Aruba is a popular Caribbean travel destination, and with good reason, it’s a beautiful island! Aruba is located outside of the hurricane belt and has beautiful, consistent weather year round. With a large international airport and direct flights from many countries, Aruba is a great place to visit for a fun, relaxing and beachy vacation. To help you have the best trip to the island, keep reading for my top 12 Aruba travel tips!
Aruba Travel Tips
1: Aruba Can be Expensive
Aruba can be described in many ways, but a budget destination is not one of them. While Aruba is beautiful to visit, and has a ton to offer for tourists, I was surprised how expensive it is.
When traveling to Aruba, expect to pay as much as you would for a vacation in the USA. I found the prices in Aruba to be very similar to cities like Orlando and the Florida Keys. In this way, it’s more expensive than many other islands in the area. However, it’s also very developed for tourists, has great infrastructure and in many ways feels like you’re in a US beach town. Some people love this, others not so much.
While you can certainly find budget friendly accommodations and restaurants, in general, hotels and restaurants are on the pricier side.
2: Consider the Type of Accommodation That’s Best For You
If you choose to stay at an all-inclusive resort, which many travelers do, don’t be surprised if many are pretty expensive.
The major plus side of an all-inclusive is that you know exactly how much you’re going to spend in advance, since everything is included. If you’re looking for a stress-free, relaxing vacation – an all-inclusive is a great option. Everything you need is right at the resort and they’re fantastic for all ages.
The downside is that when everything is included, leaving the resort to do other activities or eating out at restaurants is now an added, and not entirely necessary, expense- since you’re already paying for these things at your resort.
Personally, when I was in Aruba, I chose to stay at a regular hotel and not an all-inclusive. I think this was a great decision as it allowed me to really explore the island, check out tons of beaches and eat at great local restaurants.
There’s no right or wrong accommodation to choose when in Aruba. Consider your travel style, who you’re traveling with and what you want to do while in Aruba when you’re picking an accommodation.
Some hotels will have two rates, an all-inclusive rate and a room-only rate. If you choose the room-only rate, you still have access to all of the amenities (pools, beaches, etc), but you’ll have to pay for your own food and drinks at bars and restaurants.
Amazing All-Inclusive Resorts in Aruba (multiple price points):
Beautiful Hotels in Aruba (multiple price points):
- Boardwalk Boutique Hotel Aruba – Adults Only
- Beach House Aruba Apartments
- Wonders Boutique Hotel
- Bubali Bliss Studios
- Ocean Z Boutique Hotel
- MVC Eagle Beach
3: Rent a Car
My top recommendation when visiting Aruba is to rent a car! There is so much to see and do on the island and having your own car is the best way to explore.
Renting a car is an added expense, but one that I would say is 110% worth it. The roads in Aruba are, for the most part, well maintained and easy to drive on. There are a ton of multi lane roundabouts, but once you get the hang of those it’s smooth sailing.
While taxis are available, if you’re planning on exploring the island with taxi transportation, you’ll most likely end up spending the same amount (if not more) than you would renting a car.
Aruba is a relatively small island, about 20 miles long and six miles wide. You can drive from one end to the other in about an hour (depending on traffic), so a car will really allow you to explore everything at your own pace.
My one exception to this recommendation is if you’re planning to spend most of your vacation at your resort. If your vacation days are going to be spent at the beach and poolside at your resort, skip the rental car and save the money!
4: Leave the Resort and Explore the Island
This goes with my last tip of “definitely rent a car.” Aruba is a really beautiful island and there are tons of fun and unique things to do. Some of these things, like snorkeling, visiting the Aruba Aloe Factory, horseback riding and ATVing (just to name a few), offer hotel pick up so you don’t need to worry about transportation! If you have a rental car, you can also drive to the locations on your own.
Fun Activities that Offer Hotel Pick-Up:
- Aruba National Park Hiking & Natural Pool Swimming
- Aruba Natural Pool and Indian Cave Jeep Safari
- Barhopping Party Bus Tour with DJ and Dancing
- Mangel Halto and Baby Beach Snorkeling Tour
Don’t miss out on Arikok National Park. For this National Park, you’ll buy a ticket at the entrance and be given a map of the sites to stop and take a look at on your drive through. There are also tons of great hiking spots.
This was one of the highlights of my trip! I decided to book a sunrise hike at Arikok National Park because I wanted to visit before it got super hot. In order to hike at sunrise, you have to be on a guided tour because the park isn’t officially open for visitors.
More fun activities in Aruba:
- Visit the donkey sanctuary
- This was another highlight of my trip!
- It’s free to visit and so much fun
- Check out my Instagram reel to learn more!
- Check out this tour that stops at multiple animal sanctuaries in Aruba!
- Go on a walking tour of Oranjestad
- Oranjestad is the capital of Aruba and a walking tour is a great way to learn more about the island.
5: The Grocery Stores are Excellent
Aruba has a variety of fantastic grocery stores! Even though the island has a very small farming industry and, therefore, imports almost all of its produce, you’ll be able to find everything you need at local supermarkets.
Most every brand you’d find in the US and many you’d find in Europe, are available. The prices are essentially the same, if not a little more, than most US grocery stores.
6: You Can Use USD
Aruba’s official currency is the Aruban Florin, but USD is widely accepted and there’s no need to exchange dollars to Florin.
Most major stores/restaurants will show prices in both USD and Florin, so you don’t need to worry about calculating exchange rates. Credit cards are also widely accepted, but having cash for small purchases/tips is a good idea.
7: Tipping Can Be Confusing
I found the tipping culture in Aruba to be pretty confusing. Many restaurants include a service charge on the bill of around 10-18%. Unlike in other countries, this service charge doesn’t go just to the server, but is split between most all of the staff.
Because of this, many places will ask for tips on top of the service charge and it can be very confusing to understand how much to tip on top of the service charge.
If there is no service charge, 20% is considered standard for a tip. If there is a service charge, the generally accepted practice is to “make up the difference” with a tip to get to 20%. For example, if the service charge is 10%, you can add a 10% tip on top of that to get to 20%.
Before I knew this, I tipped 20% on top of the 18% service charge already on my bill, as the server was very clear that the service charge was not a tip.
Tipping general practices in Aruba:
- Taxis
- 10% or round up a few dollars to the nearest whole number
- Housekeeping
- Around $5 per day
- Bellmen
- $2 per suitcase
- Spa services
- 10-20%
- Group tours
- $5-10ish per person depending on the price of the tour
- Private tours
- 15-20%
All inclusive resort note:
Some all inclusive resorts are “tip-free” and the employees do not accept tips. Others include a service charge per reservation that includes tips. Some others don’t do either of these and tips are expected. Definitely check with your specific resort to see what their tipping policy is.
8: Most Arubans Speak Four Languages
Being multilingual in Aruba is the norm and multiple languages are taught in school. The two official languages are Dutch and Papiamento, the local language. Aruba was colonized by the Dutch in the 1600s and is currently a self-governing country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Papiamento sounds, in some ways, like both Spanish and Portuguese and, if you speak either of these two languages, you’ll be able to understand and read a lot of Papiamento.
In addition to Dutch and Papiamento, English and Spanish are taught in schools and most Arubans are fluent in both. Finally, Portuguese and French are also commonly spoken, but to a lesser extent.
In the tourist areas in Aruba, and actually pretty much everywhere on the island, you’ll be able to communicate in English.
9: Go For Local Food When You Can
Aruba has a wide selection of popular US chain restaurants, like TGI Fridays, Benihana and all of the fast food restaurants you can think of. While you can always check out these restaurants if you’d like to, I highly recommend checking out local eateries.
Like I mentioned above, Aruba doesn’t grow much of their own food or meat, as it’s essentially a desert island. However, unlike their sister island, Curacao, they have no problems importing fresh food. This is likely because Aruba is a much more popular tourist destination than Curacao.
Fishing is popular in Aruba and fresh fish is a delicious local meal to have on your trip! There are some fantastic restaurants, including Zeerover and Kamini’s Kitchen, that serve up wonderful fresh seafood.
Kamini’s Kitchen is easily my favorite restaurant on the island. It’s located near Baby Beach, about 40 minutes from the main hotel zone and Palm Beach, it’s totally worth the drive for the delicious, fresh Caribbean food.
More restaurants to check out:
- Ocean Z
- I recommend a table outside to watch the sunset
- Make a reservation
- I recommend a table outside to watch the sunset
- Yemanja Woodfired Grill
- Make a reservation
- Lola Taqueria
- Palm Beach
- Gianni’s
- Palm Beach
- Very popular, make a reservation! Great Italian food.
- Palm Beach
- Aruba Experience Cafe
- Great for brunch/lunch
- Kulture Cafe
- Breakfast/brunch/lunch
- San Nicholas (go after visiting Arikok National Park)
- Breakfast/brunch/lunch
10: You Can Drink the Tap Water
The tap water in Aruba is safe to drink, so there’s no need to buy bottled water. Since there isn’t really any natural fresh water in Aruba, seawater is turned into drinking water at a desalination plant. The water tastes great!
11: The Beaches are Great & So are the Other Island Activities
The Caribbean is known for having beautiful beaches and Aruba is no exception. All across the island you’ll find incredible beaches.
Some are great for snorkeling, others for parasailing and still others for a day of relaxing and watching the sunset.
A few of my favorite beaches on the island include:
- Arashi Beach
- This is the perfect place to spend the day! There’s a large parking lot with free parking as well as umbrellas and sun chairs for rent.
- This is a white sand beach!
- On this beach you’ll also find a restaurant with bathrooms (although you may need to pay to use them.)
- There is both shallow water and good snorkeling at this beach!
- Eagle Beach
- Eagle Beach is a large beach near the main hotel zone in Aruba and has been rated one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
- This beach is home to the famous Fofoti Trees and there are beach chairs to rent.
- Palm Beach
- This is another beach on the northern side of the island, just past Eagle Beach. Also in a major hotel zone, this is a great beach for walking, relaxing and watching the sunset.
- Palm Beach also has some great beach bars and lots of walkable restaurants nearby.
- I recommend checking out Bugaloe for sunset drinks. This bar is right on the beach, often has live music and is a great spot to watch the sunset.
- Baby Beach
- Located on the South Side of the island, Baby Beach, in my opinion, is the prettiest on the island. The light blue water with the white sand is perfect! There is also great snorkeling.
- You will need a rental car to get to this beach – or pay for a very expensive taxi.
- There is ample free parking in a giant lot.
- There are sunbeds for rent, but they can be expensive so I recommend bringing your own umbrella, since there is very little shade.
- There is also a restaurant at Baby Beach with restrooms.
- Right next to Baby Beach, on the other side of the restaurant and parking lot, you’ll find Rodger’s Beach. While, in theory, this beach should be equally as beautiful, it unfortunately looks right at an oil refinery – which, obviously, ruins the view and natural paradise feel.
- Hadicurari Beach
- Located on the North side of the island, this beach isn’t the prettiest, however, it’s one of the best for kite/windsurfing. There are businesses on this beach that will take you out windsurfing, and from this beach you’ll see tons of people out on the water enjoying activities.
If you’d like to visit some of the most beautiful beaches in Aruba without a car or relying on a taxi, a beach tour is a great option!
There are several different types of tours that make beach stops, so there’s sure to be one that’s perfect for you and your group!
Aruba Beach Tours – (some offer hotel pick-up and others have very central meeting locations):
- Aruba Jeep Tour: Natural Pool, Caves, and Baby Beach Adventure
- Colorful Beach Bus Sightseeing Tour of Aruba
- Aruba Private Beach Hopping Tour
- Aruba Snorkeling Tour: Mangel Halto and Baby Beach
In addition to the excellent beaches, there are tons of other fun activities in Aruba!
A few of my favorite activities in Aruba include:
- Catamaran Snorkeling Tour
- ATVing around the island
- Happy Hour Sunset Sail
- Horseback Riding on the Beach
12: Combine Your Trip With a Visit to Curacao or Bonaire – Aruba’s Sister Islands
The ABC Islands, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, are former Dutch colonies (which are now self-governing but still form part of the Netherlands.)
These islands are all beautiful, tropical paradises and it is quite easy to visit all of them once arriving on one of them. Although you cannot travel by ferry between the islands, flights are super quick – about 30 minutes.
Several airlines fly between the islands, such as Divi Divi Air, EZAir and WinAir and it’s often possible to find very affordable flights.
I haven’t been to Bonaire, but between Curacao and Aruba, Curacao is definitely my favorite! Curacao is much less commercialized than Aruba, and in my opinion, the beaches are even more beautiful. However, I will say that the food in Aruba is better than in Curacao. This is because they are a much larger tourist destination and therefore, have much fresher and more regular imports of fresh produce and international products.
I absolutely recommend visiting Curacao on a trip to the ABC Islands!
Check out my Curacao travel guides:
- Insiders’ Guide to the Best Curacao Tours and Adventures
- Foodie Guide to the Best Restaurants and Food in Curacao
- Fun and Unique Things to Do in Curacao
- How to Have an Unforgettable Klein Curacao Boat Trip – Travel Guide and Tips
Q&A: Aruba Tips for the Best Vacation
- Should I be careful in Aruba?
- You should be careful everywhere you travel, but that being said, Aruba is super safe. I never once felt uncomfortable and the major tourist areas are incredibly safe.
- Like anywhere you visit, don’t leave valuables unattended on the beach, don’t walk alone in isolated areas at night and be aware of your surroundings.
- You should be careful everywhere you travel, but that being said, Aruba is super safe. I never once felt uncomfortable and the major tourist areas are incredibly safe.
- Is it safe to leave the resort in Aruba?
- Absolutely! I highly recommend leaving the resort and exploring the island. Aruba is one of the safest islands in the Caribbean.
- Should I bring cash or card to Aruba?
- Both. While you’ll be able to use your credit card most places, it’s good to have cash for tips and small purchases. USD is accepted all across the island.
- Do US citizens clear customs in Aruba?
- Yes! In Aruba, like in Ireland, you’ll go through US customs while in Aruba and that way you won’t need to do it once landing in the US. This is fantastic, as you’ll land as if you’ve landed on a domestic flight and not need to wait in line for customs and border control.
So there you have it, my top 12 Aruba travel tips for the best vacation! I hope you found this post helpful. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or DM us on Instagram.
Be sure too also check out my post with 10 fun and unique things to do in Aruba! Enjoy your vacation in Aruba!
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♡Kate
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