fbpx
Girl walking by painted wall of 3 turtles

Basic Guide to Aruba’s Top Things To Do and a 5 Day Sample Itinerary

Disclosure: Basic Travel Couple, LLC has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Basic Travel Couple, LLC and CardRatings and MileValue may receive a commission from card issuers. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Note: Some of the offers mentioned below may have changed or are no longer available. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired. You can view our current offers here.

“One Happy Island” is plastered all over the Island and for good reason. Aruba certainly has it all. Whether you are looking for some much needed R&R, an exotic adventure, or a beautiful seafood dinner right in the water. You’ll find it on the happiest island we have had the pleasure of visiting. Not only are the Arubans exceptionally accommodating and pleasantly happy but something about 80 degrees, sunshine, and that perfect Caribbean breeze really can turn a frown upside down. 🙂 Want to know more about Aruba and things to do? Check out our 5-day Aruba itinerary!

Overview

Aruba is a fairly small island measuring only 20 miles (32 KM) long and 6 miles (10KM) wide. It’s often referred to as being a member of the ABC Islands, joining Bonaire and Curacao which are all known for some spectacular scuba diving. Aruba is one of the four countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands which provides all citizens with a Dutch nationality (and passport). The geography is actually quite diverse across the island. You will find beautiful white sand beaches and a desert landscape all within a few miles from one-another.

Climate

The climate, however, is quite consistent. Aruba is one of the few islands outside of the Hurricane Belt, making the temperature consistently in the low 80’s all year long with a rare chance of rain on any given day. Due to the ideal climate, tourism is huge in Aruba making up roughly 3/4 of the Gross National Product.

Currency

Aruba’s national currency is the Aruban Florin. American Dollars however are widely accepted throughout the entire island. In addition, the majority of vendors in Aruba accept credit cards which I absolutely prefer when it comes to earning some extra points while on vacation. I mostly used my Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card while visiting which has no foreign transaction fees and double miles on every purchase.

card_name
bonus_miles
bonus_miles_disclaimer
annual_fees annual fee
card_name
bonus_miles
bonus_miles_disclaimer

An added bonus of not exchanging money for Aruban currency is getting some extra time to relax in one of the two Priority Pass Lounges found in Oranjestad Reina Beatrix International airport. There are a handful of credit cards nowadays that offer lounge access like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Hilton Aspire to name a few. When departing Aruba, if you’re headed to the United States you actually go through customs after going through Aruba’s airport screenings. This can take up to 4 hours on the weekends (3 hours on weekdays). The free drinks and food in the lounge after standing in all of those lines is certainly a nice reward after the extended wait!

Safety

As for crime rates, it’s hard to find any information on that topic. While we were visiting Aruba, we did not feel unsafe at any point in time. In fact, we didn’t see any impoverished areas and were not approached by any peddlers as we have encountered in other Caribbean countries. Our Aruba itinerary below shows our travels in which we rented a car, UTV and even walked around at night freely without any hesitation.

One Happy Island

Aruba really is “One Happy Island” with so many fantastic aspects and reasons to visit. Based on our research, the top things to do in Aruba are:

  • Visit the Famous Flamingo Beach
  • Take views on Eagle Beach (#3 Ranked Beach in the World – TripAdvisor 2019)
  • Rent a UTV and explore Arikok National Park and take a dip in the Conchi Natural Pool
  • Marvel at a sunset aboard a Trimaran Sailboat
  • Scuba Dive (or snorkel) the spectacular 400 foot “Antilla” shipwreck
  • Sing along on a Karaoke Party bus that explores Aruba at night
  • Eat a healthy and delicious Acai bowl at Eduardo’s beach shack
  • Start your day off with a classic Dutch Pancake at Diana’s Pancake Place,
  • Enjoy a delicious sunset dinner with your feet in the water at Flying Fishbone.

5 BASIC Days in Aruba

This Aruba Itinerary will pack in all of the top things to do and see in Aruba into 5 days. There is special consideration to proximity and you will find that we have clustered activities based on their location on the island.

Day 1

  • Breakfast at “The Dutch Pancake House”
  • A picture with famous “I Love Aruba” Sign
  • Visit Flamingo Beach and eat Lunch on Island (Assuming you are staying at the Marriott Renaissance hotel for access to Private Island)
  • Dinner at “Barefoot” Aruba Restaurant (Great Sunset Views)

Day 2

  • Breakfast at Renaissance Marina or Ocean Suites Resort
  • UTV Morning Guided Excursion through Around Aruba Tours
  • Lunch at “Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar”
  • Relax on Renaissance Beach (Located behind Ocean Suites)
  • Dinner at “Cuba’s Cooking”
  • Karaoke Party Bus with a nightcap at Soprano’s (Our favorite Piano Bar)

Day 3

  • Breakfast at Diana’s Pancake Place (Famous Dutch Pancakes)
  • Drive up to the California Lighthouse to take in those views
  • Eagle Beach for R&R and photos with Divi-Divi Trees
  • Lunch at Eduardo’s Beach Shack (Try the Mermaid!)
  • Sunset Sail on the Famous “Octopus”
  • Dinner at Madame Janette’s (Almond Herb Crusted Grouper Filet is as good as the reviews say. Also the Salmon was fantastic.)

Day 4

  • Breakfast at Renaissance Marina or Ocean Suites Resort
  • Scuba Diving 2 Tank Dive through Redsail (Make sure that the “Antilla” is one of the stops)
  • Lunch at Gilligan’s Seafood Shack
  • Dinner Under the Stars on Renaissance Island (Only offered Wednesday Evenings)

Day 5

  • Breakfast on Renaissance Island
  • Relax on Flamingo Beach
  • Lunch on the Island
  • Check out the Street art in San Nicholas!
  • Sunset Dinner at Flying Fishbone (Save the best for last!)
  • Make sure to ask for a seat IN the water and on the edge! Make a reservation early!
Couple sitting on beach with sunsetting and ocean in background
Flying Fishbone Sunset Dinner

Let us know if you have any questions on a trip to Aruba! We loved our time there and are looking forward to helping you plan your own journey!

Be sure to check out our other Aruba Articles:

Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

Disclosure: Basic Travel Couple, LLC has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Basic Travel Couple, LLC and CardRatings and MileValue may receive a commission from card issuers. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

The comments section below responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

5 Basic Travel Strategies

Need-to-know tricks for cheap travel.

Top Credit Card Offers

card_name
bonus_miles_full

Chase Freedom Flex℠

5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter! 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74% - 28.49%.
card_name
bonus_miles_full
card_name
bonus_miles_full
credit-card

We're Dave & Lisa

An easy-going, fun-loving couple who have a passion for adventure and exploring the world! Our strategies have saved us over $100,000 in travel over the last four years, and our goal is to help you do the same.

Keep Exploring