental car or public bus. You can swim here but there are better places for swimming just to the north and south with less rocks.
We came to snorkel. The first time we got started mid morning and stayed inside the buoys. It was pretty good with lots of fish (actually more than I saw the previous day scuba diving). As we got out of the ocean 5 large excursion boats pulled up one by one and disgorged snorkelers with their bright colored vests. I think it was mostly cruise ship patrons on expensive outings. (Hint to cruisers, you can get here on the Arubus.) Now my wife had said there must be a reason for the buoys and she didn't want to go out any deeper. What we figured out was the buoys were to keep the large groups of snorkelers from going closer to shore.
So we snorkeled Boca Catalina again another day, making sure we arrived before the hordes from the cruise ships. And we went outside the buoys! Pretty wild, hey!. We saw more fish and the highlights were 2 octopi which I don't know how to spell, so 2 octopusses which is probably also spelled wrongly. One octopus was the largest I have seen and was out in the open and easy to watch. In addition there was a small squadron of squid all lined up and just hanging out. Great day of snorkeling!

8. Natural Pool

Windward Coast, Noord, Aruba +297 582 3777
Excellent
68%
Good
21%
Satisfactory
9%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 2 reviews

Natural Pool

A "conchi" or swimmable pool nestled amidst massive rocks on the northeast coast of Aruba.

Reviewed By Marie K - Indiana, United States

You can only visit this unique spot with a tour, and it is well-worth the trip! Our family enjoyed swimming, climbing the rocks, jumping off formations, snorkeling, and the incredible beauty of the area. Our tour guides were very helpful at making sure we were safe and happy. It was the highlight of our week!

9. Renaissance Island

L.G. Smith Boulevard 82, Aruba +297 583 6000
Excellent
72%
Good
19%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
1%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 573 reviews

Renaissance Island

Leave the cares of the world behind as you venture over to a private island complimentary to Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino guests. Renaissance Island features Aruba’s only private Beaches and is just an 8-minute water taxi ride away. Here lies a true oasis with family-friendly Beaches or Beaches just for adults. Pamper yourself at the private Spa Cove, play a game of beachtennis, sit down to the delicious lunch specials at Papagayo Bar & Grill or have a drink at our newly added Mangrove Beach Bar, or just lie back and let the sun caress you. A day on Renaissance Island is a day well spent.

Reviewed By pat46455 - pa

SO this island is perfection , Flamingo s on one side for adults , families on otherwise. You can rent a cabana for the day(recommend for couples) $230 but comes with champagne, water , floats snorkeling masks,strawberries, own private waiter. You don't need it as Seating seems to be plentiful. Think about water shoes . Not necessary but helpfulbut heal

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