10 Things to do in Aruba: Your Perfect Aruba Itinerary

They don’t call Aruba the One Happy Island for nothing! Aruba has SO much to offer from beautiful beaches to delectable cuisine and even a few rare animal encounters. Keep reading to discover the best things to do in Aruba so you can create your own perfect Aruba itinerary.

Aruba is one of the three ABC islands in the southern Caribbean, along with Curacao and Bonaire. These sister islands were formerly known as the Netherlands Antilles, so you’ll find a lot of Dutch influence around the islands. Aruba is about 14 miles off the coast of Venezuela, so it’s technically a part of South America, although it lies in the Caribbean Sea.

Aruba is one of the smallest countries in the world. It’s only about 20 miles long and 5 miles wide. But you know what they say, the best things come in small packages! With an average temperature of 82 degrees year round, you can’t go wrong with an Aruba vacation.

Hit the Beach

We might as well start with the most obvious. No one is coming to Aruba without the intention of spending a lot of time relaxing at the beautiful beaches. Lucky for you, all the beaches in Aruba are public, so you have lots of options and can spend each day at a different beach if you’d like.

The three best public beaches in Aruba are Eagle Beach, Palm Beach, and Baby Beach.

Eagle Beach is the widest beach in Aruba with some of the whitest sand you’ll ever see. Don’t believe me? Trip Advisor named Eagle Beach as one of the best beaches in the world for 2021. This beach is hardly ever crowded, so come here a relaxed and quiet beach day. They also have these fun divi trees!

Palm Beach is where you go if you’re looking for a good time. All the high-end restaurants, hotels, casinos, and bars are right around the corner. Spend the day at the beach then hit the town for the best nightlife in Aruba.

Baby Beach is located on a stunning crescent moon shaped bay with shallow water. This beach is beloved my families because even – you guessed it, babies – can waddle in the shallow water. Head to edge of the beach for some yummy Piña coladas and spectacular views at the Rum Reef Restaurant’s beachside infinity pool.

Eat

Aruba’s culinary scene prides itself on Aruban classics along with fine Dutch cuisine, so make sure you have some yummy Dutch pancakes for breakfast at least once! And of course, you can always find some American comfort food. Lastly, everyone in town will steer you towards Gianni’s Ristorante Italiano for the best Italian fare in Aruba.

All smoothie lovers and açaí bowl fanatics need to head over to Eduardo’s Beach Shack ASAP for some of the freshest fruit and most Instagrammable creations out there.

See the flamingos

I have an entire blog post dedicated to everything you need to know about visiting Flamingo Beach. Just keep in mind that Flamingo Beach is on a private island owned by the Renaissance Hotel. Admission is included for resort guests, but you will have to secure a day pass ahead of time if you’re not staying at the hotel.

There are also friendly iguanas on the island that you can feed along with water sports and two places to eat and drink.

Explore Downtown Oranjestad

Oranjestad is the oh so colorful capital of Aruba, so take a stroll down the streets to admire some vibrant Dutch and Caribbean architecture. This is also a great spot for some retail therapy because you can find everything from high-end fashion to kitschy souvenir shops.

For the best of both worlds, head to the Royal Plaza Mall, aka a real life Barbie Dreamhouse. I may have spent more time having a photoshoot here than I did shopping, but hey, to each their own! There’s also a big I LOVE ARUBA sign just a few blocks up from the mall.

The donkey Sanctuary

Flamingos aren’t the only animal running amuck in Aruba! Donkeys used to be the primary mode of transportation in Aruba, but industrialization left them out of work and without a home. Now, hundreds of them live at Aruba’s Donkey Sanctuary. It’s completely free to visit, but donations are accepted. If you do donate, you can hug and cuddle these cuties.

If you want to instantly become bffs with the donkeys, bring along some carrots! If they’re really hungry, they might be a little aggressive, so stay behind the fence while feeding them for your safety. They also sell small and large buckets of feed for a small cost.

Aruba itinerary one day — How can you say no to that face?

things to do in Aruba — How can you say no to that face?

The Aruba Ostrich Farm

When I was planning my trip to Aruba, I was laser focused on those famous flamingos. However, meeting one of the largest prehistoric-like birds definitely wasn’t on my Aruba itinerary, but I’m so glad I went! The Aruba Ostrich Farm has about 80 emus and ostriches. They are originally from Curacao, but they ran out of space so they sent them to Aruba.

The tour was so fascinating, and beyond worth it to see these creatures up close. I learned so much about Ostriches and Emus, and I got to feed and pet an Ostrich! I saw their cooky mating dance, and even got to hold an ostrich egg – the largest egg in the world!

The tour cost $14. There is a also gift shop and a cafe where you can have an ostrich egg omelet, but it’ll set you back about $70. That sounds really pricey, but I can only imagine how big that omelet would be! It’s also healthier than 24 chicken eggs because it’s so low in cholesterol.

I highly recommend grabbing a shaved ice. They put condensed milk on top, which is apparently an Aruba thing, but it was so sweet and tasty.

Murals

Many people don’t know that Aruba has a booming art scene! There are tons of beautiful beaches and creative pieces adorning the walls of San Nicolás, the cultural capital of Aruba. Artists from all over the world and local talents participated in the Aruba Art Fair, and it made San Nicolás the most colorful spot around.

The best part? It’s right next to Baby Beach, so you can check out the murals on your way to or from one of Aruba’s most famous beaches.

Aruba Aloe Vera Museum Factory Tour

Fun fact: Aruba is the world’s largest exporter of the aloe vera plant. Aruba’s desert-like environment enhances the aloe plant’s natural healing qualities and produces the BEST aloe vera gel in the whole word.

In a place as sunny as Aruba, there’s a good chance you’ll end up with a sunburn. Lucky there’s aloe around every corner to help soothe your burn and ease your pain. Bringing home some quality Aruba Aloe is also a way cooler souvenir than touristy shirts or shot glasses that’ll just sit in a drawer (but yes, I am guilty of buying these too so I won’t judge you).

You can visit the museum, factory, and store all in one tour to learn about Aruba’s history with the aloe plant. The tour is free, and they run every 25 minutes – no reservations needed.

Tourism Signs

Maybe I’m just incredibly tacky, but if there’s a tourism sign, I have to take a picture with it. How else can I prove I visited a new country? Aruba has no shortage of signs.