Searching for your next laid back holiday destination and aiming for a place where the wheater is (almost) always great? Aruba is your place to be!
Aruba is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located in the Carribean Sea about 80 kilometers west of Curaçao and 189 kilometers of Bonaire. Dutch and Papiamento are the two official languages and the island is about 180 km2.
Why I love this island so much? The average temperature is 28 degrees year round! The beaches are as white as they can get and the ocean is more turquoise than you can ever imagine. The whole island vibe is based on their motto: “Poco poco” which translates in keep calm / relax. The temperature, the vibe, the beaches and the activities make this island one of my favorite islands in the world. This is the perfect island for renting a car and bringing your Yeti bag filled up white ice and Amstel Bright. I’ll give you my top tips for this little paradise!
Baby Beach
My number one beach spot on Aruba is Baby Beach. Located at the most south east end of the island is this shallow sheltered lagoon like beach. This beach is great for swimming, chilling and snorkeling. At every visit I spotted at least one sea turtle! There is enough space to park your car close to the beach and a small beach shack gives you the possibility to grab something to drink or eat. When the visibility is good you even have the chance to spot Venezuela from here.
Renaissance Island
This island is a true tropical paradise and even has a Flamingo beach with actual flamingo’s on the beach! The only sad part is that this is a private island so it is not freely accessible. This island belongs to the Renaissance Aruba Resort and the only way to get there is by boat. The entrance is free for hotel guests, but for non guests it is possible to visit the island by buying a day pass.
A day pass for Renaissance Island costs $125 and they only give away a certain number of tickets per day. A few years ago it was only possible to buy the tickets at the hotel lobby but nowadays you can pre-book your tickets at this website: https://renaissancearuba.idaypass.com/ The price of a ticket includes a drink and lunch, but keep in mind that the tickets are sold out within a few minutes! Pre-booking is only available for the next day and starts at 7 AM. Friends of mine who lived at the island preferred to book a room at the hotel to be guanteed of a spot at the island. When in low season the rooms of this hotel sometimes cost the same as a day pass.
The beach that hosts the Flamingo’s is a full service adult only beach. It has chairs, towels, a bar, a restaurant and bathrooms. Orders are taken at your chair and the whole experience is amazing. I would definitly recommend staying a day at the Renaissance island.
Breakfast at Moomba Beach
My favorite breakfast spot is Moomba beach! Surrounded by palm trees at the end of the highrise you find this idyllic spot. The breakfast is very American, which makes it great after a night out! Your chair is in the white sand and your view is the turquoise sea. The morning can’t start any better!
Happy hour at Bugaloe
Arashi Beach
Arashi is a small, easy and quite beach in the northwestern point of Aruba. The beach is popular for swimming and snorkeling and the beach shack even sells “frikandellen”, which is typical dutch food. The beach is easily accessible by car and there are toilets and chairs available.
Lighthouse
Alto Vista Chapel
Arikok National Park